Semester of Creation
Fall 10-18-2025
Submission Type
Book
Professor Name
Dr. Lydia Ferguson
Course Number
ENGL 1102
Course Title
English Composition II
Description of Work
Traffic signals are ubiquitous in American society, but traffic laws themselves are violated with extreme frequency. The reasons for such a discrepancy between the widely understood benefits of tools like stoplights and their practical application in the everyday lives of individuals often goes underdiscussed. The aim of this project is to explore how the reciprocal relationship between the authority of large-scale institution like the United States government and the agency of individual citizens can be examined by analyzing both the implementation and public impact of traffic signals. By consulting a variety of previously published academic, journalistic, and commercial sources, it becomes clear that for a wide range of reasons, including imbalanced traffic penalties and an incohesive system for traffic signal implementation, people in all levels of society are disconnected from the systems that produce and enforce traffic regulation. The disengagement between the public and the authority behind traffic control becomes emblematic of the negative communal effects of citizens becoming distant from their social institutions.
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Description of Assignment
A research paper is not simply an informed summary of a topic by means of primary and secondary sources; rather, it is a genre that requires one to spend considerable time investigating and evaluating sources in order to answer one or more research questions surrounding a particular topic—in this case, a cultural artifact—and then make a strong claim supported by relevant, reliable research. Remember, a research paper should not summarize or recite the information cited within your source material, as the goal is not to inform the reader what others have to say about a topic, but to engage with and draw on what others have said to present an informed and unique perspective on the larger cultural significance of your subject(s).
When writing a research paper, you have the choice of two main approaches: analytical and argumentative. Sometimes your research assignment may specify which approach you should use, but sometimes the decision on how to approach your topic rests on your shoulders. The scope and purpose of your paper determines which approach is more suited to your topic.
While there are distinct differences between writing an analytical research paper and writing an argumentative research paper, there are some common principles as well:
• Logical thinking is necessary
• Smart evaluation of information fuels what is included
• Comprehensive research of source material is conducted
The major difference between the two research paper types is made in the process of writing and/or presenting the topic. Analytical papers create a balanced, neutral approach to presenting a snapshot of an overall topic from which you draw conclusions, and argumentative papers create a debate between differing sides with a logical argument that favors one side of an argument over another. For the purposes of this assignment, you are to write an Analytical Research Paper.
The analytical research paper often begins with the student asking a question (a.k.a. a research question) on which he/she has taken no stance. Such a paper is often an exercise in exploration and evaluation. Though the topic may be debatable and controversial, it is not the student's intent to persuade the audience that his or her ideas are right while those of others are wrong. Instead, the goal is to offer a critical interpretation of primary and secondary sources throughout the paper—sources that should, ultimately, buttress their particular analysis of the topic.