ASSIGNMENT: INVESTIGATIVE FIELD ESSAY AND ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
INVESTIGATIVE ESSAY
(Minimum of 2,000 typed, polished words)
This assignment asks you to explore the discourse of your declared, or prospective academic major, so that you can be a better, more engaged participant of this discourse community as you continue with your field of study.
There are several elements that make up an investigative essay, including the fashioning of a research question, conducting primary and secondary research, and the presentation of information in written format following academic conventions.
To begin, you will identify a contemporary topic or issue within your field of study that you wish to learn more about. Importantly, in order to maximise your engagement with your London and/or wider UK location and the resources available to you as a result, you will be researching your topic/issue with a focus on, and in relation to, its London or UK context.
For example, if you are studying History, your topic might focus on an aspect of London/British history. If you are a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) student, you might focus on an aspect of a STEM-related topic in London/UK. A Business student could research an established London/UK business or indeed a London/UK start-up company, while a Sports management or Hospitality and Events Management major could investigate a London/UK sports club or London/UK-based Event. A student of the creative arts could explore a topic relating to the music, theatre or publishing industries in London/UK.
Having identified your topic, you will form a research question that will serve as the cornerstone of your investigative essay. In order to explore your research question, you will engage in a variety of research methods. Research is finding information—and there are many ways to go about finding information.
You will discover, however, that some research methods are favored within your academic discourse community. For instance, while the humanities tend to prefer secondary research (consulting scholarly, popular, and professional publications), the sciences tend to prefer primary research (collecting data through interviews, surveys, first-hand observations, and experiments). To that end, it is up to you to identify what research methods are most appropriate for your project.
