FOR NJOSH ONLY

Unit 2: Writing to Propose an Op-ed

Deadlines:

May 26: Partial draft for conferences

May 31: Full length draft for peer review

June 2: Final draft due

Length: 1,100-1,300 words, not including the words in the Works Cited Page

Value: 20% of final grade

Assignment

So far this semester, you’ve been doing research on a problematic issue to learn more about it. Your final project for this course will ask you to continue your research to argue persuasively for a stance on this issue in an op-ed, but before you begin your final project, you’ll need to write a short research proposal to prove to your instructor that your approach to your op-ed will be successful.

Many scholars at universities write proposals, often to get funding and/or permission to engage in research, and professionals outside of the university write proposals for similar reasons as well. This proposal should not be used to persuade your audience about your problem; instead, you are simply describing the problem you’ve been researching, explaining your approach to the op-ed, and outlining a plan you can follow to complete your op-ed.

Content
Your proposal must include the following clearly labeled components:

Part I. What is the problem? In this section, you will give your problem presence by describing the problem and explaining its significance with research. This is also a place to present any problematic questions associated with your topic. Which issues are experts on the topic or those affected by the problem arguing about or struggling with? This section must include direct references to your research. Please refer to at least 4 outside sources to describe and explain the problem. (25% of grade)

Part II. How will you approach the op-ed? Although you will continue to research and think about your problem and how you will persuade your audience to accept your stance on this issue, you should propose an approach to your op-ed in this section. In this section, describe how you plan to approach your op-ed. What kind of op-ed will you write? How can you make your op-ed current and relevant to your readers (news peg)? (15% of grade)

Part III. How will you appeal to your audience? The op-ed is an openly persuasive genre that has a very large audience. How will you use the rhetorical appeals to persuade your audience? What strategies or techniques will you include to be persuasive? (15% of grade)

Part IV. What are the opposing views to your position? Why might some people oppose your position? What research could you use to address these opposing views? (15% of grade)

Part V. Conclusion: Your conclusion should clearly and succinctly encourage your reader to accept your plan for your op-ed. (10% of grade)

Part VI. MLA-formatted (or other format) works cited page. (10% of grade)

The remaining 10% of your grade will come from organization/document design (5%)(see below) and evidence of correct grammar and thorough proofreading (5%).

Research Requirements
Your proposal should use at least five credible/scholarly sources to describe your problem, provide background, explain significance, and possibly support any counterarguments you address. All sources should be cited within the text and in your Works Cited page.

Organization

A proposal such as this often places emphasis on efficient, concise writing and clear document design to allow quicker reading for a busy audience. Utilizing document design features such as block formatting, headings, and bullet points will help increase this efficiency.