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CITL Workshop: Designing Research Paper Assignments: Alternatives to Research Papers

More Assignment Ideas

Alternatives to Research Papers

This list scratches the surface of how to integrate research into courses without papers. Check out the left sidebar for more ideas. Have a great idea for this list? Share it with us!

  • Have students compile an annotated bibliography on a particular topic and justify why they selected each item.
  • Have students review and comment on each others' bibliographies.
  • Have students compare and contrast the treatment of a topic using scholarly, popular, and trade sources.
  • Have students create an introductory guide or pathfinder on a topic.
  • Have students write a critique on article and provide supporting documentation for their argument.
  • Have students find reviews of a book or article from the time it was published. Have students critique the scholarly impact of the work using the reviews and modern articles that build upon the author's ideas.
  • Have students examine the literature of a particular discipline in order to determine how information is compiled, disseminated, and evaluated. Have students discuss how credibility is constructed in a particular field.
  • Have students conduct oral histories and use primary and scholarly sources to provide a framework for context and analysis.
  • Have students create a timeline in order to trace key moments in a scholarly conversation or in a scholar's career.
  • Have students compile a research log and reflect on the research process.
  • Have students compile a research proposal/grant proposal that contains an outline of their topic and a clearly articulated research strategy.