Christian Kowalski

Context:

This research design was the final project completed for my Research Methods in Political Science course. Students were tasked to research a topic within the realm of social science and create a research design based on the subject material. The assignment was practice in research writing and design as opposed to using qualitative or quantitative methods to collect data. Our project was creating the framework of a research design: methodology, literature review, analysis, discussion, etc. My topic was centered on overpopulated classrooms at an Alamance County elementary school and discerning if non-white students are more threatened by over-sized classes when it comes to end of year testing. The findings were presented in the format of a traditional research paper complete with sources, charts, appendixes and footnotes.

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Rhetorical Decisions:

The first concern I had to address was making sure the design I created could be rendered possible. Part of the Invention process requires creating well-thought out arguments and facts that support main argument. While the conclusions I reached were fictitious, the statistics, data and inquiry I composed all provide the document legitimacy. This assignment was an exercise in design and understanding the features of a research paper, so the initial considerations were creating an engaging narrative.

 

Since the assignment focused solely on design, I had to pay extra attention to clarity throughout my sections. Having conducted undergraduate research, the processes, forms and steps are all deeply ingrained in the mind of the researcher. Creating a research design without undergoing the methods required concise and clear writing. This meant I had to write a convincing structural observation without having actually been present at such a setting.

 

The final consideration I had to take was writing this research design while aware of my privilege. I am an Elon student who isn’t from Alamance County, doesn’t go to a public school and isn’t a minority. I am passionate about exposing inconsistencies with schools in relation to how segregated they are. But I need to consider my perspective especially compared to schoolteachers and families who are directly impacted by these decisions. That’s the part I wrestle with regarding rhetoric; its function to inform and where the line is crossed for when we get into the territory of speaking over others.

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Reflection:

This assignment provided a framework for how I would approach future research-heavy writing projects. All the essential skills required for successful research design--concise writing, following a structure can all be traced back to this assignment.