Research Project Rational

As with most papers, my research project will begin with an introduction to my topic, the debate over the health repercussions of consuming genetically modified organisms, specifically gluten sensitivities. I will provide a brief definition of GMOs to aid my reader’s understanding of the debate. I will also mention some personal experiences with gluten sensitivity to begin to explain my intentions for writing this paper. The last sentence will be my thesis statement.

The first portion of my paper will be about defining terms. The introduction will provide a brief description of GMOs, but this section will go into greater detail about the difference of genetic engineering and hybridization, specifically of wheat. This will provide any reader with a greater understanding of the credibility some of the arguments that will be mentioned later in the paper. I will then go on to describe the aspects of reactions to gluten, explaining the difference between a sensitivity and an allergy. I will use support from several sources to make sure the information is easily understandable. This information will also prove useful to the reader for future understanding of the debate in later paragraphs.

The next portion of my paper will describe some of the current arguments about GMOs, including the debate over labeling GMO products as well as the argument over GMO contribution to food allergies. The first source I will use will provide some of the basic pros and cons in the debate before going into deeper explanations about arguments and counterarguments. I will go on to describe some of the anti-GMO articles and the common ideas they represent. I will start with this side of the argument as it is not only more common among people not in the scientific community, but it also has less scientific evidence to support the arguments being made. I will then continue to explain some of the articles found that are of the opinion that GMOs have to influence on gluten sensitivities. I will start with some of the articles that directly rebuke a previous article against GMOs. I will use these article as a natural transition to the other side of the argument. This section will be constructed to inform the reader about both sides of the debate which will provide the reader with a greater understanding for the need of scientific experimentation.

The following section of my research paper will be devoted to explaining some scientific studies done about genetically modified foods. The beginning of this section will describe several sources that explain the properties of wheat and contradict some of the common myths about wheat. In some form, this will act as a continuation on some of the previous definitions and descriptions and provide yet another natural transition into describing some of the scientific experiments. I will then go on to explain the basis of some of the experiments I will describe. Much of this section will be focused on two studies in particular that test the dietary impact of GMOs on rats and Atlantic salmon. These studies will provide the reader with a greater understanding of the evidence against the association between food allergies and genetic engineering. Finally, I will go on to analyze some experiments done to test the quality of bread made with wheat that contain less of a gluten protein. This last portion will act as a lead into the next portion of the paper and will add to the reader’s understanding of gluten sensitivity.

The last section of the paper will focus on the evolution of the human diet. The sources I will use will explain some of the developments in the human body as a result of the growing diet. They will explain how humans came around to eating grains from a diet of meat and when the different grains in different cultures around the world were introduced into society. This last portion will contribute to the reader’s further understanding of the development of gluten sensitivity. The section will not specifically discuss genetic engineering, but it will re-inforce the argument that GMOs do not directly contribute to gluten allergies.

In my conclusion I restate my thesis and briefly summarize the arguments made in the paper. I will add a few personal experiences of what I have discovered in the research project and how that information has changed much of my previous understandings of GMOs and gluten sensitivity. I will finish with a statement on how I hope this research will provide readers with a better understanding of the debate and perhaps inform them enough to reconsider any position they may have had before.