The Research Proposal

ENGL 1102-English Composition 2

Research Essay#2 Prompt--Argumentation-Persuasion (20 % of overall grade)

Purpose:

The purpose of this assignment is to encourage you to write a position paper that defends your position on a controversial issue. “For this assignment, you will need to select an issue [See the research Essay # 1-Argument/Persuasion Prompt], take a stand, develop a clear position, and assemble evidence that supports your view” (Kennedy et. al. 132). Your introduction should present your issue, provide background, and state the claim you intend to support. According to your text, “Your purpose isn’t to solve a social or moral problem but to make clear exactly where you stand on an issue and to persuade your readers to respect your position, perhaps even to accept it. As you reflect on your topic, you may change your position, but don’t shift positions in the middle of your essay” (Kennedy et.al 130). In constructing your claim, strive to develop audience-based reasons. The body of your argument should summarize and respond to opposing views as well as present reasons and evidence in support of your own position. You will need to use at least 5 outside sources to supplement the evidence (logos) you may have in order to create a positive ethos (credibility).

Objectives :

Students should be able to:

1. To take a stand on an issue

2. Offer reasons and evidence in support of a controversial position of a particular issue.

3. Summarize and respond to alternative views

4. Use MLA documentation practices to document research evidence that they have integrated into their arguments.

5. Use the components of the Classical Approach to argument as studied in class.

Assignment:

Find a controversy that arouses your interest from the list below. “Write a research paper, following the steps outlined in Chapters 26-30 of your ebook [See ACHIEVE]: once you have developed a focused research question about your topic, conduct research evaluating your sources and keeping the information you assemble organized and manageable (this would be your evaluative annotated bibliography). Develop your own reasonable answer to your research question and use evidence from sources to support your claim. Then draft, revise [using feedback from your peer and the tutor at tutor.com] and, and edit your paper, persuasively using a variety of source material [the five sources from your evaluative annotated bibliography] to convey your conclusions” (Kennedy et. al. 450).

Topics: (If it is a research question, answer it to take a stand and get your thesis. If it is a thesis statement, generate a question that the statement answers.]

1. Should law enforcement officers be required to wear body cameras? [Research question. Answer it to take a stand and generate your thesis/claim]

3. The development of e-cigarettes and vapes has significantly increased smoking among teenagers and pose a danger to their health [A claim of substantiation p.135 of textbook]

4. Is there a fake news problem? What is the source?

5. Any citizen who does not have a criminal record should be permitted to carry a concealed weapon. [A claim of policy]

6. Social media simultaneously draws us together and pulls us apart; does the good outweigh the bad or vice versa?

7. Is getting a college degree important for a successful career?

8. Should COVID-19 vaccinations be required for children to return to their public schools?

9. The last Amnesty in the United States took place in 1986 and was granted to immigrants who could prove they had resided here for five years or more. Amnesty is always controversial. Some argue that granting amnesty rewards illegal behavior and encourages more illegal immigration. Others argue that regularizing the status of long-time illegal residents simply provides them with a path for becoming full citizens, upholding the ideals of an open and democratic society. Write an essay in which you argue either in favor of or against an amnesty for current illegal immigrants who have resided in the United States for at least five years. In addition to discussing the effects of allowing immigrants to stay, do some research on the 1986 amnesty to understand its effects. If they are still relevant today, use them to support your point of view about amnesty.

10. Should a college education be free for everyone in the US?

NB: GO TO CHAT (See under Communications in BrightSpace!) AND READ THE CHAT ON HOW TO FORMULATE A THESIS AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS FOR YOUR ARGUMENT!!!

Requirements:

The paper should include the following key features:

· 4-5 pages minimum (not including the Works Cited page)

· MLA Format and Documentation are IMPERATIVE (Must have Works Cited)

· Introduction with thesis statement

· Supporting evidence for thesis

· Clear body paragraphs

· Responses to opposing viewpoints

· Conclusion that summarizes the main point

· Appropriate documentation of the five sources used in the paper.

· Look at the rubric for this essay provided in Module 4!!! Make sure your essay confirms to what the rubric outlines so that your essay could achieve the grade for which you aim.