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FULLRESEARCH.docARGUMENTATIVE/PERSUASIVE TOPIC IDEAS AND SAMPLE OUTLINES AND THESIS STATEMENTS
This document contains the following materials:
1. Organizing and Writing the Research Paper
2. Argumentative/Persuasive Paper Definition
3. Structure of Argumentative Paper with Sample Outlines and Thesis Statements
4. Concession Paragraph Defined and Examples
TOPICS USED FOR SAMPLES:
1. Euthanasia
2. Discrimination Against Women in Employment
3. Racial Profiling
4. Marrying Young
5. Child and Spousal Abuse
6. Human Trafficking
7. Discrimination Against Minorities in Housing and Retail Markets
8. Prison Sentences
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO BE SURE YOU SEE ALL ELEMENTS OF THIS DOCUMENT. IT IS 13 PAGES IN LENGTH, AND IT IS BROKEN INTO COMPONENTS.
WRITING YOUR RESEARCH PAPER
PLANNING:
1. Choose your topic. You do not have to have three supporting ideas, but that number
works well for most paper topics.
Three causes Three effects or results
Three problems Three groups of people affected or involved
Three solutions Three treatments
Three theories
2. Make sure you will have enough information. Look at CQ RESEARCHER
DATABASE. Choose a CQ topic.
3. Write a thesis. It should have both a topic and it should state your three supporting
ideas.
4. Plan the supporting ideas. Create a topic sentence for each of your ideas; every
sentence must support the thesis. Remember too that paragraphs must focus on a single idea that is stated in the topic sentence.
5. Organize your research paper the same way you organize an essay. Instead of writing
one paragraph about each supporting point, write several. Consider your ideas as
UNITS instead of paragraphs.
WRITING YOUR DRAFT:
Introduction
Begin with a story, an interesting quotation, a surprising fact, a question, or a startling statement. Provide background. Quote one or two impressive sources to convince readers that your issue is important. Write two introductory paragraphs if you have a great deal of background. End with your thesis (topic + position). You can add more background in a paragraph after the thesis if you wish.
Body Paragraphs
Begin the next paragraph with your first supporting idea (topic sentence). Narrow the supporting idea to a subpoint in the next sentence. Develop that subpoint with at least one example and one quotation from an expert.
Begin the next paragraph with a topic sentence about another subpoint related to your supporting idea. You could develop that subpoint with at least one example and one quotation from an expert.
If necessary, write one or more additional paragraphs about subpoints related to the supporting idea. Every paragraph could have at least one example and one quotation from an expert.
Now go on to your next supporting idea. Begin the next paragraph with your first supporting idea (topic sentence). Narrow the supporting idea to a subpoint in the next sentence. Develop that subpoint with at least one example and one quotation from an expert.
Keep following the same procedure, adding more subpoints until you’re finished with the second supporting idea. Then do the same with your final, climactic (most important) supporting idea.
Conclusion
Wrap up your research paper with a concluding paragraph that restates your
thesis, summarizes your main points, and links your topic with the future.
DOCUMENTATION
Check your handbook to make sure the MLA references in your text, and the Works Cited page at the end, are formatted correctly.
CHECK YOUR WORK
You are you final editor and are responsible for any errors in your paper. Seeing a tutor may help you understand how to improve your work, but it is you who ultimately must decide whether your paper is well written and properly documented.
RESOURCES:
Smarthinking
TLCC Tutor
Professor
Librarian
Library HOW-TO-CITE
MLA rules
ARGUMENTATIVE/PERSUASIVE PAPERS
A successful argumentative/persuasive paper includes a clear position on the topic and frequent use of persuasive terms. If your position is unclear, or if you equivocate, you will be unsuccessful in swaying your readers. An argumentative paper will not present both sides equally or present both sides without suggesting one is better than the other.
