The research paper description page is an important early assignment that helps frame the overall research paper project for students. The description page allows students to thoughtfully outline their topic idea, research questions, methodology, and structure before embarking on the full research paper writing process. This initial assignment is an opportunity for instructors to provide feedback and guidance to students before they invest significant time into research and writing.
The research paper description page assignment typically asks students to concisely discuss the following elements in 2-3 paragraphs or 150-250 words each:
Topic and Research Questions:
Students should introduce their potential research topic idea and clearly state 2-3 specific research questions they hope to answer through their research. An effective description page presents a topic that is narrow enough to research thoroughly within the assigned parameters but also broad and interesting enough to sustain an entire research paper. The research questions should be open-ended but focused enough to be answered through research. They form the foundation and framework for the rest of the paper.
Sources and Methodology:
This section requires students to outline the types of sources they anticipate using such as academic journals, news articles, government reports, interviews, etc. They must explain how these sources will help them answer the research questions. Students should also brief describe the overall research methodology whether it involves a literature review, case studies, surveys, experiments, etc. This section demonstrates students have considered how to conduct effective research to explore their topic and questions.
Paper Structure:
The final section of the description page asks students to outline the potential structure or organization of the full paper. This may include formulating a working thesis statement and briefly outlining the major headings and subheadings that will comprise the body of the paper. Students can propose an introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs with subheadings, and a conclusion paragraph. Providing an initial sense of structure helps ensure the research will flow logically and cohesively when written out in full.
By requiring this pre-writing assignment, instructors can gauge whether students have selected manageable, focused topics that lend themselves to thorough research. Reviewing description pages allows teachers to spot any overly broad or vague topics before significant time is invested. They can also identify any research questions that are too broad, narrow, or difficult to answer through available sources. Instructors may suggest reformulating questions or considering a new topic area if the initial proposal seems unworkable or unlikely to yield convincing analysis within the paper length constraints.
The sources and methodology section enables instructors to ensure students have identified appropriate types of sources to explore their topic in an academic manner. Teachers can point out situations where the proposed sources would not sufficiently help answer the stated research questions or methodology. Feedback at this stage can prevent wasted effort pursuing sources that do not apply.
Lastly, reviewing the proposed structure allows instructors to check that students have formulated logical and coherent ways to organize their ideas. They may suggest alternative frameworks or additional sections if students have overlooked critical elements needed to fully analyze their topic. Suggesting improvements early avoids structural issues potentially arising during the writing process.
Overall, the research paper description page assignment serves as a planning checkpoint that benefits both students and instructors. For students, it allows methodical consideration of their topic before embarking on research tasks. Receiving feedback at the proposal stage lets students adjust aspects of their topic or approach without facing difficulties down the line. Instructors also gain a preliminary understanding of projects to provide targeted guidance early in the writing process. Reviewing description pages transforms an initial topic idea into a focused research project with actionable next steps. When implemented effectively, this pre-writing assignment sets students up for success in crafting high-quality research papers that meet assignment objectives.