In this assignment, you should examine sources that discuss a range of perspectives on
contemporary issues being debated in various contexts, including academic disciplines. You
should put a mix of scholarly and reputable sources into conversation with each other. As a new
member of the academic community, you should find where your voice, perspective, and
argument fit into the existing conversation. So, unlike a research paper (a popular genre that
summarizes or explains ideas), this assignment asks you to interpret a wide spectrum of
perspectives and then offer your own creative insights into the conflict and how to resolve it.
This assignment asks you to build on the source citation and argumentation skills you‘ve
developed, reengage in the critical examination of texts, perform the careful observation and
development of voice you‘ve rehearsed, and work within the broad and diverse conventions of
scholarly research.
Whatever you decide to write about, you should investigate an issue that you are genuinely
interested in learning more about before you work to narrow your focus to something you can
actually examine carefully in eight pages. For example, women’s reproductive rights would be
too broad of an issue, but recent legal disputes over California’s Crisis Pregnancy Centers and
how the issue could or should be addressed would be a narrowly defined focus for your research.
As with other assignments in this course, you will write for a specific audience: the University at
Albany community. As such, you should explain important concepts to your readers (who are
intellectually curious, but who have different knowledge bases and areas of expertise); you
should also seek to persuade readers that your perspectives are worth considering. This essay
asks you to join a conversation that is already taking place and to share your insights or
suggestions. Your ultimate goal is to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the conversation,
while also working to consider the ways your own thoughts add something new to a conversation
contemporary issues being debated in various contexts, including academic disciplines. You
should put a mix of scholarly and reputable sources into conversation with each other. As a new
member of the academic community, you should find where your voice, perspective, and
argument fit into the existing conversation. So, unlike a research paper (a popular genre that
summarizes or explains ideas), this assignment asks you to interpret a wide spectrum of
perspectives and then offer your own creative insights into the conflict and how to resolve it.
This assignment asks you to build on the source citation and argumentation skills you‘ve
developed, reengage in the critical examination of texts, perform the careful observation and
development of voice you‘ve rehearsed, and work within the broad and diverse conventions of
scholarly research.
Whatever you decide to write about, you should investigate an issue that you are genuinely
interested in learning more about before you work to narrow your focus to something you can
actually examine carefully in eight pages. For example, women’s reproductive rights would be
too broad of an issue, but recent legal disputes over California’s Crisis Pregnancy Centers and
how the issue could or should be addressed would be a narrowly defined focus for your research.
As with other assignments in this course, you will write for a specific audience: the University at
Albany community. As such, you should explain important concepts to your readers (who are
intellectually curious, but who have different knowledge bases and areas of expertise); you
should also seek to persuade readers that your perspectives are worth considering. This essay
asks you to join a conversation that is already taking place and to share your insights or
suggestions. Your ultimate goal is to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the conversation,
while also working to consider the ways your own thoughts add something new to a conversation
on an issue of cultural, political, or humanitarian significance. Most importantly, this
assignment will ask you to defend your own position and persuade an audience to believe
your argument. Please do not think of the assignment as a report. Your essay will be an
exercise in both persuasion and problem solving
assignment will ask you to defend your own position and persuade an audience to believe
your argument. Please do not think of the assignment as a report. Your essay will be an
exercise in both persuasion and problem solving