31 Dec Research-Based Argument Paper

For Essay 3, you will create your own research-based argument using the research you completed for your Annotated Bibliography as a starting point. The thesis must take a position and argue for something focused, debatable, and defensible; it cannot simply inform the audience or describe the sides others have taken on the issue, nor can it offer multiple arguments. “Raising awareness” or “informing the reader” will not be enough for this paper. You may do additional research (aside from your sources on your annotated bibliography) if you feel it is necessary to develop and support your thesis.

I encourage you to build on the issues covered in prior course readings. You should use credible sources to demonstrate that your topic is debatable. Avoid issues that are not debated in professional or academic circles or topics that seem to have only one reasonable “side” or position. Use your research to develop an understanding of why reasonable people can hold opposing views in good faith. If you cannot find credible, well-credentialed sources arguing for differing views and using strong support of their own, then the issue is not debatable and is inappropriate for this assignment. Issues for the paper will require instructor approval.

Imagine an educated audience that is neutral or that leans towards an alternative position; assume they will do their own research on the issue and that they will check on anything you present in the paper. In arguing to this audience, you should anticipate their initial assumptions about the issue and meet them where they are with a blend of all three appeals (ethos, pathos, and logos). Make sure all of your claims are well-supported. Finally, make sure you take on strong counterarguments to your position to show that you have examined the reasonable opposition to your position. Do not ignore counterarguments, conflicting evidence, or nuances; be prepared to modify your own position if you discover new information or counterarguments to which you cannot fully respond.

Learning Goals

· Practice constructing reasonable, well-supported arguments

· Identify existing debates and their stakes

· Practice critical writing skills and demonstrate the ability to evaluate sources and audiences to create effective arguments

· Gain a greater understanding of the way multiple writers can create a bigger sense of what “they say” and create room for a more fully developed “I say” response

· Gain an understanding of how to gather and apply research to make your own claims credible and convincing

· Gain experience with MLA citation and document formats used to give proper credit to others for their words and ideas

What You Will Need to Get Started

· Five or more credible, effective sources, including one representing a credible “naysayer”

· Good notes on all your sources, including clear indications of which ideas and words come from which sources

· Resources on MLA citation style and documentation, including The Little Seagull and the Durham Tech library guide

· Reliable Internet access

· At least two reliable places you can save your work as a .doc document

Your Assignment Targets

· Write five to seven full pages presenting a clear, well-supported argument for a debatable, defensible, and focused thesis that makes thoughtful choices about how to use all three appeals

· Integrate and cite at least one piece of evidence from two different sources in each paragraph to support the paragraph’s claim, making good choices about when to quote and when to paraphrase

· Use templates, including “they say,” “I say,” and metacommentary templates from your textbook as needed, making thoughtful choices about which templates and signal phrases are most effective for the appeals you are using

· Construct a well-structured persuasive essay, employing clear transitions and a consistent overall thesis statement advanced through linked, well-structured paragraphs. Topic sentences should present reasons for others to agree with your thesis.

· Conclude with a call to action aimed at pushing the audience to affect the issue

· Use proper MLA citation, including a correctly formatted Works Cited page. Remember that this Works Cited page does NOT include the annotation paragraphs from the Annotated Bibliography and does NOT count towards minimum page length

· Employ clear and grammatical writing, a formal style, and good sentence structure

Possible starting points for a thesis for this paper:

One of the greatest challenges facing Americans today is ______, because ________. In order to meet this challenge, we must ________ because ________.

While the problem of ______ is widely understood as a serious one, debate about how to solve it goes on. I argue that the best solution to the problem is _______, for the following reasons: __________.

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