Formal Exploratory Essay

> 7 page paper.  12 hour deadline.
>
>
> Here are the instructions:
>
> The concept of an exploratory essay is that you start without an end in
> mind.
> You don’t necessarily know how you feel about a subject or what you want to
> say about the subject; rather, you allow the research to determine the
> outcome. This is writing *to learn* rather than writing *to prove* what you
> think you know about a given topic.
>
> *Purpose:* The exploratory essay builds on the inquiry essay by having you
> *examine* and *analyze *a range of arguments (positions) rather than just
> one at a time. The exploratory essay asks you to widen your vision to
> the *whole
> conversation* as opposed to critiquing just one position.
>
>    – The focus of an exploratory essay is a question, rather than a thesis.
>    – Exploratory essays chronicle your research; they address both
>    content-oriented questions and rhetorical questions about possible
>    responses to the problem under consideration.
>    – Exploratory essays regularly consider the *strengths and weaknesses*
> of
>    various perspectives on and solutions to a perplexing problem.
>    – Exploratory essays *analyze* the claims and evidence of specific
>    individuals and/or organizations that are relevant to the
> decision-making
>    process.  In other words, exploratory essays do not take the time and
>    effort to examine just any argument made about an issue; rather,
>    exploratory essays seeks to* locate *and *identify* specific arguments
>    made by particular individuals and/or organizations who have the *power
>    to affect* or at the very least influence the outcome of an issue in
>    order to understand the complexity of the issue at hand.
>    – Exploratory essays do *not* participate in the conversation by
>    asserting a position; on the contrary, the exploratory essay is an
>    *unbiased*, *objective* *analysis* of the key positions and their
>    arguments regarding the issue.
>    – The exploratory essays relies on the conventions of *rhetorical
>    analysis* in order to examine and critique the arguments others
>    have made regarding the issue under examination.
>
> In order to fulfill the tasks of the Formal Exploratory Paper, you are to
> write a *seven-page*(minimum) *MLA* formatted essay in which you explore
> the arguments of at least four key contributors to your chosen issue.
> Make certain that these individuals and/or organizations have the power to
> affect or at the very least influence the outcome of your chosen issue.  Do
> *NOT* insert your own opinion of or position on the issue.  Save your own
> argument for the Position Paper.  In order to receive a grade other than a
> 0 for this assignment, you *must not* argue your position at any point and
> you *must include* in-text citations and a works cited page.