English 302-M: Research Interests Narrative
In a narrative of 1,000-1,200 words (3-4 pages), reflect on experiences that have shaped
your current academic or professional interests, identifying questions that have motivated
and guided you, including one that you would like to pursue for your research project in
this class.
Tell the “story” behind your current academic or professional interests, focusing on
experiences that left you with questions that researchers in your field are still trying to answer.
You could begin by reflecting on your formal education and how memorable coursework,
teachers, or mentors led to your choice of major or your academic/professional aspirations, but it
will be just as important to consider experiences outside the classroom that made you aware of
what you wanted to learn and why. Think about problems or challenges you have observed or
faced and the questions they raise, especially for researchers in your field. Remember that your
literature review will be an opportunity to get some answers, to find out what experts in your
field agree on and why. But more importantly, it will be a chance for you to enter the
conversation, to identify gaps in the research, to pose a question that has not been asked or that
you feel has not received sufficient attention.
A default topic for this essay as well as for your
literature review: How could education and training in your field be improved? What do
students and professionals need to learn more about before they can address a problem in the
field? What kinds of research is needed?
Many graduate school applications (as well as scholarship and internship applications)
require an essay about an experience that shaped your academic or professional interests and
goals, and an honest, compelling narrative will highlight your potential in a way that other
admissions criteria cannot. While this assignment can be (and has been) successfully revised for
such a purpose, remember that your goal is not to promote yourself but to bring attention to the
importance of the research questions that interest you.
Research Interests Narrative” is the original work of Sara King, created and revised between 2016 and 2018 in the context of ongoing
conversations with colleagues in the George Mason University Composition Program. The assignment is licensed CC-BY 4.0, which means that
it may be reused, adapted, or remixed by others as long as any document that incorporates content taken from the assignment includes or links to
the following: a statement giving credit for the borrowed content, a link to the license, and an acknowledgment of any changes made to the
content.