Prepare: As you prepare to write your response to this discussion assignment, it will be in your best interest to review the following resources in the Ashford Writing Center, which can be found within the Writing Resources tab under Research Writing Tutorials:
- Developing a Topic
- Incorporating Sources Into Your Research
And in the Ashford University Library, view tutorials titled Picking Your Topic IS Research and Database Search Tips.
Reflect: When considering a research topic, consider an interesting topic that is worth further research. For instance, having a strong opinion on a specific topic may deter you from thinking more critically, and therefore the research might end up being one-sided. It is a good idea to pick a topic in which you can provide a good argument for both sides of the societal issue.
Write: The first step in the research process is selecting a topic that is both interesting and manageable. For this discussion:
- Review the Final Research Project instructions in Week Five, and identify two potential research topics. Keep in mind that you will choose just one for the Week Three Annotated Bibliography assignment and the Final Research Project.
- Describe methods to use in identifying and narrowing your research paper topic.
- Examine and summarize information from at least two scholarly sources for one of the topics that may prove valuable as you seek to defend your claims regarding your chosen topic.
- Address why scholarly sources should be used to support your writing on the selected topic.
- Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly sources, and properly cite any references.
- Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length.
Respond to Peers: Review your classmates’ posts, and respond to at least two of your peers by Day 7. In each response, provide comments on your classmate’s topic idea and ask a question that prompts your classmate to think more critically about how to explore the research topic in more detail. Each participation post should be a minimum of 75 words.