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ENGLISH 301: Welcome

Welcome: Essential Research Help

You can use the tabs at the top of this page to navigate this research guide and explore the unique content under each category. 

Librarians will be happy to help you with research: in person, online, and by appointment. Check out our  Research Help: 24/7 Chat Online | Research Assistance Appointments. You can also dive in and learn about the Library and research at your own pace through Pollak Library eLearning on YouTube. Please stay safe and keep up with CSUF COVID-19 Resources. Happy (Re)Searching!   

Research Goals

English 301 is a Writing in the Disciplines course. You will be reading scholarly or peer-reviewed journal articles or books specific to your discipline. 

  • Gain Familiarity with Library Resources & Services

  • Access Research Journals in a Discipline

  • Explore Research Topics

  • Evaluate Sources 

  • Understand Key Concepts and Contexts

  • Construct Effective Search Strategies

  • Cite | Manage | Format Ctations

Assignment Examples

The following are examples of assignments that professors have asked students to research, learn, and write about.  

  • For this essay, you will choose a topic from your field that is considered controversial or significant. Choose to write either: -Problem/Solution essay: Describe the problem and provide 1-2 actionable solutions. Be sure to consider who has the power to make change (this is your audience)
    -Persuasive essay: Choose one side of the argument and take a stance for/against, or advocate for one position over the other. Your audience is who needs convincing as well as who has the power to make change.

  • Find a topic that you are interested in. Narrow down to a problem in a specific field or controversial issue. Research that issue using only academic sources. Gather 4-5 sources that best capture all the complicated facets of the issue. Write a 6-8 page double spaced review of your findings. 
     
  • Discuss a problem in your field and show why it is compelling; introduce context behind the issue; present a clear proposal to this issue; use evidence to support reasoning; use at least five outside sources to support your points. 
     
  • Write a synthesis paper that explores an issue in your field. Use at least two scholarly articles. Read, annotate, and summarize the main ideas. Compare and contrast two opposing views. *The I-Search Paper: "To conduct a serious inquiry into a subject that really interests you... The paper is a chronicle of your interest in the question(s), your search for answers, and the outcome of the search." 
     
  • Find a discussion pertaining to humor/comedy, and use research to further develop this topic, lending your own perspective. Utilize the rhetorical skills picked up along the way and apply them to an academic conversation: getting an audience's attention, articulating a point of view, presenting observations and evidence, and ultimately influencing the way an audience feels about a given subject. 
     
  • Research topics that revolve around technology use in our society. Examples: social media, genetic engineering, cyber security, and etc.