Bike Sharing Systems Functioning Literature & Language Essay

Major Paper I: Writing to Inform
Purpose and Description
The process of “joining a conversation” involves much more than simply voicing one’s opinion about a topic. (Most of us can do that with little effort.) Rather, to enter into and contribute to a genuine dialogue, we first need to discover what has already been said about the topic in question. We can do this in many ways: by reading, by observing, by asking questions, by listening. These are often routine activities, but when we deploy them toward a specific research goal, they position us not only to gather and share information, but also, potentially, to say something new. Toward these ends, your aim in this assignment will be to research a topic and compose an informative essay that reports on it. Note: Remember this course is loosely based on exploring topics and themes and issues related to popular culture. Some of your topic options are provided on a list of relevant topics that connect to these broad course themes. If you are interested in exploring an issue that is CONNECTED to these themes, but not necessarily on the list, please email me to check before pursuing it.
You may select to explore a topic (from the list) that interests you, but at the very least, remember that this paper should
1) be relevant to a general audience; and
2) be compelling enough to invite debate among members of your audience.
You will not be “taking a side” per se; instead, you will compose an informative and well-balanced essay that helps readers deliberate about the topic in a conscientious and responsible way. And you will offer some perspective and deeper insight into the nuances and complexities of the issue.

Please consider the following as you undertake this assignment.
Invention & Inquiry
Identify a topic or an issue that interests you from the broader categories and the list of specific topic;
Write down several reasons why the issue should be of interest to others;
Conduct a preliminary search of your issue using web-based resources;
Gather approximately 4-5 sources related to your issue;
Summarize each source and make notes about the various situations in which they are embedded (e.g., authors, audiences, genres, contexts, etc.).
The Composing Process
Compose an introduction that frames and defines the scope of your essay;
Offer readers some contextual background on the subject of your research;
Use sources gathered in your research (3-4) to compose informative body paragraphs;
Help your audience understand the stakes involved in the issue and the limitations of the information you have used to report on it;
Conclude your essay by pointing toward additional research and analysis that can be done to better understand the issue as part of an ongoing conversation.

Specific Requirements
Your essay should:
Focus on a relevant topic;
Inform your audience about the topic;
Summarize and paraphrase sources with finesse;
Cite sources correctly using an appropriate citation style;
Be written in a clear, precise, and energetic prose style;
Include a title that reflects the spirit and scope of the essay;
Be 4-5 pages in length (double-spaced, one-inch margins, 12 point Times New Roman or Garamond typeface); MUST REACH BOTTOM OF THE 4TH
Be uploaded to Canvas as a Word document by the deadline (consult your course syllabus and schedule for details). NOTE: CANVAS DOES NOT ACCEPT FILE FROM PAGES
Informative essays, regardless of length, offer only a fraction of all possible views on a topic. Keeping this in mind, your objective is not to persuade readers toward a particular point of view; it is to inform them about your topic in a way that enables them to judge for themselves how to join the conversation that you are beginning to map out through your ongoing inquiry. Please contact me if you have questions about this assignment or anything else related to the course.