Week 2 Assignment

Week Two: Research and Literature Review

Welcome to Week Two of English Composition! This week, you’ll take a deeper dive into the research process by gathering credible sources and evaluating information to support the topic you selected in Week One.

Important: You will continue working with the same topic you explored and developed during Week One.

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Research Process

To begin your research, follow these steps:

1. Create a Research Strategy
   Outline how you plan to find and organize information. Consider search terms, databases, and methods for evaluating the quality of your sources.
2. Build a References Page
   Begin compiling your sources in APA format. This will not only track your progress but also ensure you stay organized throughout the writing process.
3. Gather Sources
   You are required to find a minimum of six sources:
   • At least four must be academic/scholarly sources
   • The remaining two may be trade publications or popular sources
   Not sure what counts as a scholarly source? Review this helpful guide:
   A–Z Guide on Scholarly Sources

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Source Evaluation & Literature Review

1. Review the following materials to understand how to write an effective literature review:
   • Purdue OWL Guide to Writing a Literature Review
   • Sample Document: Literature Review – Sample and Language Tips (PDF)
2. Write a Literature Review (2 pages) that:
   • Compare and contrast the key ideas, themes, strengths, and weaknesses of your sources
   • Critiques at least one source in detail, examining its reliability, bias, and relevance to your topic
   • Shows how your sources relate to one another and to your proposed thesis

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Week Two Submission Requirements

Please submit the following as a single, formatted document:

1. Title Page – Follow the APA 7 template provided (1 page)
2. Revised Proposal – Include your narrowed topic, refined thesis statement, and updated research question (1 page)
3. Literature Review – Synthesize and evaluate your research findings (2 pages)
4. References Page – Include at least 6 sources, correctly formatted in APA (1 page)

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Reminders

• Use APA formatting throughout the assignment
• All academic/scholarly sources should be credible and peer-reviewed
• This week’s work lays the foundation for the body of your final paper—the more thoughtful your research, the stronger your paper will be
• Stay organized and keep track of all source notes for use in future sections of the course