EXAMPLES OF PERSUASIVE TERMS:
Effective Ineffective Essential Requires Change Useful SuccessfulUnsuccessful Unacceptable Necessary Cruel Inhumane Intolerable
All of these terms suggest opinion, and making statements using these types of “position” terms means you would be required to support the contention you make using data from outside sources. This means your opinion would have been formulated from your studies as opposed to just a personal opinion. You can find many, many more terms
Your instructor may limit the topics for your research projects, and you would want to make sure you adhere to the assignment restrictions. However, if your assignment is general in nature but requires the paper to take a position, the topic choices are so numerous. Here are some ideas:
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DISCRIMINATION 1. Women in the Workplace 2. Inequity in Prison Sentences (minority, race, gender, age) 3. Homosexual Marriage 4. Homosexual Adoption 5. Women in the Military 6. Hiring Practices (minority, race, gender, age) 7. Racial Profiling 8. Custody of Children (fathers’ rights) 9. Euthanasia* |
MEDICINE 1. AIDS Medicine Experimentation 2. Animal Experimentation for Medicinal Research 3. Stem Cell Research 4. Euthanasia* 5. Medicinal Assistance for Indigent
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ETHICS 1. Euthanasia* 2. Stem Cell Research 3. Homelessness
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*Notice EUTHANASIA appears in all three options. Hopefully, this will help you see how you can man For most topics, you can use any of these outlines and merely change some of the terms.
ALL topics will need the first section to identify the topic/issue. You cannot argue for change until you explain the current status. THEREFORE, even argumentative papers include elements that are informative.
For each of the topics listed, you should follow the structure identified for the first topic:
· Introduction
· Concession (see samples at end of this document)
· Body
· Conclusion
STRUCTURE OF ARGUMENTATIVE PAPER WITH SAMPLE OUTLINES AND THESIS STATEMENTS
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE
Introduction: Attention-getter
Background
Thesis: Though some improvement can be noted, women continue to face discrimination in the workplace with regard to hiring, salaries, and
promotions, and such discrimination is not acceptable.
Concession paragraph: Identify ways opportunities for women have improved. Note areas of controversy with regard to your view. Include quotations, if relevant. End with a statement that moves back to your side.
Example for ending: These concerns are valid, but slight areas of improvement should not prevent the effort to eliminate all discrimination against women in employment.
Idea 1: Hiring
Idea 2: Salaries
Idea 3: Promotions
Conclusion:
For the lie paper:
Write an essay reflecting what you believe to be true about the ideas listed above. Then go through your sources and look for support for what you have suggested. Enter those sources into your essay as support for your claims. (If you don’t know about this “type” of assignment, or if your instructor doesn’t use this method, disregard this portion).
age one topic for many assignments. Therefore, if you are interested in a topic, do not disregard it as an option because it does not appear to “fit” into the assignment. Consider how you can make it fit the assignment. Any of the topics listed here could be argued from either position: in favor of or opposed to the issue being a problem.
EUTHENASIA/Discrimination
Working Thesis: The use of euthanasia in the United States reflects discrimination because it is not legal in all states, and absence of euthanasia as an option for terminally ill patients creates unnecessary pain, financial burdens, and emotional strife.
This topic choice would require the writer to compare how euthanasia is available in some states but not others, thereby highlighting discriminatory practices. Also, the writer would need to demonstrate how that discrimination causes the pain, financial burden, and emotional strife to the patient and the patient’s family.
EUTHENASIA/Medicine
Working Thesis: Euthanasia should be available to all terminally-ill patients wishing to make use of the option, and physicians must be present in monitoring the procedure to be sure it is performed humanely, safely, and successfully whether it is active euthanasia or passive euthanasia.
This topic choice would require the writer to focus on the role the doctor would play in the types of euthanasia available to the patient and would argue how the doctor would make the procedure safe, humane, and successful.
EUTHANASIA/Ethics
Working Thesis: Though euthanasia should be an option for terminally-ill patients, everyone should decide, while they are of stable mind, who should make the decision for the euthanasia, who will administer the euthanasia, and when the procedure should be administered.
Working Thesis: Euthanasia should not be an option for terminally-ill patients because it places an unfair burden on family in determining if and when to allow the procedure and which type of euthanasia would be permitted.
RACIAL PROFILING
Working Thesis: Though the origins of profiling served as an aid to law enforcement, the current application of profiling creates discrimination by generating racial stereotypes and by using inaccurate data to target suspects.
