Primary Research Element

There are two unique additions to the basic research essay model.  Because you are working on a Community Problem, by definition, you must be closely connected to your topic.  I want you to use that to your advantage in your argument by including first-hand description and primary evidence (or evidence that you have collected on your own).

Read below about the specifics of these requirements.

Description.  Authors use description (of events, experiences, processes, people, places, and so on) to draw the reader in.  This adds a bit of a creative element to the paper, and makes the argument more interesting and engaging.  I want you to do the same thing, so consider that requirement as you begin to think about your topic. 

Primary Evidence.  This evidence could take several forms depending on your topic.  Below are some suggestions, but I am open to your own ideas.  Although you might want to come up with some initial ideas about what kind of primary evidence you want to include, I advise that you do a bit of research and think about what you really want to argue before you make a decision.

• Do an interview with an “expert” on the topic who will add authority to your argument.  An expert does not have to be someone with a PhD.  Depending on the topic, it could simply be someone with direct experience of the issue (for example, if you want to discuss fast-food, a fast-food restaurant employee qualifies as an expert).
• Make a video.  Now, really the sky’s the limit here in terms of what your video could cover, but a very simple idea is to use video to document some aspect of the problem—record an event, a location, a process, etc.   
• Make a map.  Many controversial issues have a geographic element, and a map might be a nice way to present some visual evidence to include in your paper.  However, you must make the map yourself; you can't simply insert a pre-existing one.  Making your own Google Map is quite easy, and I will post resources that show you how to do it.
• Administer a survey.  You could use Facebook or other internet tools to survey your friends and family about some aspect of your research.  I have also had students in the past find an online discussion forum related to their topic where they have posted a series of questions to get feedback from an “expert group”—people who have direct experience of, or demonstrated interest in your topic.