research essay proposal & exploratory draft

Megan Crowley McLaughlin/WR 13300/Fall 2015

Research Essay Proposal/Exploratory Draft

Due by the start of class on 11/10; worth 20 points in the total score for your research paper (10 points for the proposal and 10 points for the exploratory draft)

Directions: Drawing from the strategies discussed by Wayne Booth in The Craft of Research, as well as our discussions in class, complete the following proposal and exploratory draft for your research project. You may type on a separate document, if you wish. To earn full points, these items should be detailed and should reflect your careful thinking about your project.

Part 1: Research Proposal

1) YOUR NAME:TOPIC (“I am studying...”):a. Megan Crowley: I am studying why Jimmy Fallon should take some cues

from Ellen DeGeneres2) RESEARCH QUESTION(S) (“...because I want to find out...”)

a. Because I want to find out what makes a good talk show host3) AUDIENCE & SIGNIFICANCE (“...in order to help _______ understand...”)

a. In order to help young to older adults understand what are the roots of talk shows

4) CONTEXT (“This issue is important and timely because...”)a. This issue is important and timely because it’s important for people to

understand the similarities between the two, and even though the two on the surface may seem very similar, they’re really not.

5) EXHIBIT (“To illustrate my discussion of ______, I plan to focus on _______”):a. To illustrate my discussion of talk shows, I plan to focus on Ellen

DeGeneres’ and Jimmy Fallon’s backgrounds, how they started to be a talk show host, what they do separately, and what they can improve upon.

KEY SOURCES FOUND SO FAR:

MLA citation Type of source? News article? Scholarly journal article? Book? Website? Other?

What does the source offer your project? Background? Statistics? Theory? Argument? Counterargument? Example?

The Hilarious Jimmy Fallon Visits Ellen! Youtube. N.p., 21 Mar. 2011. Web. 5 Nov. 2015. <https://youtu.be/k0kwsAqxfAE>.

Video clip Background on the careers of both Ellen DeGeneres and Jimmy Fallon

Kissell, Rick. "Late Night Ratings: NBC’s ‘Tonight Show’ Still Rolling One Year After Jimmy Fallon’s Debut." Variety. Variety

Website Statistics


Media, 15 Mar. 2015. Web. 5 Nov. 2015. <http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/ late-night-ratings-nbcs-tonight-show-still-rolling-one-year-after-jimmy-fallons-d ebut-1201447118/>.

"This TV Season's Biggest Moments on Twitter." Nielson. Nielsen Company, 2 June 2014. Web. 5 Nov. 2015. <http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2014/ this-tv-seasons-biggest-moments-on-twitter.html>.

Website Statistics

Biography.com Editors. "Jimmy Fallon Biography." Biography.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2015. <http://www.biography.com/people/ jimmy-fallon-11818465>.

Website Background on Jimmy Fallon


McLaughlin / WR 13300 / Fall 2015

Part 2: Exploratory Draft

1) You should begin with a statement of what you hope to accomplish with the project, and with what audience (e.g., “I plan to argue that the NCAA must revise its existing social media policy in order to combat the recent increase in recruiting violations”). Explain why you find this topic interesting and important. Provide relevant background information to show the existing conversation around your topic and the new perspective you hope to offer through your project.

a. I wish to establish the difference between The Tonight Show by Jimmy Fallon and the Ellen DeGeneres show. I want to define how they’re similar and what Jimmy Fallon can improve upon. This topic is important so that people will understand what they’re watching and why like what they’re watching, whether it’s Jimmy Fallon or Ellen. Ellen DeGeneres started out as a stand-up comedienne, and then she got offered a talk show host. Ever since she’s had her own talk show, she has come out as gay. She has many beautiful women that she loves, and she has been an advocate for many people. Jimmy Fallon was the host of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and when Jay Leno retired from the Tonight Show, he got offered the position. It is every talk show host’s dream to become the host of the Tonight Show. What makes this relevant is that people know who Jimmy Fallon and Ellen are, and they like them because of their humor and the fact that they’re in touch with reality.

2) Identify and discuss the intended audience for this project and what this audience has at stake in the topic you are researching. Questions to help you identify an audience: Who will benefit? Who will lose something? Who is in a position to be persuaded to follow the new course of thinking/action for which you plan to argue?

a. The audience that I intend to reach with this paper is young to older adults. This is my audience because I feel like the younger population will not want to read a research paper about talk shows. Not everyone from my age up will necessarily want to read a research paper, but they might be interested enough in the topic to read it. If someone reads my paper who hates Ellen or Jimmy, hopefully my paper can make them understand why so many people like them so much.

3) How do you imagine your essay unfolding at this point? What are the distinct claims/points you anticipate making in order to convince your audience of your argument’s quality and relevance? Provide a tentative outline.

a. See “Tentative Outline” at the end.4) Discuss what sources you’ve found so far and what other ones you would like

to look for. What kind of evidence will your audience expect? How will you accommodate those expectations? Who do you anticipate might disagree with you, and why? What evidence will they likely point to?


a. I have one background book, Seriously…I’m Kidding that will definitely give Ellen DeGeneres’ personal story about how she came into the show business. I think that I can use it throughout my paper. The other source I have is the video The Hilarious Jimmy Fallon Visits Ellen! It shows both of their humor. For me, I like a first first-hand account of the situation. I also have two statistics sources on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and the Tonight Show to see what the ratings are in the recent years. I would love to find more on how Jimmy Fallon wanted to be in the show business and about his first job. I would like to find an article on Jimmy Fallon comparing him to Ellen. I would also like to find an interview of some celebrity that they both interview about the same time and see what’s the same and what’s different.

5) Fifth section: Share any concerns or questions you have about the project. Where do you anticipate running into problems?

a. My first concern is actually just that I haven’t written an actual research paper since I was in eighth grade, so I’m worried that I won’t have the correct format. I “know how” to write a research paper, but my interpretation might be wrong. Another concern that I have is that I won’t be able to find enough evidence and/or statistics to complete a 7- to 9-page research paper. Because this is such a random but interesting topic, I’m afraid that my source options will be limited. But I am also concerned about the opposite problem, where I have too much that I want to say but not enough room in my paper to say it in.

Tentative Outline

1. Introduction paragrapha. What a talk show isb. Background on Ellen DeGeneres and Jimmy Fallon

2. Background on how Ellen got into show business and became a success3. History of the Ellen Show4. What she consistently does on the show

a. Gamesb. Situationsc. Etc.

5. Background on how Jimmy Fallon got into show business and became a success6. History of the Tonight Show7. What he consistently does on the show

a. Gamesb. Situationsc. Etc.

8. Analysis of Ellen’s interview9. Analysis of Jimmy’s interview10. Analysis on the ratings of the shows11. What makes people like talk shows12. Conclusion


a. Overall statement about talk showsb. What to do and what not to do as a talk show host

research essay proposal & exploratory draft

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