ENGL 2550: Introduction to Composition

Assignment 2a: Research Simulation

Value
This assignment is worth 45 marks: 15% of your total course grade.

Background
This assignment is designed to help you hone your research and critical thinking skills. Through
a simulated conversation with an Artificial Intelligence (AI), you will deepen your understanding
of your chosen topic and learn to articulate and defend your arguments effectively using
appropriate sources.

The objective of this assignment is for you to develop a rigorous research question from a topic
selected from a list, conduct scholarly research, assess your sources, and then explain in
conversation why and how each source is valuable to your project. The goal in conversing with
an AI will be to develop arguments in anticipation of writing the Annotated Bibliography and
Critical Analysis Essay (Assignments 2b and 2c).

Because part of the rationale for this assignment is increasing media literary, the sources must
be credible, demonstrating your understanding of when and why it is appropriate to rely on
scholarly and peer-reviewed research, authoritative research, and other forms of research that
meet the STAR quality criteria.

Learning Outcomes
By the end of this assignment, you will be able to:
• Identify and select credible sources that adequately support your research question.
• Engage in a critical dialogue where you can defend your research question and the
sources selected.
• Understand the nuances of your selected sources and articulate how they will support
your essay.

Required Components
Research Question
The research question will be developed from a list of pre-selected topics (in Moodle). The
research question should be specific and precise, prompt you to take an original position in
your essay, and clearly relate to the sources you have selected. It must be argumentative,
meaning the answer will not be a straightforward, agreed-upon fact (what are the ratios by
volume of atmospheric gases?) but need to be answered through synthesis of evidence and
presentation of argument (how might we balance medical progress with bodily autonomy in
the case of the ‘HeLa’ cells?). This course focuses on bioethics / ethics in research and,
therefore, your research question will be concerned with an issue related to ethics in research.
Three Credible Sources
 ENGL 2550: Introduction to Composition

From your research, identify three sources that will help you to answer your research question.
Your sources must be credible and meet the STAR quality criteria. Credible sources can include
information from Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers, peer-reviewed articles and other
scholarly texts, data from government websites, and other authoritative sources.

Simulated Conversation
When you are ready, having read and thoroughly understood your sources, you will access the
AI chatbot through Moodle. The AI will ask you questions about your topic and sources and
guide you to thinking more deeply about them.

The quality of your research question and your ability to select sources, demonstrate
knowledge of your sources, and demonstrate ability to utilize these sources will be graded.
Once you have explained your research question and each of your sources will submit a copy of
the transcript for grading.

You may access the AI chatbot now, and have as many conversations with it that you like.
You may delete the ones you do not want to present for grading and submit only the one(s)
you do.

Instructions
1. Review the assignment instructions. Read these instructions in detail, as well as the
instructions for the Annotated Bibliography and Critical Analysis Essay (Assignments 2b and
2c), and ensure you contact the instructor with any questions not answered in the course
materials. In addition, consult the NorQuest Library’s guide to research.
2. Choose a topic. From the list of pre-selected topics in Moodle, choose a topic that piques
your interest. This should be a topic you are eager to explore in-depth. Pre-selected topics
are very general and will need substantial refining as you develop a research question from
your selected topic.
3. Refine your research topic into a research question. From your topic, formulate a nuanced
research question that seeks to explore a specific aspect of your chosen topic. Consult the
NorQuest Library’s guide to developing a research question to help you refine your topic
into a question. This research question must be argumentative.
4. Highlight key words in your research question. Consult the NorQuest Library’s guide to
using key words, then brainstorm how you can narrow down your selected topic to a more
precise version. For instance, can you focus on a specific location or demographic, or
suggest a specific solution to the issue named in the topic?
5. Conduct research using the NorQuest Library’s online academic databases. Limit your
search to credible sources. Do not use the course readings as sources for this assignment.
Acceptable sources include information from Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers,
peer-reviewed articles and other scholarly texts, data and statistics from government
 ENGL 2550: Introduction to Composition

websites, authoritative sources, and—in some cases—“grey literature.” Note: limit your use
of grey literature to only one of your three sources.
6. Further refine your research question and do more research as necessary. Follow the
research. What questions are researchers asking and answering? Find what the ‘hot topics’,
in other words the debates or points of interest and contention, are and refine your
question to address one of these.
7. Select your sources. From all of the research you have conducted to this point, choose the
three sources that will best help you to answer your research question. Your sources must
be credible and meet the STAR quality criteria. These sources should be selected
thoughtfully, with an eye to how they will support your position.
8. Understand your sources. Thoroughly read (and re-read as necessary) your sources, making
note of their main arguments and the specific parts of the papers you will ultimately use for
your critical essay (Assignment 2c). Use the skills developed through Assignment 1.
9. Upload your sources to Moodle. Prior to the conversation, upload your sources to Moodle.
Upload the actual articles (or other source-types) you have read, not a bibliography listing
them. These sources must be in PDF format. If PDF is not an appropriate format, please
contact me.
10. Simulated Conversation.
a. Preparation: Prepare to present your research question and introduce your sources to
the AI. Prepare to present concrete evidence from your sources in support of your
argument. Think deeply about possible questions the AI might pose and be ready to
respond effectively.
b. Engagement: Engage in a stimulating conversation with the AI, illustrating a robust
understanding of your topic and demonstrating how your selected sources will assist in
answering your research question.
11. Submission. Submit a transcript of your simulated conversation.
 ENGL 2550: Introduction to Composition

Marking Guide for Assignment 2a

Simulated Conversation
Quality of responses
• Responses are well-thought-out, detailed, and demonstrate a deep
/10
understanding of the topic
• Responses are clear (grammatical, communicative)
Sources are valid, credible, and meet STAR criteria /10
Knowledge of sources
/10
• Demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the sources
Utility of sources
• Clearly explains how the sources will support the argument in the
/10
essay
• Shows critical thinking
Research question refinement
• Research question is refined and deepened substantially through the /5
conversation, showcasing a sophisticated engagement with the topic.
Total /45

Marking Guide Notes

0 = does not meet expectations/missing 3 = satisfactory
1 = meets minimum expectations 4 = good
2 = needs improvement 5 = excellent