This essay will have, roughly speaking, two parts. In part 1, you will exploreThis essay will have, roughly speaking, two parts. In part 1, you will explore the events that have taken you to your major, why have you elected to study in this field, what experiences most impacted your decision to enter school and this major, and what you hope to do with your degree. Part 2 of this assignment asks you to transition and consider the research you would like to engage in for the semester. To do so, you will define your topic of research, explain what you know about that topic and why it interests you, determine why you believe this topic is valuable to your field, and develop a research question and hypothesis. PLEASE NOTE: part 2 is, in many ways, a proposal. You may end up shifting your focus as you move forward. That is perfectly fine; this assignment is part of a plan and a snapshot of where you are right now. Also, I use the word “major” for convenience. If your major diverges from your professional goals, do what you want. If you are unsure, write about the ambiguity. Don’t feel you must have this or that element present; this essay is about you and your goals, whatever they may be.
Purpose:
The purpose of this assignment is to get you thinking about your major, along with the conversations that are taking place in the field that interest you as a researcher. Through this writing, you will reflect on your experiences and interests as a student and consider a research topic/question that you will address over the course of the semester.
Genre:
The discipline narrative does not simply tell a story; rather, it allows writers to think critically about why they have selected their major, the verbal and written conventions of that field, and the research questions they have and would like to answer about their major. Narratives examine the stories we tell ourselves, rather than recounting them; it is writing that allows writers to question what they think they know even if those writers dont necessarily have answers to those questions. For this reason, narratives arent always thesis-driven; instead, they may revisit a theme or central idea and complicate it. One could think of narratives not necessarily as proving a point but as exploring complex ideas or thoughts about oneself, ones status as a beginner, and ones eventual membership in a discipline/field.
Requirements:
Develop a controlling idea;
Define your major ( Criminal Justice)
Explore the events that have taken you to your major, why have you elected to study in this field, what experiences most impacted your decision to enter school and this major, and what you hope to do with your degree;
Define your research topic, explain what you know about that topic and why such a topic interests you, determine why you believe this topic is valuable to your field, and develop a research question and hypothesis;
Construct a clear organizational pattern/structure;
2-3 pages, 12 points, Times New Roman font, MLA or APA format;
