Segment 3 Project: Exploratory Essay
Word Count: 1300-1600
Draft Due: Sunday, May 8th @11:59pm
About the Project:
In this project, you will write an Exploratory Research Narrative based on the text you wrote
about in your Rhetorical Analysis. Exploratory writing is one of the first ways we reflect on what
we are learning from what we read and a good way to talk about connections between
different parts of a conversation about an issue. The purpose of this paper is to gain initial
practice in academic research, to gain initial practice in putting texts/sources into conversation
with one another and listening to multiple voices in a conversation, and to gain a deeper
understanding of an issue through exploration.
To be successful, the Segment 3 project must do the following:
Include accurate and effective summaries of the new sources being explored (total of 3
summaries: your initial source text and your two new sources)
Discuss the conversation being explored, demonstrating how your thinking about it has
deepened as a result of your reading and research. This will involve discussing what you
have learned, as well as posing questions and sharing ideas.
Put some ideas into conversation with one another, incorporating direct quotes
effectively when necessary.
Provide some reflection on your research process and strategies used.
Your work should also demonstrate clarity and organization and convey academic ethos
by being relatively free of grammatical and mechanical errors.
How to Write This as a Paper:
Find two (or three if you prefer) new texts or rhetorical artifacts related to your initial
film/episode/podcast/article. Use these texts to explore the conversation on the topic being
discussed and write about the new information they present.
Write a 1300-1600-word essay in which you summarize the texts, explore the points of view
presented by the texts, and reflect on how these new voices in the conversation have expanded
your thinking.
This essay is not thesis driven. You will not have an argument for or against an issue. You will
not be defending or attacking an author, text, or claim. Instead, this essay invites you to
explain to your reader how these texts have shaped your thinking about the issue and
deepened your understanding of the conversation. It asks you to contemplate what is valid or
useful, but also what is problematic, about the points each text raises. Your essay can and
should raise questions, and you will include questions in the paper.
Guiding Questions for “in-between” aka exploratory paragraphs (aka, the good stuff)
Think of this paper as a
research narrative in which
you map your process.
Explain where you began,
where you went from
there, what you find, and
what you think about those
findings.
What new perspectives, ideas, stakes, have I learned from this source?
How has this source shifted my perspective on the issue at hand?
Is this text in direct controversy or opposition to another one of my sources?
What is missing from the source that I would still be interested to know more about?
How does this text relate to the other texts I am writing about and reading?
What is my initial response to this source?
Why is this source a valuable piece of information?
How is the form of this source (ie, article, video, TV show, etc) affecting the way it
communicates its message with audiences?
Is this text rhetorically similar or different to others you are finding?
**This list is not exhaustive! What are some other questions you might ask that could lead
to engaging exploratory paragraphs?
Criteria for Choosing New Texts:
The source is robust enough to provide plenty of new information
The author/rhetoric/organization is credible/trustworthy
This text offers new information, a new perspective, has a different rhetorical situation,
etc from the original text you are starting with
The text has enough substance (length, density) to be useful in your exploration
You like this text enough/it interests you enough to fuel your exploration of the text
Format Guidelines:
- Left-Aligned MLA Heading with your First and Last Name, Assignment Title, Instructor Name,
and Due Date
-Microsoft Word Document (You can Word get this for free as a UWM student)
-1-Inch Margins
-12 point Font-Times New Roman, Calibri, Helvetica or Georgia (Something easy to read)
-Double-Spaced