Research Paper 1000-1200 Words

Arguing about Causes or Effects

In this unit, we are examining arguments about current topics in human rights, science and technology, and the environment. You need to find a topic that is currently under debate in one of these areas and examine either the causes or effect of some aspect of the topic.

To find a topic of interest if one does not immediately spring to mind, go to the library home page and click on the link to Research Databases. There you will find a list that includes Current Issues. Select the third link in that list, Issues and Controversies. There you will see the current topics divided by category. Find a topic under the links to Race, Rights and Liberties, Science and Technology or Energy and Environment. Note: I will not read or grade any papers on childhood obesity, abortion, gun control, school prayer, LGBTQIA rights, the death penalty, or euthanasia. Remember that we are using Aristotle’s definition of “opinion” in this class: “a reasoned conclusion based on facts and evidence,” so choose a topic that can be supported by data, facts, and evidence.

In this first paper of 1000-1200 words, you will examine the causes or effects related to your issue. Essays about causes look to the past to ponder why something happened, whereas essays about effect speculate about what is likely to happen in the future, given the current state of the issue. For example, a causal analysis of the current childhood obesity problem in the United States would examine dietary changes that have occurred over the last decades and perhaps the relationships between childhood obesity and our sedentary lifestyle and the introduction of food additives like high-fructose corn syrup. An essay that examines the effects of the same problem would discuss data about heart disease and diabetes rates that appear in adults who had been obese as children, bullying, the threat to national security, and so on. For this essay, you must choose either causes OR effects; don’t do both.

Whether you are writing an essay about causes or effects, you need to do two things: (1) establish the existence and significance of the subject in your introduction and (2) convince readers that the causes or effect you propose are plausible.

A good cause or effect essay:

· Presents the relevance of the subject in the introduction

· Makes a logical, step-by-step cause or effect argument

· Handles likely objections to its own speculation

· Convinces readers of its credibility

· Does not merely report what others say about the subject but provides analysis and interpretation of the evidence

This paper requires research. You will need a minimum of five (5) secondary sources from reputable sources, specifically peer-reviewed scholarly books and/or articles accessed through the library databases. (Do not do general Google searches or use general encyclopedias or dictionaries!) Remember, too, that you are not simply writing a report. You must make your own thesis and draw your own conclusions from the evidence you find. You will have to begin your research with an open mind.

You must begin with an introduction that ends with an overtly stated thesis statement that must include a list of the causes or effects that you will discuss, and it must be the last sentence of your introduction.

You must have a body section that dedicates at least one paragraph to each of the causes or effects that you have listed in your thesis. The paragraphs must appear in the same order as the list in your thesis, and this order has to be logical. You must also choose the appropriate means of persuasion and rhetorical strategies to support your position. End your paper with a conclusion that convinces your reader that your analysis is accurate and make recommendations about actions that might be taken. (Use the handout “Organizing a Cause or Effect Essay” to help you brainstorm and organize.)

Be sure to take advantage of the Thesis/Outline check and the Works Cited check and review my comments on returned documents carefully. If you are getting off track, this is the first place where errors can be detected.

You must write in the third person (no “I” or “you”). All papers must be MLA formatted, double spaced from top to bottom, and include the appropriate heading and headers. Use a one-inch margin and a 12-point Times New Roman font. You must have an original title. You will need in-text parenthetical citations for every quote, paraphrase, and summary, and your works cited page must be the last page of the document. Use the “Insert” “Page Break” command to make sure your works cited page begins at the top of a new page. All citations must be formatted according to 2016 MLA guidelines, which will be reviewed in the documentation workshop of this unit and are modeled in the MLA section of The Little Seagull Handbook.

Use the handout “Writing Workshops,” which contains detailed instructions about how to proofread and edit your paper, with sections dedicated to each part of the grading rubric. You need to revise and edit your papers through several drafts, so don’t wait until the last minute to begin writing. Proofread and edit a printed copy of your work. You can’t catch your errors if you are trying to proofread on the screen.

When you submit your paper:

Submit a digital copy of your paper to the D2L drop box. Remember that all digital submissions are scanned by Turnitin.com. Use your last name as the first word in your file name: Wilson Paper 1. Papers that are submitted with a different file name format will receive a 5-point deduction.

Minimum Requirements:

· 1000-1200 words on topic

· 5 scholarly sources

· in-text MLA parenthetical citations and MLA-formatted Works Cited page

· introduction/body/conclusion organization

· submission in a Word .docx format with last name as the first name in the file.

Important dates for this assignment:

Topic Check:

Thesis/Outline Check:

Library Orientation:

MLA Workshop:

Sources Check and Source Evaluations:

Works Cited Check:

Workshop 1:

Workshop 2:

Due Date: