The Fundamental Conventions of Academic Writing

The Fundamental Conventions of Academic Writing
Here’s your opportunity to really explore your own interests in the field(s) of digital and/or academic consumption. You’ll write a long-form article that uses secondary scholarly research, along with your own critical reflections to find insight. You may focus on any topic relevant to the work of this class. See examples at the end of this document. Your research might explore a variety of disciplines: psychology, political science, literature, history, sociology, linguistics, etc. This is an opportunity to follow your curiosity and investigate our culture’s state of mind in this ‘post-truth’ world. Have fun with it!
This assignment is also an opportunity for you to think more about what distinguishes research writing from writing intended for a non-scholarly audience.  It is also an opportunity to improve your skills in mining research, organizing and writing research papers, and to practice the fundamental conventions of academic writing, including quotation and paraphrase, three-step APA documentation and manuscript form.
Directions: Research begins with curiosity—a question. You’ll want to come up with a research question inspired by our work this term. We’ll work collaboratively to make it thoughtful and nuanced. Below you’ll see a range of topics that fall under the two thematic umbrellas of our course. Select one of these topics that piques your interest or curiosity, and through the practice of scholarly research, develop this query into a thoughtful, clearly written and well-organized essay.  
Remember, your research question is merely a starting point. Expect it to evolve as the process continues. Your probing research question must be approved before you fully delve into your research.
Investigate:  Once you’ve received the green light on your question, it’s time to discover what scholars have to say. Your essay will draw on at least three secondary scholarly articles to establish the existing state of knowledge in your field of focus, and to open a knowledge deficit (3-5 is ideal). In the final stages of your research, your challenge is to use dynamic body of existing research to answer your research question.
Write: Your research assignment builds on the skills developed in successive writing exercises. You’ll weave together scholarly ideas, including theoretical models and evidence from others’ studies, and your own critical reflection to answer your question. We’ll spend time in class talking about how to make research writing engaging, fair, thoughtful, coherent and convincing.
Submitting your assignment: Please include the following items when you submit your assignment:
-Completed good copy of your assignment with attached Reference List.
-One copy of your peer-reviewed draft paper.
Sample Research Topics: 
1/  Social media platforms have evolved from a basic tool to connect with others, to a powerful weapon for social change (in both negative and positive ways). One example that comes to mind is the most recent #MeToo movement, a communal indictment of a sexual harassment culture reaching across borders of...