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PPTNov11.pptxThe Research unit
By
Instructor Howard Cuadros
01 November 2018
Before we begin
New Northlake Code
Class ID 19563386
Enrollment Key 7Bears
Please enroll into this section to submit your writings for the last Unit of this course.
Due Dates for Assignments
Formal Proposal November 11th
Annotated Bibliography November 18th
Rough Draft December 2nd
Final Draft December 15th
*All times are at midnight
At-home writing dates December 4th and 6th
Last day of class November 29th
Types of Argumentative essays
Try to convince your reader to take some specific action or change their beliefs regarding a certain issue? (Taking a Position, Chapter 6)
OR
Try to solve a problem by proposing a new or even radical solution? (Presenting Proposals, Chapter 8)
What will be your approach?
Will you:
Refute a traditionally-accepted point of view in order to reach a new or controversial conclusion? (Refuting an Argument, Chapter 5)
Ask your reader to accept that you have discovered the true cause of a current social trend or phenomenon? (Writing a Causal Analysis, Chapter 7)
Audience
For whom are you writing?
A general audience:
Employ clear, simple (but not necessarily informal) language
Avoid jargon
Provide adequate background information (depending on how specialized your topic is)
Define all field-specific terms
Audience
For whom are you writing?
A specialized audience:
Ex: if writing about school systems in America, your target audience could be parents, teachers, and/or students. These groups would be addressed differently.
Ex: if writing about a certain bill or legislation, you could address a local politician.
STILL AVOID JARGON. ALWAYS AVOID JARGON.
Audience
To whom are you writing?
Remember that, no matter which audience you choose, you will invariably be addressing a DUAL audience
Audience 1: me
Audience 2: your chosen, wider audience
This is why I am adamant about avoiding jargon
Audience
Pre-Writing Questions:
Will my readers have ideas or opinions on my topic?
If so, does my approach provide a new or interesting perspective?
If not, will my essay seem repetitive or unnecessary in the debate?
Audience
Pre-Writing Questions:
Will my readers accept me as a credible source of information on this topic?
Do I have a special perspective or experience that will let me write with authority on this subject?
What types of sources will my readers want or need to see in order to trust my perspective?
Audience
Pre-Writing Questions:
How might my readers’ values (what they believe is worthwhile and important) affect their views on this subject?
Are they likely to agree with my point of view?
Are there minor points on which we may disagree?
How will I bridge these gaps?
Your Topic is Not a Good Topic if:
It is so common or overly debated that your audience will view your essay as redundant or unnecessary.
Ex: if you want to talk about gun laws in America (a very debated issue), make sure you bring a UNIQUE ANGLE to the debate
You run less risk of this if you stick to a topic with which you have personal experience
Your Topic is Not a Good Topic if:
You do not have any authority on the subject.
You do not have to be an expert, but you must do the appropriate research
Gather appropriate contextual info
Your Topic is Not a Good Topic if:
Your readers will most likely agree with you from the beginning.
No point in preaching to the choir
Avoid the self-evident. If the point can’t really be debated, why debate it?
Your topic is not a good topic if:
It is irrelevant to your interests (if you are bored, your readers will be bored)
It is too broad (ex: “education in America”)
It produces a strong emotional response in you (can you be objective about it and address counterarguments?)
It is above your level of expertise (ex: it is addressed to experts in chemistry, but you are only starting out in your chemistry career)
What is a good topic?
Free-text:
