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Touchstone 3: Presenting a Research Plan SCENARIO: Your supervisor has approved your research question and plan for studying some aspect of diversity and/or collaboration in a community group. Now it is time to conduct your literature review and develop your hypothesis and research plan. ASSIGNMENT: In Touchstone 1, you developed a research question and prepared a preliminary bibliography for your literature review. You will now conduct your literature review, formulate your hypothesis and research plan, and develop a set of notecards that summarize your work. HINT You must incorporate the same community group and research question from Touchstone 1 as you complete the requirements for this Touchstone 3. REQUIREMENTS: You must create 8-11 notecards using the touchstone template below. Your notecards will include: introduction card research question card literature review (4–6 cards) hypothesis card operational definitions card (if needed) research method card Use the following Touchstone 3 template to create your note cards. When you have finished, submit this template. Touchstone 3 Template Touchstone 3 Sample Before you get started, let’s look at how you’ll build your notecards, step by step. In order to foster learning and growth, all work you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any plagiarized or recycled work will result in a Plagiarism Detected alert. Review Touchstones: Academic Integrity Guidelines for more about plagiarism and the Plagiarism Detected alert. For guidance on the use of generative AI technology, review Ethical Standards and Appropriate Use of AI. A. Directions STEP 1: REVISE TOUCHSTONE 1 First, return to the community group description, research question, and proposed bibliography that you submitted in Touchstone 1, and make any necessary changes based on feedback from the grader. You will likely want to refine your reading list based on the feedback you received and what you learned about diversity and collaboration in Unit 3. STEP 2: CONDUCT A LITERATURE REVIEW Next, complete your reading for your literature review. Reminder of attributes of good readings for your literature review: They are academic, scholarly works about research findings or they are reliable journalistic reporting based on scientifically credible and reliable data. They should have been published in the last 10 years—unless they are a landmark work on the topic and provide important background or as a comparison. They look at different sides of the argument and a variety of perspectives. As you complete each reading, take notes. Some of the questions you could ask about each reading include: Who wrote this article? Is it the researchers themselves, or is it a journalist writing about their findings? Where was it published? Is it a scholarly publication like an academic journal, or is it for a popular audience? If the publication is for a popular audience, how would you characterize the audience? Do they have an academic affiliation? Are the researchers sociologists, or are they of a different discipline? When was the research conducted? What question were the researchers attempting to answer? How does this question/topic relate to my question/topic? What methods did they use to study their question? What conclusions did they draw from their results? How do their conclusions impact my research question, hypothesis, or research plan? As you did for your first Touchstone, you will include five key elements for each source, with each element separated by a period: Author’s name(s) Publisher and publication date Title of the source, in quotation marks Page numbers (if applicable) Source's location for web-based texts (URL) EXAMPLE Alireza Behtoui. Journal of Sociology, 2015. "Beyond social ties: The impact of social capital on labour market outcomes for young Swedish people." p. 711-724. journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1440783315581217 STEP 3: FORMULATE A HYPOTHESIS, STATE YOUR OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS, AND CHOOSE A RESEARCH METHOD Hypothesis Now, formulate a hypothesis for your research question and choose a sociological research method appropriate for testing your hypothesis. While you won’t be conducting the research, you will write up a description of how you plan to conduct your research. (HINT: Refer back to Lesson 1.3.5: Formulating a Hypothesis, Lesson 1.3.6: Collecting Data: Quantitative Approaches , and Lesson 1.3.6: Collecting Data: Quantitative Approaches for help.) A formal hypothesis states the relationship between two variables—one is independent (IV) and one is dependent (DV). It must also be formatted as an If/Then statement, for instance: If people eat chocolate (IV), then they will get pimples (DV). If people go to the gym (IV), then they will be fit (DV). Operational Definitions Next, state your operational definition. Operational definitions identify important concepts related to the research. For example, If your community organization includes students, are they K-12? College? Medical? Or are students defined as: young adults between the ages of 18-21 who are attending a particular college or university? Research Method Then, choose a research method. Deciding on a research method will also take some thought and planning: Will you use qualitative or quantitative research or a combination? How will you engage subjects or find your data? What kinds of tools and assessments will be used to gather the data? STEP 4: PREPARE YOUR NOTECARDS Finally, incorporate Steps 1-4 to prepare a set of notecards for your proposed research study. Use the template provided to create 8-11 notecards that present the work you completed in Steps 1-4. Notecard Component Introduction Your introduction notecard should introduce your audience to the community group being studied. Research question Your second notecard will state your research question. Literature Review (4-6 cards) Now that you’ve introduced your community group and research question, it’s time to add information to your literature review notecards. Each source should have one notecard. The notecard should describe the information and analysis you performed in Step 2. Hypothesis Your hypothesis notecard should describe your hypothesis. Operational definitions Your operational definitions notecard should include and explain any operational definitions you developed for your study. You may skip this card if you have none. Research method Your research method notecard should introduce your proposed research method and explain how you propose to conduct your research. Refer to the checklist below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines. 1. Literature Review: Sources and Feedback ? Have you provided 4-6 sources appropriate for a sociological literature review? ? Have you addressed all feedback on the Unit 1 Touchstone bibliography? 2. Literature Review: Description and Analysis ? Have you thoroughly and accurately described your sources and identified relevance to the research topic? ? Did you properly format these sources and include the five key elements for each source, with each element separated by a period: Author’s name(s) Publisher and publication date Title of the source, in quotation marks Page numbers (if applicable) Source's location for web-based texts (URL) 3. Hypothesis and Operational Definitions ? Is your hypothesis well-aligned to the research question? ? Is your hypothesis testable and predicts outcomes between two or more identified variables? ? Are all concepts needing operational definitions identified and definitions are provided? 4. Research Method ? Did you select and explain a qualitative or quantitative research method that is suitable to the research question? ? Did you identify specific instruments? 5. Conventions ? Have you proofread your essay for grammatical and mechanical errors? ? Have you used spell check or another method to check spelling? 6. Before You Submit ? Have you included your name and date at the top left of the page?

Final exam (essay) Due date and length of essay: Your final exam is an essay assignment.  It should be approximately 1000 words.  Essay topics: This final exam assignment is an essay, and not a long research paper.  You must submit the essay here on Blackboard.  You must write your essay on one of the following topics - as you can see below, there are three topic options to choose from. Option 1: We have explored the basic elements of Plato's philosophy, through his theory of morality and the state.  In many ways, Plato's philosophy is based upon his theory of the 'objects of knowledge.'  For example, the keyboard I am writing at is clearly an 'object.'  In a certain sense; according to Plato, there are also 'objects of knowledge.'  Write an essay which discusses and clarifies how Plato sees the relation between objects - like keyboards, cars, etc. - and 'objects of knowledge.'  Make sure your essay includes content on why this relation is important to Plato in the first place.  Also, organize your essay so that it incorporates one of the relevant Platonic arguments (epistemological, metaphysical, or semantic) that the text treats.  The best essays usually incorporate just one of these arguments rather than trying to handle more than one of them; for the purposes of this essay, a solid interpretation of one of these arguments is quite sufficient.  Finally, conclude your essay by discussing the extent to which you agree or disagree with Plato on the objects/objects of knowledge issue (and explain why!) Option 2: Read p. 455 - 458 in the textbook (p. 410 - 414 in the 7th edition).  These pages deal with Hume's position on the issue of God.  In your own words, discuss the argument from design, and then summarize any two of Hume’s critiques against this argument.  In the concluding part of your essay, discuss whether you accept the argument from design, or Hume’s critiques (there is room for a qualified position here).  As you write your essay, you should be able to gain some insight into how Hume’s position sees the relationships among science, religion, and philosophy.  Also, many modern and contemporary philosophers have been influenced by Hume's basic empiricist position.  A good essay would make a solid attempt at discussing these relationships, and you might want to think about this especially in the concluding part of your essay.  Be sure to give reasons for your position! Option 3:  How and why does Descartes develop the ‘cogito’ in Meds. 1 and 2?  As we know, this also leads to Descartes’s mind-body dualism, as we have seen it developed in the Meditations.  How convincing is this Cartesian mind-body dualism, and how does this dualism relate to the mechanistic conception of the universe?  Or in other words, where does this dualism 'fit in,' with respect to the mechanistic conception of the universe (the closing few pages of the Descartes chapter should help you with this). Citations/referencing: Research which extends beyond course content is not required for this essay.  As you write your essay, I would strongly suggest that you keep your references under control by limiting yourself to the readings we have covered in this course.  Always be careful about reaching out to other primary and secondary sources that we have not used in the course, because to do this in a way that improves the quality and final grade of your essay is harder than it looks, especially as this is an introductory course. In any case, if you do make citations or references, then please do so in simple fashion: in-text parenthetical citation (last name of author, page number, such as 'Melchert, 409').  If you do use other sources, then in addition to the in-text parenthetical citation, put a list of the other sources cited at the end of the essay.  You can make this list according to any style you wish, as long as it has the usual bibliographic information and is formatted consistently. 

Glittering Vices, 'Avarice’, pp. 111-136

INSTRUCTIONS: Abortion is one of the most difficult and controversial moral issues we will consider. Listen to both sides, even if it is difficult to do. Both sides have important moral insights, even if ultimately these insights are outweighed by the insights of the other side. The goal of this discussion is not to convince you to accept one position over the other, but to help you to understand both sides. As you consider this difficult issue, it is important to distinguish two questions: 1.) Is abortion morally wrong? 2.) Should abortion be illegal? Choose one of the questions above and argue both sides with supporting evidence. Please let me know which question you choose. 

Investigate how religious beliefs and rituals were intertwined with key societal institutions during the Iron Age in Greece. Select three institutions from the provided list and analyze: How religious elements formed the foundation of these institutions The way these institutions promoted unity and social cohesion through religious practices. Institutions to Choose From: The technology of smelting iron Formation and elements of city-states The Olympic Games The Delphic Games Figurative scenes in Late Geometric pottery Alphabetic inscriptions The concept and practices of Hero Cult Themes in Hesiod’s ‘Theogony’ and ‘Works and Days’ Themes in Homer’s ‘Iliad’ Alternative Themes: if you are interested in exploring a different aspect of Iron Age Greece instead of religion, feel free to propose an alternative theme. This theme should also be traceable across three different institutions. Before starting on your theme, you must contact me so that I can make sure you are on the right track. Sources: your essay must draw upon at least four sources provided in your course materials. Ensure you integrate these sources directly into your discussion, rather than only listing them in a bibliography. You may copy-paste links from our modules and/or your own previous work in the social annotations and attendance assignments. For videos, you must refer to timestamps; for the presentations, you must refer to the pdf version by page number or to the sub-unit of the presentation. You may also use reputable outside sources. Cite everything you use. Essay Structure: organize your essay into five distinct paragraphs as follows: 1.First Paragraph. Introduction. Begin by setting the scene for your exploration of religion’s pivotal role in Iron Age Greece. Clearly state the three institutions you will analyze, and briefly outline how each is deeply rooted in religious practices and beliefs. This introduction should lay the groundwork for a coherent narrative that weaves together the religious and social fabric of these institutions. 2.Second Paragraph. First Institution Analysis Delve into your first chosen institution, examining the ways in which it is intertwined with religious practices. Discuss how this institution is both rooted in religion and how it contributes to the broader social cohesion of Iron Age Greek society. Conclude by drawing a bridge to the second institution, highlighting a thematic or practical link that will serve as your transition, emphasizing the continuity of religious influence. 3.Third Paragraph. Second Institution Analysis Start this section by connecting it to the first institution, reinforcing the continuity in religious focus. Dive into the religious underpinnings of this second institution and its role in knitting the social fabric of the community through shared religious practices. Wrap up by linking these insights to the third institution you will explore, ensuring a flow that underscores the pervasive role of religion. 4.Fourth Paragraph. Third Institution Analysis Open by recalling the transition from the previous section, maintaining the essay's momentum and focus on religion’s omnipresence. Examine how this third institution is also anchored in religious belief, and how it supplements the other two institutions in sustaining social cohesion. 5.Fifth Paragraph. Conclusions Explain why your combination of institutions (as opposed to some other combination) illuminates the significance of religious practice during this period. Conclude by summarizing your key points, weaving a unified argument about the integral role of religion in shaping Iron Age Greek institutions and their social functions. See next page for the grading rubric. I will use this to assign a grade to your essay; make sure you know what I am looking for.

Exploring the Interconnectedness of Archaic Age Institutions: Minimum essay of at least 1000 words, excluding cited sources. As you realize by now, the Archaic age was a pivotal period in Greek civilization, setting the stage for the development of the cultural norms we associate with the Greeks. This essay asks you to analyze three key institutions from this era, chosen from the list below, to uncover a shared idea, aspiration, or value that they collectively embody. You are NOT asked to describe these institutions individually, but to weave them together around a theme you believe they all express. Stating that all three institutions contributed in common to Greek culture does not qualify as a common theme, since that remark is obvious and taken for granted. Acceptable examples of a theme are: ‘tension between individuality and social conformity,’ ‘aesthetic privileging of the male over the female body,’ ‘civic identity and pride,’ ‘emergence of rationalism,’ ‘demarginalizing the masses.’ If you have another theme in mind but you are not sure whether it will work, text or email me your proposal and I will let you know. List of Institutions (pick three): Colonization Statuary Architecture Symposium Tyranny and Oligarchy Panathenaic Athletics Pottery Hoplite Phalanx Greek ‘homosexuality’ Science Lyric poetry and music Your essay should be organized as follows: Introduction (First Paragraph): Provide an overview of the Archaic age, emphasizing its importance in shaping Greek civilization. Introduce the three institutions you will analyze, and state clearly the common theme (idea, aspiration, or value) that connects them. First Institution (Second Paragraph): outline the first chosen institution, explaining its significance during the Archaic age, and how it reflects the common theme you have identified. Conclude this section with a transition that naturally leads to the next institution. Second Institution (Third Paragraph): continue with your second choice, elaborating on its features and its connection to the overarching theme. End with a transition that introduces the final institution. Third Institution (Fourth Paragraph): complete your institutional analysis by discussing your third choice and how it contributes to the shared idea, aspiration, or value you are exploring. Synthesis (Fifth Paragraph): summarize the interconnectedness of the selected institutions around the identified theme. Explain why this collective examination offers a richer understanding of the Archaic age’s values compared to an isolated review of each institution. I will use this rubric to grade your essay; make sure you know what I am looking for.

