Develop a research question that grows out of the driving question for my class: “What are friends for?.” My topic of choice is robots and friendship.

You will develop a research question that grows out of the driving question for our class: What are friends for? Then you will investigate this question, take a position, and develop a thesis-driven essay about it.

Topic of Choice: Robots and friendship

“What makes a healthy relationship between humans and robots?” 

(My position is that it is possible for humans and robots to have a healthy relationship.)

Writing prompt: Write a 7- to 9-page essay on a research question related to the topic of friendship. The essay must include a specific number and type of sources (see details below). A Works Cited list must be attached.

Please make sure your essay includes all bulleted elements:

• You can take a number of different directions in your introduction. You might want to use Denworth’s Friendship as a springboard (summarizing a segment of the book that introduces your topic). But you may also use another research study that is focused on your topic. An anecdote might work, too, but this is an academic essay, so a text or research study is best.
• End your opening paragraph with a clear thesis that introduces your specific topic and your position on that topic.
• Make sure that your body paragraphs are well-developed. Follow the PIE method and emphasize analysis as the most robust part of each paragraph. Frame your quotes, as you’ve practiced all term.  
• Essay 3 requires a minimum of six sources.
  • Integrating Denworth’s Friendship is required. Use the book as a major source for Essay 3.
  • Two peer-reviewed journal articles are also required. These may be articles you find yourself or ones that I have linked in our modules or at the bottom of this assignment sheet. You can check if something is a journal article by looking at the publication source and the format of the article (does it open with an abstract, for example). You can also ask me if you’re not sure.
  • The last three sources may be anything you wish, including magazine articles (like Marisa Franco’s “super friends” article), videos (like Denworth’s TedTalk), textbooks from other classes you’ve taken, and Internet sources. Any of these three can also be journal articles, of course.
  • You may include quotes from your classmates as you did in Essay 2, but they aren’t counted in the six required sources.
  • You may also use personal experience or observation to support your claims, but again, these won’t be counted in the six required sources.
• At the end of your essay, include a Works Cited list that is formatted in MLA style and includes all six sources properly listed. (If you quoted classmates, list those. Your own experiences don’t need to be listed.)
• Finally, close with a one-paragraph conclusion that leaves your reader with something to consider about your topic. Please do not spend this paragraph summarizing every claim in your essay. Your reader will be able to remember what you’ve said in an essay of this size. Instead, give us a way to contextualize or think about your topic as we finish your essay.
• Format the essay in MLA style: one-inch margins, 12-point font, Times New Roman or something similar, parenthetical documentation for quotes. At the top of your first page, include an MLA header and a title that is unique to you. It doesn’t have to be fancy; something like “Are Robots the Future of Friendship?” or “Dogs Make Great Friends” would be fine. To see an example of an essay with an MLA header, scroll down this page.