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Other than the expository essay, one of the most common types of writing you will do for your college courses is the argumentative research essay. Since you have already written two expository essays (ad analysis and song analysis), will are moving on to developing research skills and argumentative writing skills. You will write two different papers related to your research topic: a précis and an argumentative research essay. For now, because you must develop a viable topic, let’s focus on the argumentative essay.

REQUIREMENTS

One of the requirements of the course is that you write a coherent, focused, meaningful research essay in MLA format. Class instruction will help you work through the following process:

· topic formation (through brainstorming)

· initial source discovery: websites and scholarly sources

· evaluation of sources using the “information source evaluation matrix”

· analysis and summary of a scholarly source in the form of a précis

· development of a thesis for your research essay

· completion of scholarly research for support of thesis

· organization of research information

· development of “Works Cited” list for research essay, documenting complete bibliographic information of sources actually used (cited) in research essay

· drafting, revising, and editing of research essay

TOPIC: Your topic choice must be appropriate to college-level research using scholarly sources.

A part of the topic brainstorming process is to think about the research you will have to do in your other courses. If you are able to find a topic related to another course, the research you do will fulfill multiple purposes, helping you in your coursework.

If you do not have research requirements in any other classes, the objective to find a topic that is meaningful and worthwhile, perhaps one related to your academic major/career objectives, that is researchable using scholarly resources.

THESIS:

Your thesis should be a one-sentence articulation of the point you want to prove and advocate in your research essay. It should be strong, precise, and, of course, logical. Your entire essay will be guided by the thesis.

ESSAY LENGTH: While your thesis determines the depth of your essay, the goal is to be specific and detailed in the support of your thesis rather than trying to cover every aspect of a given topic. We will discuss examples of this distinction in class.

Your essay will be 8-10 pages in length (MLA format) and use at least 6 worthwhile, credible sources of scholarly level.

DOCUMENTATION STYLE: This essay will be written to conform to MLA (Modern Language Association) Guidelines. Information on MLA format is available in your course text as well as in resources provided in Moodle documents and weblinks. It is YOUR responsibility to format information correctly, keeping in mind that sometimes there are errors in how both EBSCO and other databases format your bibliographic information.

ACADEMIC HONESTY: A student who is guilty of plagiarizing, whether intentionally or otherwise, will automatically receive a failing grade on this essay. At the discretion of the instructor, if the form of plagiarism is a more serious infraction, the student may fail the course and possibly be expelled. You have been notified of this on your syllabus, so consider this a serious reminder.

You can easily avoid the problems mentioned above by writing carefully and honestly. If you are unsure of something, please ask. When in doubt, always cite the source.

In class, you will be provided with information about quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing. The distinctions between these forms of source use are important, and you are responsible for fair and accurate use and documentation of sources.

SOURCES: TYPES AND DATES

The sources utilized in your essay should be varied and current. Using three articles from the same source is ineffective and limits the range of perspectives to which you will be exposed.

SCHOLARLY PERIODICALS: These will be the most useful resources for you. In addition to using EBSCOhost to find periodical articles, you may also use the other databases available through the library. EBSCO enables you to limit your findings to scholarly texts, so please be conscious of these distinctions as you research.

encyclopedias: While encyclopedias are useful for providing you with background information, you may not cite an encyclopedia unless special allowance is given. The only case where an encyclopedia may be useful is when the text is a specialized academic text written for college or post-graduate level study.

What is an Argumentative Essay? From OWL’s website: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/essay_writing/argumentative_essays.html

“The argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires the student to investigate a topic, collect, generate, and evaluate evidence, and establish a position on the topic in a concise manner.

Please note: Some confusion may occur between the argumentative essay and the expository essay. These two genres are similar, but the argumentative essay differs from the expository essay in the amount of pre-writing (invention) and research involved. The argumentative essay is commonly assigned as a capstone or final project in first year writing or advanced composition courses and involves lengthy, detailed research. Expository essays involve less research and are shorter in length. Expository essays are often used for in-class writing exercises or tests, such as the GED or GRE.

Argumentative essay assignments generally call for extensive research of literature or previously published material. Argumentative assignments may also require empirical research where the student collects data through interviews, surveys, observations, or experiments. Detailed research allows the student to learn about the topic and to understand different points of view regarding the topic so that s/he may choose a position and support it with the evidence collected during research. Regardless of the amount or type of research involved, argumentative essays must establish a clear thesis and follow sound reasoning.

The structure of the argumentative essay is held together by the following:

A clear, concise, and defined thesis statement that occurs in the first paragraph of the essay.

In the first paragraph of an argument essay, students should set the context by reviewing the topic in a general way. Next the author should explain why the topic is important (exigence) or why readers should care about the issue. Lastly, students should present the thesis statement. It is essential that this thesis statement be appropriately narrowed to follow the guidelines set forth in the assignment. If the student does not master this portion of the essay, it will be quite difficult to compose an effective or persuasive essay.

