conduct research on a problem or issue facing members of your current or future professional community – engineering – Demand Not Meeting Supply – The Lack of Fresh Talent Entering The Workforce

For our second major project of the term, you will conduct research on a problem or issue facing members of your current or future professional community. This means you will need to identify a current problem or issue, conduct research on it, and develop an argument about the issue’s importance or how the problem might be solved.

Here are some questions to consider in your paper:

1. What caused this issue?
2. Why is this issue important to members of your community?
3. Are there debates about this issue within your field?
4. What is preventing the issue from being better understood, or the problem from being solved?

Please proceed to the Annotated Bibliography section.

Your assignment is to prepare an annotated bibliography using the current APA documentation style. The assignment consists of a list of sources and an annotation for each source. These sources should correspond with the topic you choose for your Research Paper.

The list of sources must contain:

1. The subject of your research, stated at the top of the page.
2. Five scholarly sources about your selected subject.
3. All sources correctly documented in current APA style.
4. Double-spacing throughout entire annotated bibliography.

Special note: Wikipedia or other encyclopedias are not acceptable sources for scholarly work. Do not use Wikipedia or any encyclopedia as sources for this or any academic assignment. The annotation for each source should include some summary and some analysis or evaluation. Each annotation should be a minimum of 150 words.

When creating your annotations, focus on the following questions:

Summary:

• What question(s) are the authors interested in answering? What claim(s) are they making?
• What evidence do the authors rely on to answer their question(s) and build their claim(s)?

Analysis/Evaluation:

• How do you know this source is credible? For web sources (not scholarly articles), conduct a “lateral reading” as outlined by Carillo and Horning (2022) to verify credibility.
• What are the limitations or shortcomings of this source? Consider areas such as reliability, currency, possible bias, and usefulness with respect to your topic.
• What contribution does this source make to the current field of research? What contribution does it make to your project in particular?
• How does the source exist in conversation with the other research you have found? How might you use it in your paper?

This assignment cannot be revised. You are expected to use the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association to ensure your documentation is correct. If you have any questions, please contact your instructor for guidance.

---

Example

Review the following example using the current APA documentation style. The words in italics (summary and evaluation) do not need to be in your work; they are here just for the clarity of the example.

Subject: Homeschooling
Bauer, S. W., & Wise, J. (2016). The well-trained mind: A guide to classical education (4th ed.).

Norton.
The authors discuss how homeschooling, by using the trivium method of education, can make children

well-rounded. This method involves, in part, teaching grammar, logic, and rhetoric at different stages.

The authors provide a plethora of information for anyone considering homeschooling, including

suggested curricula, information on support groups and online resources (summary). This is a credible

source written by two long-time educators with experience in homeschooling. This is a useful source for

readers wanting to understand the benefits of homeschooling and the process to get started, but it does not

provide any empirical data about the benefits and drawbacks to homeschooling (evaluation).

Please proceed to the Paper Assignment Information section.

This assignment requires you to write a research paper analyzing a problem or issue facing members of your current or future professional community.

The following items are required for the paper:

1. Write a Research Paper of at least 1000 words (not including title or reference pages).
2. Include a title page and page numbers using APA formatting guidelines for student papers.
3. Cite at least five different sources in your paper.
4. Use appropriate APA style documentation for in-text citations and a separate references list at the end of the paper.

Your paper should include the following:

• An engaging introduction that
  • introduces the professional or disciplinary community and the problem or issue you have been studying,
  • states your paper’s main idea, argument, or contribution to the understanding of this problem or issue, and
  • forecasts your paper’s main points.
• Body paragraphs that
  • provide a brief background on the issue or problem so your readers can understand it even if they are not part of your professional community,
  • consider multiple perspectives or debates about this problem or issue,
  • make a unique argument about the issue and/or proposes a solution to the problem, and
  • utilize at least five sources to support your ideas.
• A conclusion that
  • summarizes your main points without restating them word-for-word, and
  • leaves your reader with a takeaway or a call to action.

Be sure to follow APA student paper guidelines for your title page, page numbers, font, margins, and in-text citations and references.

Please proceed to the Peer Review Instructions section.

PreviousNext

After you submit your rough draft for the Research Paper, your paper will go through a peer review in Module 6. You also will conduct a peer review for two of your classmates.

