Academic Paper Overview This performance task was intended to assess students ability to conduct scholarly and responsible research and articulate an evidence-based argument that clearly communicates the conclusion, solution, or answer to their stated research question. More specifically, this performance task was intended to assess students ability to: Generate a focused research question that is situated within or connected to a larger scholarly context or community; Explore relationships between and among multiple works representing multiple perspectives within the scholarly literature related to the topic of inquiry; Articulate what approach, method, or process they have chosen to use to address their research question, why they have chosen that approach to answering their question, and how they employed it; Develop and present their own argument, conclusion, or new understanding while acknowledging its limitations and discussing implications; Support their conclusion through the compilation, use, and synthesis of relevant and significant evidence generated by their research; Use organizational and design elements to effectively convey the papers message; Consistently and accurately cite, attribute, and integrate the knowledge and work of others, while distinguishing between their voice and that of others; and Generate a paper in which word choice and syntax enhance communication by adhering to established conventions of grammar, usage, and mechanics.
