Research Paper Assignment Sheets

Browse Research Paper assignments from current and former E110 instructors. A brief overview of the assignment is provided. Click the arrow at the bottom of each box to view a PDF of the assignment.

Pop Culture Research Paper

For this research paper, students will research and write about a text (a piece of media) that they like (a primary text). This primary text can be a book, movie, TV show, video game, music album, podcast, etc. Using this primary text as the basis for the essay, students formulate an original research question that considers their text in conversation with a larger social issue or conversation. Students will make an argument about their primary text, and support their argument using both their own analysis and secondary sources.

Conceptual Argument Research Paper

For this research paper, students will compose an 6-8 page essay on a topic of their choice. Students will add their voice to a scholarly conversation surrounding a topic, contribute to it, and/or move it into a new direction. In other words, students’ task is to research sources in order to get a feel for what scholars have to say about their topic and use these sources to create a conceptual argument. A conceptual argument asks the questions How? Or Why? rather than Is? or Does? Thus, this
project will examine the complexities of a topic and illustrate students’ analysis of it instead of listing and reporting
facts.

Cause, Consequence, and Solution Paper

For this research paper, students build on previous essays to take a position within the conversation and make a new claim about their issue. This essay focuses on the rhetorical strategies that take up concerns of cause and consequence and proposals for new action. Thus, students might work in this final paper to pinpoint the cause and the consequences of the problem they have been exploring and then propose a solution. 

Ideology and Rhetoric Research Paper

For this research paper, students will research and write about an ideological topic (specific prompts in the assignment sheet). Students will formulate an original research question that considers their topic in conversation with a larger social issue or conversation. Students will make an argument about their topic, and will support their argument using both their own analysis and secondary sources.