Project #5: Tackling the Problem Interdisciplinarily
1st or 3rd person, Minimum of 2 pages, Style of your discipline, Two sources.
Project 5 asks you to look at knowledge outside of your discipline to inform your argument in P4. This project aligns directly with the general education goal of integrating knowledge. It is scheduled so that you can work on expanding your view of your topic as you revise P4 before you turn in the 3rd draft. You should be revising P4 and writing P5 at the same time.
Requirements of the Assignment (Research and Discussion)
- Choose one or more different fields of study to look at the topic you explore in P4.
Return Bridges, chapters 5-11, to explore other disciplines and consider which fields may influence your topic. Perhaps an event in history made your topic develop in a certain way. Maybe a concept from psychology or philosophy applies in an interesting way to your topic. Maybe another field has written about your topic and simply takes a different approach to it. Consider ideas that you have learned in other classes that might apply to your topic in an interesting way.
- Research in the field(s) you chose.
Search databases, books, textbooks, google, or ask professors either in your field or in another. Try and get an idea about different ways you can view your topic before you begin writing this project.There might not be a source that discusses the exact topic that you do, but there may be concepts that you can apply. If when you first begin research you cannot find exactly what you are looking for, do not be discourage. Think broadly about the ideas and concepts in your paper. It may be most helpful to start with google search to give you some basic ideas of who is talking about what or the names of some concepts.
- Write a brief overview of your topic.
This should be a very brief overview of the topic you write about in P4 from the stance of your discipline. Do not spend too much time on this section as it simply provides context before moving forward into the heart of the project.
- Discuss one or more other discipline’s stance on your topic.
How does the discipline you have chosen discuss your topic, or how might ideas from other that discipline apply to your topic? What do other disciplines have to contribute to the topic? What specifically can you apply to your 3rd draft of P4 from this discipline? Like in a journal, don’t simply answer the question and move on. This discussion will make up the majority of your paper, so make sure you fully explore these ideas.
- Resource page
Even if you do not cite anything in this paper, make sure to include at least two sources that helped you during your research for this project.