Overview Research should be an interesting, absorbing, even exciting process. Imagine that you are on a treasure hunt or that you are a detective solving a crime. The researcher, like the detective, follows clues, unearths unexpected evidence, and encounters interesting people and ideas on the road to solving a mystery. The trick is to begin with a topic you care about, questions you want to answer, and energy to explore. If you have all that, you will enjoy this assignment! The Requirements Write an 1800–2000 word essay defending a thesis that you believe in after finding the answers to your research questions (NOTE: do not make the research question itself the thesis). develop your thesis with clear supporting points that are backed up by discussion of outside sources. These sources must be documented in properly formatted in-text citations and on a Works Cited page according to MLA rules. Your goal should not be to simply provide information about your topic; rather, your goal should be to assert a point of view on your topic or take a position in a debate: in other words, the thesis must be an argument. Under no circumstances is it ok to submit work that you have submitted before or that you are submitting for another class. Topic Suggestions These topic descriptions are meant to be prompts to help you come up with a thesis. If you have a topic you are interested in that is not listed below, that is fine, but all topics must be checked with me at the end of week 11. Also, I would really appreciate it if you would avoid overused research topics such as cyberbullying, social media addiction, online vs. face-to-face learning, steroid use in sports, problems with genetically modified foods, etc. (unless you can come up with something really new and specific!). What parallels and differences are there between the current Covid pandemic and the Spanish Influenza pandemic in the early 20th century? What can we learn by comparing these events? What should be done about the plastic waste accumulation in the world's oceans? Should California (and/or the USA in general) invest in high-speed rail or some other new transportation system? How might a rail or other new transportation system affect the environment, commerce, and human lives? What at ways we might protect endangered species in the USA such as migratory birds, wolves, etc.? What should be done in California to prevent and control wildfires? Are self-driving vehicles realistic for the near future? How would free early childhood education affect the economy? What are promising new methods of responding to global warming? What are the arguments for and against getting rid of the filibuster? Where do you stand? What impact has legalization of marijuana use had in California and other states who have legalized recreational use of marijuana.