To help you critique your classmates’ drafts, please review that they have done all of the following:

1. Written a Research Paper of at least 1000 words.
2. Included a title page and page numbers using APA formatting guidelines for student papers.
3. Cited at least five different sources in the paper.
4. Used the following organization for the paper:
   • An engaging introduction that
     • introduces the professional or disciplinary community and the problem or issue being studied,
     • states the paper’s main idea, argument, or contribution to the understanding of this problem or issue, and
     • forecasts the paper’s main points.
   • Body paragraphs that
     • provide a brief background on the issue or problem so you can understand it even if you are not a member of the chosen professional community,
     • consider multiple perspectives or debates about this problem or issue,
     • make a unique argument about the issue and/or proposes a solution to the problem, and
     • utilize at least five sources to support your ideas.
   • A conclusion that
     • summarizes main points without restating them word-for-word, and
     • leaves you with a takeaway or a call to action.
5. Used appropriate APA style documentation for in-text citations and a separate references list at the end of the paper.

Please consider the following attributes upon submission of your peer reviews:

• Always reread your written observation before submission.
• Give detailed responses that generate more in-depth conversations on the subject.
• Remain professional; discuss the strengths/weaknesses of the submission.
• Provide clear suggestions and praise when necessary.
• State appropriate feedback.

Please proceed to the Resources section.

1. What move does your paper start with?

It starts by providing context for the paper, hooks the reader with compelling evidence and statistics, as well as introducing the main argument through the thesis statement.

1. What is the main thing your paper does again and again?

The paper introduces relevant sources that support the evidence of the main topic of the research paper. Then it provides criticism on how that wraps up to the main theme of the paper.

1. How does your paper break its tasks into chunks?

I. Introduction

Hook: A brief anecdote, statistic, or quote illustrating the talent shortage in STEM/engineering.

Context: Introduce the significance of engineering and STEM talent in U.S. economic competitiveness, technology, and national security.

Thesis Statement.

Scope of the Problem

A. Current Engineering Talent Gap

73% of engineering-focused companies report shortages (Bain, 2023).

Aging workforce and mid-career exits worsen the issue.

B. National Statistics on STEM Workforce

Data from the NSF NCSES: employment trends, education mismatches.

STEM as a broader context for the engineering shortfall.

Root Causes

A. Educational Pipeline Failures

Decline in engineering graduates.

Misalignment between academic output and workforce needs (NCSES, 2024).

B. Outsourcing and Industrial Decline

Long-term erosion of domestic expertise (Rizi et al., 2023).

C. Technology Shifts & Industry Demands

Rapid innovation outpacing training (Grant Thornton, 2024).

D. Immigration & Retention Challenges

Retention of international graduates (SIA, 2023).

Sector-Specific Impacts

A. Semiconductor Industry Crisis

Shortfall of 67,000 workers by 2030 (SIA, 2023).

National security and economic risks.

B. Broader Industrial Effects

Impacts on R&D, aerospace, infrastructure, etc.

Solutions and Strategies

A. Upskilling & Reskilling the Current Workforce

Bain’s recommendations on training and reskilling.

B. Education Modernization

Emphasize K–12 STEM, community colleges, VR/AI training (Rizi et al.).

C. Public-Private Partnerships

Collaboration between industry, government, and academia (Grant Thornton, 2024).

D. Immigration & Talent Retention Reforms

Addressing brain drain and visa retention (SIA, 2023).

Future Outlook

A. Industry Integration

Use of automation, AI, and VR in closing talent gaps (Rizi et al.).

B. Sustainable Workforce Development

How long-term planning and investments are essential.

C. Policy Implications

How CHIPS Act and federal education reform could be leveraged.

Conclusion

Recap the urgency of the talent shortage.

Emphasize the need for coordinated action across sectors.

Reaffirm that solving the workforce crisis is critical to national competitiveness.

1. In what way is the author’s personal style evident in the essay?

As it is a research paper, I would strive for a clear professional tone that would align with the rhetoric of this English class.

1. What move does your paper end with?

I would end my research paper by restating my topic and its importance, as well as concluding the evidence with a call to action and recapping a proposed solution.