for phyllis young

The research proposal should allow you to understand the complexities of a topic that you feel is worth further exploration. Now you’ll use that research to write a thoughtful and persuasive final paper.

As the culminating paper of this course, the argumentative research paper is your chance to pull together all of your learning over the course of the semester. Now that you’ve learned how to appreciate rhetorical strategies, summarize and analyze others’ ideas, transfer concepts into new situations, and write evidence-based paragraphs, this paper is your chance to use all of those skills to persuade other people to take a stand on the issue or to change their stand on that issue. You should present a clearly arguable thesis, backed by credible, sufficient and fully analyzed evidence.

Key Features of a Researched Argument

1. A clear and arguable position. At the heart of every argument is a claim with which people may reasonably disagree. Some claims are not arguable because they’re completely subjective, matters of taste or opinion, because they are a matter of fact, or because they are based on belief or faith. To be arguable, a position must reflect one of at least two points of view, making reasoned argument necessary.

2. Necessary background information. Sometimes we need to provide some background on a topic we are arguing so that readers can understand what is being argued.

3. Good reasons. By itself, a position does not make an argument; the argument comes when a writer offers reasons to back the position up.

4. Convincing evidence. It’s one thing to give reasons for your position. You then need to offer evidence for your reasons. The evidence you use to support your argument will come from the sources you have selected through research.

5. A trustworthy tone. Arguments can stand or fall on the way readers perceive the writer. Very simply, readers need to trust the person who’s making the argument. One way of winning this trust is by demonstrating that you know what you’re talking about. There are numerous ways to establish tone. In this paper you will establish tone through quality writing and proving to your reader that you have done thorough research.

6. Careful consideration of other positions. No matter how reasonable and careful we are in arguing positions, others may disagree or offer counterarguments or hold other positions. We need to consider those other views and to acknowledge and, if possible, refute them in our written arguments.

Guidelines

The essay should

· include an accurate MLA heading (student name, instructor name, course, and date) and header (student last name and page number).

· include a title that captures the spirit of its content.

· use 1” margins and Times New Roman 12-point font, with double-spacing throughout.

· include an accurate MLA Works Cited entry.

Dates and Deadlines

Wed., July 29th: Rough draft is due. Bring a hard copy to class for peer review. Submit to eLearn drop box by 11:55 pm.

Fri., August 7th: Final draft is due. Please turn in hard copies only. Electronic copies will only be accepted under extreme circumstances.

Here’s a possible organizing structure:

· Provide an overview of the topic. Basically, what is happening? You might consider starting with a clear, concrete image/event to help readers get a clear image of some aspect of the issue.

· Explain what’s at stake. Why is this an issue that a reader should care about?

· Identify your position. State your thesis.

· If you’ve discovered a framework that helps you understand the issue, you may want to introduce it at the beginning of the body of the essay.

· Explain the evidence that supports your position. This is the bulk of the paper, where you work through the evidence to show why your thesis is valid.

· Explain why evidence which contradicts your position is inadequate/insufficient/ misunderstood/whatever. This is the place where you’ll need to show that you understand WHY people have different viewpoints but persuade them to accept new evidence/analysis of evidence.

· Conclude. You might want to use a relevant quotation (or recommend further action, or reflect on your own growth, or return to an idea/image you used in your introduction) as a way of creating a satisfying closing for the paper.