Clear and logical transitions between the introduction, body, and conclusion.

Transitions are the mortar that holds the foundation of the essay together. Without logical progression of thought, the reader is unable to follow the essay’s argument, and the structure will collapse. Transitions should wrap up the idea from the previous section and introduce the idea that is to follow in the next section.

Body paragraphs that include evidential support.

Each paragraph should be limited to the discussion of one general idea. This will allow for clarity and direction throughout the essay. In addition, such conciseness creates an ease of readability for one’s audience. It is important to note that each paragraph in the body of the essay must have some logical connection to the thesis statement in the opening paragraph. Some paragraphs will directly support the thesis statement with evidence collected during research. It is also important to explain how and why the evidence supports the thesis (warrant).

However, argumentative essays should also consider and explain differing points of view regarding the topic. Depending on the length of the assignment, students should dedicate one or two paragraphs of an argumentative essay to discussing conflicting opinions on the topic. Rather than explaining how these differing opinions are wrong outright, students should note how opinions that do not align with their thesis might not be well informed or how they might be out of date.

Evidential support (whether factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal).

The argumentative essay requires well-researched, accurate, detailed, and current information to support the thesis statement and consider other points of view. Some factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal evidence should support the thesis. However, students must consider multiple points of view when collecting evidence. As noted in the paragraph above, a successful and well-rounded argumentative essay will also discuss opinions not aligning with the thesis. It is unethical to exclude evidence that may not support the thesis. It is not the student’s job to point out how other positions are wrong outright, but rather to explain how other positions may not be well informed or up to date on the topic.

A conclusion that does not simply restate the thesis, but readdresses it in light of the evidence provided.

It is at this point of the essay that students may begin to struggle. This is the portion of the essay that will leave the most immediate impression on the mind of the reader. Therefore, it must be effective and logical. Do not introduce any new information into the conclusion; rather, synthesize the information presented in the body of the essay. Restate why the topic is important, review the main points, and review your thesis. You may also want to include a short discussion of more research that should be completed in light of your work.

A Complete Argument

Perhaps it is helpful to think of an essay in terms of a conversation or debate with a classmate. If I were to discuss the cause of World War II and its current effect on those who lived through the tumultuous time, there would be a beginning, middle, and end to the conversation. In fact, if I were to end the argument in the middle of my second point, questions would arise concerning the current effects on those who lived through the conflict. Therefore, the argumentative essay must be complete, and logically so, leaving no doubt as to its intent or argument.

Longer Argumentative Essays

Complex issues and detailed research call for complex and detailed essays. Argumentative essays discussing a number of research sources or empirical research will most certainly be longer than five paragraphs. Authors may have to discuss the context surrounding the topic, sources of information and their credibility, as well as a number of different opinions on the issue before concluding the essay. Many of these factors will be determined by the assignment.”

Argumentative Research Essay 6

USE OF INTERNET SOURCES: The INTERNET can provide you with valuable sources if used properly. In order to use an INTERNET source, you must save an electronic copy of the page and document the web site address. Given the variability of the value and reliability of internet sources, in order to use a general website, it has to rank highly on the INFORMATION SOURCE EVALUATION MATRIX (document available on Moodle site).

BOOKS: Certain topics are more amenable to the use of books as sources. You may use books as long as they are relevant, appropriate in academic level, and use valid research.

PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR WRITING: When citing source information in your research essay, keep the following advice in mind:

–> Never let a quote stand alone as a sentence or a paragraph. You should introduce it by contextualizing it. For instance, you can mention the source of the quote and why the source is significant.

Joan Collins, a medical researcher at Johns Hopkins University and author of Dealing with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders, explains, “ [fill in quote here]. . .” (37).

The number 37 in parenthesis indicates the page number the quote was found on. Since the author’s name is mentioned, it is not necessary to repeat it in parenthesis.

–> Follow-up a quote with commentary on the relevance to your point. After the example above, I might write the following:

Collins’ professional research supports my contention that we must understand this disorder as a curable condition caused by biological factors. Only then can we treat it medical problem rather than a mental illness.

–> The first time you mention an author, use the full name. Thereafter, refer to the author by last name only and a professional title if relevant. Do not refer to the author by first name only or by last name with a title such as Mr. or Ms.

–> Document sources right at the time you use them—in the first draft. Having to look back for sources is a waste of valuable time. Simply put the author’s last name and the page number in parenthesis at the end of the sentence.

When we have completed the research writing process, you will have developed an original, insightful, correctly documented paper on an interesting, current topic. While the grading pyramid standards apply to the research essay, additional requirements regarding form and documentation will affect your grade.

GRADING/STANDARDS: Your essay will be graded in accordance with the standards provided in the course syllabus and in this RESEARCH ESSAY REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDELINES document.