I. Origins of Profiling
A. Sending out information based on gender, height, weight, age
B. Sending out description of vehicle (where applicable)
C. Sending out details of tattoos, accents
II. False arrests are disproportionately made on men and especially minority men.
A. Black men
B. Hispanic men
C. White men
III. Routine traffic stops using profiling
A. Types of vehicles stopped
B. Searches conducted without probable cause (no alert issued about a specific crime)
IV. What should be done?
A. More extensive punishment assigned to law enforcement officers who use profiling in a discriminatory fashion
B. Added limitations to profiling practices
C. Restitution to those falsely arrested or stopped without cause
PEOPLE MARRYING YOUNG AND HAVING CHILDREN
Working Thesis: Some would argue that couples marrying and becoming parents in their teens creates only a potential for failure, the arrangement actually can result in better parenting, in happier children, and that other generations of the family are affected positively.
I. Stigma of young families
A. Divorce rate higher
B. Creates more children of divorce
C. Older generations of the family disapprove
II. Younger parents are more involved with their children
A. The younger parents understand current trends (games, fashion, social needs)
B. The younger parents are more physically able to aid in the children’s physical development
i. The number of younger parents who coach sports teams
C. Play dates?
III. Children of younger parents have more extended family
A. Grandparents more often become the “day care” for children
i. Children are not housed in a day care
B. Grandparents are still young enough to aid in the rearing of these children.
IV. Older generations benefit from these young families.
A. Grandparents stay active physically because of the children
B. Children stimulate the holder generations’ mental functions.
C. Older generations stay abreast of current social trends because of these younger families.
V. To add to the success of a young family, most are willing to seek counseling and parenting classes.
** This topic is not typical, but a student interested in this subject asked for direction. He is one of the younger married couples, and he wants to prove he will be a successful father.
CHILD AND SPOUSAL ABUSE
WORKING THESIS: The current response to child and spouse abuse is inadequate, and protective orders must be more effective, and penalties for abuse must be increased in order to begin attacking the ever-increasing numbers of abuse. (A student could easily use one of these categories instead of both: spouse or child abuse).
I. Numbers
A. Numbers 20 years ago
B. Numbers reported this year
C. Address the changes in those numbers
D. Types of cases?
II. Protective orders currently do not work.
A. Number issued each year
B. Number violated: abuse continues or death results
C. Examples of those being violated
D. What happens to violators?
III. Penalties
A. Current penalty for spousal abuse incident: who goes to jail?
B. How long is the abuser retained in custody?
C. What else is applied in terms of penalties?
IV. Penalties are ineffective
A. Repeat abusers
B. Survey of abusers and abused
C. Opinions of law enforcement – do they feel helpless? Empowered?
V. Revision of policies
A. What should the penalties be?
B. Is there one state more successful than others?
Remember, each of these is a CATEGORY, not a paragraph. Within each of these categories, you will likely have multiple paragraphs, but the number of paragraphs will depend on your approach and the information available to you.
CONCESSION PARAGRAPH
In earlier documents about the essay, you saw information about the concession. Here, though, is a review:
Placement: The concession is a single paragraph placed immediately after
the introduction.
Purpose: The concession is used to show the breadth/scope of the
student author’s research and reading as well as to undermine the argument of the other side. By presenting what you know about your opposition and what you know the opposition might say about your materials, you have revealed their case. That leaves nothing for them to say in refutation of your information.
Length: This paragraph should be the length of a standard paragraph. It
consists of two parts, though. The first portion (95%) addresses your opposition’s ideas. The remaining portion (5%) is where you bring your readers back to your purpose and direction. That last part is sort of a “however” statement. It’s where you credit your opposition with having a valid point, perhaps, but you illustrate that your position is still the stronger side.
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This first portion is where it acknowledge your opposition’s ideas, opinions, statistics, etc. Notice the length of this portion as compared to the last part. 95%
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The final sentence transitions from the opposition back to your direction. It needs to be only a single sentence. 5% |
Understand that this would work no matter which side you have taken. Your opposition’s paper would do the same with your materials.
