Please read the article “‘I’ll Do My Own Research’: Why Americans Don’t Trust Experts Anymore” by Stephen Altrogge. The link is in Canvas,

COM 101

Research Proposal

(20 points, 750 words)

Objective

Students read an article and then generate a possible response to specific points made by the

writer. The student finds research to support that response. In an essay written for the

instructor, the student explains how a given piece of research will be used in the upcoming

research-based persuasive essay. The assignment engages comprehension, analysis, and

metacognition. The relevant course objectives are: 2, 3, 8, 9, 10.

The Task

Please read the article “‘I’ll Do My Own Research’: Why Americans Don’t Trust Experts

Anymore” by Stephen Altrogge. The link is in Canvas, but if it does not work, paste this link into

your browser:

 https://www.trustsignals.com/blog/why-dont-americans-trust-experts-anymore

Review the assignment sheet for the Research-based Persuasive Essay. This proposal lays the

groundwork for that paper. I am your audience for the Research Proposal. You can use the first

person. You need to identify what content from the article that you’ll be addressing, and you

need to have some idea of what you want to argue. It does not have to be absolutely for

certain, but you need some direction.

Find four sources and in a single discussion paragraph for each one, identify the source, briefly

explain its content, and discuss how and where you plan to use the data in the persuasive

essay. Do not utilize quotations.

Thesis

Tell me what shall be the focus of your persuasive essay and what you opine. Briefly explain

your rationale and describe the types of information you will need to make your case. The

thesis should occupy a single, well-developed paragraph.

Discussion

Each source (four total) should be identified by author or title and the relevant content

summarized. Explain how you plan to use the data in your essay. Do not simply state the

obvious, such as “I plan to use the article to support my claim.” Be more specific without using

quotations. Each source should be discussed in one paragraph.

Conclusion

Ask me questions and voice concerns about composing the upcoming research-based

persuasive essay. My comments shall focus on your questions. If you do not ask questions,

you’ll receive a C at 70%.

Works Cited

MLA format required.

Guard against:

 Writing a rough draft of the upcoming persuasive essay. Doing so will result in a D at 65%