English 1000
Essay #4:
Using Research to Investigate Causes
Sometimes, we think about causes without even realizing it. Maybe you have a phone call with
a friend that doesn’t go well, and you speculate that your friend was in a bad mood. Or, maybe
you go to a restaurant where there are no other customers, and you speculate that the
restaurant has bad food. Speculating involves making educated guesses about something using
the information that is available.
For this assignment, you will choose an increasing trend, problem, or issue and investigate the
causes, speculating on what you feel is most likely to be the cause.
Choosing a Topic: You should investigate a problem, trend, or issue and speculate on the
causes for that issue. If your question has already been answered, it would not be a good choice
for this assignment. For example, “What is the cause of diabetes?” won’t work because it’s
information that you can already find. However, “Why are more people getting diabetes”? will
work because it’s an increasing trend that you speculate about the causes.
Possible research questions:
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Why has the USA had so many COVID cases?
Why is social media so popular?
Why do people like reality television?
Why does disinformation spread so rapidly?
Why are a specific group of people unfairly represented in the media?
Why do people like scary stories and/or Halloween?
Why are more people going green?
Why do so some college students binge drink?
Why are fewer people getting married?
Choosing an Audience: Who are you writing to? Classmates? People affected by this trend?
Decide on an audience and adjust your tone accordingly.
How to Get Started: You will likely need to establish that your trend or problem is a significant
issue by citing sources. Then, choose multiple causes. Your causes should be based on your
educated opinion, using research to inform your ideas. Try to think of what may be the “hidden
cause” that answers the questions: What does this trend say about our society? What does our
society value based on this trend?
Page Length: 3 – 4 pages
Research and Sources: 3 – 4 including one in-text citation or paraphrase. One of your sources
should be a visual source: a chart, graph, image, or some other visual that helped to inform
your research on the topic. Include a works cited.
Due Dates:
First Draft: See syllabus
Final Draft: See syllabus
Sample Outline of a Speculating Causes Essay:
Introduction:
Summary of the Problem/Trend/Issue
Thesis Statement
Introduction of Causes/Evidence
Cause 1:
Cause
Topic Sentence
Transitions
Source
Cause 2:
Cause
Topic Sentence
Transitions
Counterargument
Cause 3:
Hidden cause
Topic Sentence
Transitions
Conclusion
Works Cited Page
Learning Outcomes:
 Establish a voice appropriate to the topic selected and the rhetorical situation
 Clarify major aims, arrange material to support aims, and provide sufficient materials to
satisfy expectations of readers
 Construct multimodal forms of communication for appropriate audiences using relevant
disciplinary convention

Generate as evidence-supported and well-developed arguments which reflect sound
interpretations and analysis of social and ethical issues
RUBRIC FOR EVALUATION OF INVESTIGATIVE ESSAY
A
B
C
ESSAY
Meets and
Meets Most
Meets Some
FEATURES
Exceeds
Requirements
Requirements
Requirements
ASSIGNMENT
Fully
Provides some
Provides some
REQUIREMENTS investigates
in-depth
in-depth
and explores
exploration and analysis of a
social issues
analysis of a
problem or
or trends,
problem or
trend but needs
crafting intrend but needs more support
depth analysis more support at and
the paragraphdevelopment at
level
the paragraph
or whole-essay
level
AUDIENCE
Writer fully
Mostly
Occasional
demonstrates demonstrates
evidence of
audience
audience
audience
awareness by awareness with
awareness;
explaining
limited
significance of
how research explanation of
argument may
supports
research and
be unclear
ideas, relating how arguments
arguments
support thesis
back to thesis
ORGANIZATION Sophisticated Clear
Thesis is given
AND
organizational organization
but limited
DEVELOPMENT pattern that
pattern that
supporting
transitions
transitions
details
through
through ideas
throughout the
ideas;
with some
essay to justify
paragraphs
explanation of
evaluation and
fully support
how ideas
analysis
thesis
support thesis
CONVENTIONS, Variety of
Some basic
Limited
USAGE AND
transitions,
transitions;
consistency in
CITATION
sentence
sentence-level
grammatical
structure, and issues occur but
D-F
Meets Few or
No
Requirements
Limited
exploration and
research; scope
of problem is
narrowly
presented with
implausible
support
No significant
attention to
audience
throughout
essay
No consistent
organizational
structure to
ideas; unclear
thesis with
limited support
Grammatical
issues
significantly
affect
EVIDENCE AND
RESEARCH
word choice
guides
readers
through ideas
Multiple
sources that
are directly
relevant to
author’s
topic; sources
are frequently
cited to
support ideas
do not affect
reader’s
comprehension
significantly
Several sources
referenced but
interaction with
those sources is
limited; sources
may not fully
support
argument
structures and
patterns
comprehension
of writer’s story
Sources are
missing or do
not fully related
to the author’s
argument;
unclear as to
how sources
support ideas
Limited or no
source research;
works cited is
unclear or not
given