In this final written assignment, Case Study: Ethical Theory Application and Evaluation, you will create your own case study based on an ethical issue or social problem in your local community (neighborhood, town city, school district, religious community, local politics, water safety, housing issues, etc.), an ethical issue in your current job, or an ethical issue in your field of study. This final written assignment should be an essay and include the following sections with headings in bold font: Part 1: Introduction, Case Study, and Ethical Question In this section, you will create the case study. To complete this section, Present a brief introduction to the case study. Discuss background information. Identify the central moral controversy at stake in the case study. Articulate an ethical question based on the central moral controversy. This section should be around 300 words. Part 2: Philosophy Reading Reflection In Sections 4 and 5 you will use two ethical theories to analyze your case study. In this section, you will choose a philosophical text associated with one of the ethical theories you will be using in Section 4 or 5. The philosophical text can be the same one you used in the Week 3 written assignment, or you can choose a new text. Copy and paste the text into this section. After applying the metacognitive strategies on reading philosophical texts from Week 1, Examine the meaning of the text. Discuss how your understanding of the text evolved after multiple reads. Explain how the text might apply to the case study. This section should be around 150 words (excluding the philosophical text). Part 3: Explanation of First Ethical Theory In this section, choose either utilitarianism, deontology, or virtue ethics. This will be the primary or first ethical theory you will use to consider the case study. You can choose the same ethical theory you used in the Week 3 written assignment or choose a different ethical theory. To complete this section, Discuss the historical background of the ethical theory and the philosopher primarily associated with it. Articulate the core principle(s) of the ethical theory. Demonstrate how the principle(s) applies to an ethical question different than the ethical question in your case study. This section should be around 250 words. Part 4: Application of First Ethical Theory In this section, you will apply the principle(s) of the ethical theory to the case study. To complete this section, Clarify the central moral controversy at stake in the ethical question. Analyze the core principle of the ethical theory. Explain how someone using the core principles of the ethical theory would answer the ethical question addressed by your case. This section should be around 350 words. Part 5: Explanation and Application of Second Ethical Theory In this section, you will choose a second ethical theory and apply it to the case study. The explanation and application here will be briefer than the first ethical theory. To complete this section, Discuss the core principle of the ethical theory. Explain how someone using the core principles of the ethical theory would analyze the case study and answer the ethical question. This section should be around 150 or 200 words. Part 6: Evaluation of First Ethical Theory Application In this section, you will evaluate the results of applying the ethical theory to the case study. The idea here is to assess the success (or failure) of the theory in providing an adequate or actionable solution to the central moral controversy in the case study. To complete this section, Discuss the answer to the ethical question provided by applying the first ethical theory. Compare the answer to the ethical question provided by applying the first ethical theory to the second ethical theory’s application. Explain which ethical theory you think offers the strongest resolution to the ethical issue. Evaluate the strength of the application by considering one or more of the following questions: Does applying the theory present an adequate response to the issue, or are there significant aspects of the issue the theory does not address? Does the application differ from how the issue is currently being addressed? Does the application present a better approach to how the issue is currently being addressed? Does applying the theory to the issue raise other problems or concerns? This section should be between 300 and 350 words. Part 7: Conclusion In this section, you will describe what you have accomplished in the paper. To complete this section, Summarize the analyses and conclusions of applying the first and second ethical theories to your case study. Evaluate the results of applying the theory Did it offer an adequate solution to the issue? What is the greatest strength or weakness of the theory when applied to the issue? Provide any additional recommendations you think might help address the central moral controversy in the case study. This section should be around 150 words. The Case Study: Ethical Theory Application and Evaluation final paper Must be six to eight double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA StyleLinks to an external site. as outlined in the Writing Center’s APA Formatting for Microsoft WordLinks to an external site. resource. Must include a separate title page with the following in title case: title of paper in bold font Space should appear between the title and the rest of the information on the title page. student’s name name of institution (The University of Arizona Global Campus) course name and number instructor’s name due date Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic VoiceLinks to an external site. resource for additional guidance. Must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper. For assistance on writing Introductions & ConclusionsLinks to an external site. and Writing a Thesis StatementLinks to an external site., refer to the Writing Center resources. Must use at least four resources: three scholarly resources and one resource which provides information for the case study. The Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible SourcesLinks to an external site. table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source. To assist you in completing the research required for this assignment, view this Quick and Easy Library ResearchLinks to an external site. tutorial, which introduces the University of Arizona Global Campus Library and the research process, and provides some library search tips. Must document any information used from sources in APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center’s APA: Citing Within Your PaperLinks to an external site. guide.

3. Reason plays a prominent role in the moral philosophies of both Aristotle and Immanuel Kant; however, the role it plays in each is very different. In this essay, highlight these different roles by doing the following: a. explain Aritstotle’s function argument; b. explain Kant’s critique of Aristotelian ethics; c. explain Kant’s contention that a good will is the only thing that is good without qualification; and d. subject either Aristotle’s or Kant’s arguments/theories to critical analysis. (Keep in mind that you can either criticize or defend Kant’s arguments/ethics and that you are allowed—but not required—to draw on arguments presented in the course lecture and/or readings. If you are so inclined, you should feel free to present your own argument in the analysis.)

Final Project Proposal, Creative Track The purpose of this assignment is to propose a final project that creatively interacts with philosophical ideas. The student has broad leeway to choose the medium and topic of their project, although it must be on topic for the course material (I chose the topic of "Free Will"). For example, the project could be a work of visual art, a video, a work of creative writing, or a computer program (Use the movie "Truman Show") The proposal will consist in three parts: a 300 word abstract of an ‘explainer’ essay that will say why this project is philosophically interesting; a description of the project, the materials that will be used in its creation, and the background/context of its philosophical interest, and; a bibliography of 7 sources informing this background and context. Each of these components will be worth 10 points, distributed as follows:

Make me a slideshow using the provided template and slideshow theme about "Fact or Fallacy? Analyzing the 2024 Presidential Debate" use the topics provided in the pdf. also make me a script for each slide of the slideshow.