GETTING STARTED:
The easiest way to approach the concession paragraph is to consider the most absurd argument someone might make to you regarding your position and, perhaps, your recommendations. Though research may not support those ridiculous ideas, surely someone out there might have those thoughts.
Consider what you might hear from an uneducated person about gun control if you are opposed to any gun restrictions:
“Anyone who purchases a weapon intends to kill someone.”
“Only criminals own guns.”
“More people are killed by their own handguns in their own homes than are killed on the streets.”
“If guns were banned, finding and arresting criminals would be easier.”
“If guns were banned, criminals would have a more difficult time becoming armed.”
Of course it is difficult to imagine someone actually believing some of these statements, but they do.
Following are some sample concession paragraphs TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM STUDENT PAPERS:
Topic: Human Trafficking if the author intends to criticize people for ignoring the problems created by human trafficking.
Though opposing human trafficking, some people might argue that the United States should not get involved in other countries’ problems. They could claim that it would be too costly for the U.S. to police borders looking for smuggled humans. They may present arguments as to the problem being smaller than what is worth our investigating. They might go so far as to claim that many people who are abducted had put themselves in unsafe environments. These concerns may be valid, but the value of even one human life is worth all costs.
Topic: Minorities are discriminated against in the housing/rental and retail markets.
Some people might argue that minorities have a history of shoplifting; therefore, added security is not discriminatory. One study revealed that “2 of 3 people arrested for shoplifting were people of color” (Pauline). In addition, some might defend landlords for not renting to black Americans claiming that blacks Americans don’t maintain their rental property in a way that is aesthetically pleasing. They could argue that blacks should work harder to eliminate their poor reputations. These issues are worthy of consideration, but nothing one person does warrants gross, blanket discrimination against any group of people.
Topic: Prison sentences are not severe enough, and prisoners are given too many perks.
Many people believe the current prison system is successful. They maintain that penalties currently are sufficient as related to the crimes. Some argue that to take away prisoners’ privileges would be inhumane and would be adding additional punishment to a sentence already determined by a judge or jury. One prison official suggested that “prisoners who are permitted special activities like weight rooms or recreation are less likely to be problems while incarcerated” (“Pretend Data” 74). One group has suggested that since many people in prison are innocent, more opportunities should be made available to them. Despite these claims, though, the current prison system does not deter crime and, therefore, should be reformed.
Following are the same paragraphs with the transition sentence highlighted.
Topic: Human Trafficking if the author intends to criticize people for ignoring the problems created by human trafficking.
Though opposing human trafficking, some people might argue that the United States should not get involved in other countries’ problems. They could claim that it would be too costly for the U.S. to police borders looking for smuggled humans. They may present arguments as to the problem being smaller than what is worth our investigating. They might go so far as to claim that many people who are abducted had put themselves in unsafe environments. These concerns may be valid, but the value of even one human life is worth all costs.
Topic: Minorities are discriminated against in the housing/rental and retail markets.
Some people might argue that minorities have a history of shoplifting; therefore, added security is not discriminatory. One study revealed that “2 of 3 people arrested for shoplifting were people of color” (Pauline). In addition, some might defend landlords for not renting to black Americans claiming that blacks Americans don’t maintain their rental property in a way that is aesthetically pleasing. They could argue that blacks should work harder to eliminate their poor reputations. These issues are worthy of consideration, but nothing one person does warrants gross, blanket discrimination against any group of people.
Topic: Prison sentences are not severe enough, and prisoners are given too many perks.
Many people believe the current prison system is successful. They maintain that penalties currently are sufficient as related to the crimes. Some argue that to take away prisoners’ privileges would be inhumane and would be adding additional punishment to a sentence already determined by a judge or jury. One prison official suggested that “prisoners who are permitted special activities like weight rooms or recreation are less likely to be problems while incarcerated” (“Pretend Data” 74). One group has suggested that since many people in prison are innocent, more opportunities should be made available to them. Despite these claims, though, the current prison system does not deter crime and, therefore, should be reformed.
