Balogun 1

Moye Balogun
Professor Malcolm Campbell
English 1103
9/28/2015
Topic Proposal: Insert an engaging Title here
Introduction/Overview
If you ask a wideld variety of people, from all walks of life, what their favorite hobbies or
pastimes are , theyll likely comprise a diverse list of fun and, engaging activities. Amongst these
activities, there will likely be one common factor that will always weasel its way in: listening to
music. Why is this? Why is this one art form such a central part of our lives and furthermore,
what effect does is have on us. In this essay, I want to explore the effect of music on mental

Commented [KS1]: Plug these in the initial inquiry

question(s) section, these are great questions.

health, specifically metal music.

For decades there has been a stigma against Metal music and its listeners. Claims of
encouraging violence and mania have been floating around the subconscious of many concerned
onlookers for years. I want to know whether these fears are rightly felt. In todays society, there
is an alarming number of poor mental health sufferers. Does listening to music such as metal
increase ones risk and susceptibility to issues such as anxiety and depression? Only thorough
research will provide me with an answer.
In Leah Sherman and Genevieve A. Dingles book, Extreme Metal Music and Anger
Processing, they strive to analyze whether extreme music helps or hinders with the procession
of anger.

Commented [KS2]: Expand on this in the my interest in

this topic section, its a good starting point as to why
youre interested in this topic.
Commented [KS3]: Also plug into initial inquiry
question(s) section.

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Instead of writing, I will be doing my project on Facebook, try: I will be examining

the potential increased risk of clinical depression amongst teens who are heavy users of
Facebook.
See how being more specific will create a focused topic AND make your work easier?
Once you announce your topic, give the overview. While time spent on Facebook might appear
harmless, a recent study by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte suggests that teens who
spend more than 20 hours a week on the popular social network are 85 percent more likely to
suffer clinical depression. According to lead study author, Malcumbr Campbelloni, the findings
are important. We no wanna have people be sad when zey could be appy, he says. But
Campbelloni may have detractors within his own university.
This man is nuts, says Chancellor James Hardin. Im not sure how he got a job here,
but rest assured, Ill look into it tomorrow or Friday.
Share what specific research you did to learn more about your topic? What specific
websites did you use? Did you find a book or magazine article that helped? Did you use the
librarys databases to find more in-depth publications (scholarly or academic journals) that
cover the topic? Did you seek a librarians help? Did you talk about the topic with your peers,
parents, or co-workers? Did you ask initial questions of anyone involved in the field/topic? Did
this process lead you to a more focused understanding of your initial idea?
Describe the complexity of your topic. In other words, summarize what different
positions or opinions people have about the topic? (If everyone agrees about your topic, then it
may not be complex enough to support a semesters worth of research. For example, a topic like:
You can send pictures on Snapchat aint gonna go far.) Who are the major different

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groups/individuals contributing to the conversations and where do they have some of these
conversations? List publications, websites, conferences, broadcast channels, etc.
For this assignment, you DO NOT have to use MLA in-text parenthetical citation OR a
Works Cited; however, I do want you to name specific sources for any information you use.

Initial Inquiry Question(s)

In this section, do your best to state one initial inquiry question. Examples: Do frequent
users of Facebook run a heightened risk of depression? Or, does the U.S. need to be concerned
about ISIS? Or, does Twitter/texting/Snapchat affect my ability to communicate complex
thoughts or is it causing me to think more simply? Or, why dont more college professors use
technology that their students are using if they wish to understand us better? Or, how do
genetically modified foods affect the bodys immune systems?
It is fine to list several questions you have at this time, but think through which question
most intrigues you now. Pose one, and in the section below, Next Steps, you can elaborate on
other areas of inquiry you may pursue. Chances are, you will.

My Interest in this Topic

Explain why youre interested in researching this subject. What is its significance to you?
Use various prompts for freewriting like, Im interested in ______ because______ until you
generate some potentially meaningful answers. (You might also decide you need another topic
that you have more interest in.) The most successful EIPs are most often by students who have
some form of personal connection to the topic. Be forewarned: If you THINK youll be happy as
an accountant, so you THINK this connection will help you select a topic for the semester based

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on your major, please THINK again. Also, answer these questions about your interest in your
topic:
1. What do you already know?
2. What do you hope to learn?

Next Steps
In this last section, state where you will go next to find more research on your topic.
Rather than stating, I will use the Internet (too broad), write, I will be visiting Facebooks
corporate PR page for statistics and various privacy watchdog websites for balance, plus
examining such reliable journalistic sources as The New York Times (and other papers), Wired
magazines website, and the librarys database to search for peer-reviewed sources that cover the
issues.
Remember that, through the library, you have access to just about every major
newspaper, magazine, and academic journal on the planet. We will visit the library to learn more;
however, you would be wise to go to the library and ask for help from the FREE reference
librarians (ask the information desk right up front where to find them). They are paid to help
students find sources for assignments just like this one. For free.

Dear Moye
You have a great starting point to an introduction, which even has information that could
be incorporated into the other sections. As stated above, you should plug those questions in your
introduction in the initial inquiry questions section. Also, you should expand on your interest
as to whether or not people should fear if metal music leads to aggression, in the my interest in

Commented [KS4]: You can always check in the library

for information about mental health and music. Maybe you
can also find articles about interviews done on people who
listen to metal. You could also look for statistics from
psychology experiments and surveys, that go into
aggression and extreme metal music.

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this topic section as it is a great starting point to get you thinking about why youre interested in
this topic. Lastly, I added a few suggestions for to start your research in the above comment.
Hopefully, these suggestions will assist you in the next steps section. Good Luck.
Kenneth Strickland