“Exploring the Versatility of Research Papers: Crafting a Genre to Effectively Communicate Your Ideas and Engage Your Audience”

While the term “research paper” is common, it doesn’t exist as a singular genre. That is, you may be asked to research and work with the resulting texts in a variety of ways across classes and careers. The projects will often look very different from each other in terms of purpose, audience, style, and organization.
With that in mind, I’m not asking you to make a particular type of “research paper” in our final project. Instead, I want you to practice with a variety of rhetorical tools; to develop and revise your writing to effectively represent your own perspectives; and to consider the needs and expectations of a specific & appropriate audience. Aim to make something that people would find useful or interesting. In short: you get to choose a genre that fits your purpose and audience, while allowing you to dive deeply into the topic.