English

English
You will browse a bunch of archives until you find something that grabs your attention. You will use these archival materials to inspire an argumentative research paper.
Archival Research Paper
Researchers do not write off the top of their heads; in fact, the best research writers are
inspired by subjects that no one has ever worked with. Many researchers travel long distances
(sometimes internationally) to sit in a research library and pour over original documents; this is
called primary research. The purpose of this kind of research is to find something new and
original to share with the world. Once the writer finds that original idea, they publish their work
in a reliable publication; the resulting paper is called secondary research. In this assignment,
you will do both primary research and secondary research. Some of you might actually walk into
an archive somewhere (I hope you do!), but most of you will interact with a digital archive
instead.
Your task is to find an archival artifact of some kind (a document, image, video,
interview, etc.) that inspires, informs, and helps you choose a topic. For example, you might find
a digital copy of an original letter from one influential figure to another. You might find a copy
of a receipt or a note to someone important for your topic. Using these artifacts, you will begin to
create a context from which to explore a topic and make an argument. In other words, you are
required to find artifacts that most people do not know exist and bring them into your project.
From there, you will use the artifacts from your research to draw your reader into your topic and
to be persuaded by you argument. You will use at least eight sources for this paper (four of
which will be books or academic journals). The project must be 7-10 pages long (2100-3000
Last Name 2
words), and it must be turned in to Blackboard as a PDF