Research paper english 100

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Controversial Issues in American Culture Research Paper

Assignment:

Living in a diverse society, we are often trying to balance our personal experience and opinions agai nst a backdrop of the large communal experience. What we think, feel, and believe can be in sharp contrast with the people and the society around us. Thus, students need to learn how to research, structure, and advance their opinions by providing evidence to support them. This assignment will help students formulate their opinions on a controversial topic in an argumentative essay using evidence from primary and secondary sources. Though nearly any topic will suffice for the purpose of this paper, all topics must be open to dispute. Students will need to formulate their opinions on the topic but also concede and refute the oppositional opinions through counte rarguments. We will use class time to discuss research methods but the rest of your research will be your responsibility.

Decide On a Topic:

Deciding on a topic that is not too broad, nor too narrow will take some effort . In order to present a convincing argument, consider the following:

1. Draw on the student’s personal experience. It is important to spend time and energy on a topic that means something to you. Think about topics they may come up in your chosen career field, in everyday life, or things that you think should be changed in society , but that there is no easy answer or resolution.

2. Be sure to “resist binary thinking” (Greene and Lidinsky 88). Make sure that the topic chosen can support several, if not many, different viewpoints.

3. Synthesize others’ views and find new ways to look at the issues. 4. When researching, read to “discover a writer’s frame” to see how his/her ideas and theories can

benefit your own, or if they can be used in counterarguments. 5. Decide whether the issue an issue of fact, value, or policy? Is it a combination of two or more?

Topics should present a position that has varying perspectives.

General Topics include:

 Addiction/Alcohol/ Drugs  Bilingual Education  Birth Control  Body Image  Censorship  Eating Disorders  Ethnic Stereotypes  Family Values  Gay Rights  Gender Discrimination  Gun Control

 Health  Homosexuality/

Sexual Orientation  Immigration  Interracial

Relationships  Legalized Gambling  Politics  Music/Art  Education  Religion  Role Models

 Sexual Assaults  Sexual Relationships  Single Parents  Sports Industry  Stereotypes  Terrorism  Tobacco  Video Games  Violence  War

**For more topics, check out the folder in the Research Project folder

Students should come up with an issue-based question about their topic:

 Think and try on different perspectives about the issue

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 Discuss why the issue is important to the student, and then why this issue may be important to other people.

 Determine what is up for dispute o Think about why a student is interested in the topic, what he/she wants to learn from it,

and what are some of the causes/effects that stem from this issue.

*Students should discuss paper topics with me before starting the research.

The Research Process:

The purpose of this paper is for students to research, structure, and formulat e an argumentative paper on a controversial issue that we are currently facing in America. Students are encouraged to find a topic that is meaningful for them, but that is also worthy of scholarly research. Students need to evaluate their sources and think critically about their topic and its effect on American society.

Students will be turning in various elements of the project over the rest of the semester. This will help students stay on track with the deadlines and allow me to provide constructive criticism throughout the process. Please see the Schedule:. However, students may wish to write in the deadlines below:

Schedule:

 Preliminary Research Thesis (HMK 9)  Library Workshop  Annotated Bibliography  Formal Outline  Rough Draft  Final Paper

Note: The research project is a significant part of the course grade and therefore, students will be turning in different parts of the research project at different times. The entire project is due by 11/30. Students will be turning in the rough draft and final draft of their papers using Blackboard’s Turnitin application. This application searches through the paper for plagiarism. Students who are caught plagiarizing will receive an “F” for this assignment.

Research Assignments:

 Decide on a controversial topic i n which the media influences American’s opinions. o Preliminary Research Thesis - this is a preliminary activity that will help students narrow

their topics.  Library Workshop – students will attend a mandatory library instructional meeting to learn how

to research.  Annotated Bibliography – This is similar to a works cited page, but it also includes the student’s

evaluation of the source. According to the OWL at Purdue site, o “The annotations for each source are written in paragraph form. The lengths of the

annotations can vary significantly from a couple of sentences to a couple of pages. The length will depend on the purpose ” (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/01/)

 Formal Outline - please use the formal outline template in the Research Project folder. This includes using complete sentences, fully developed concepts, and a works cited page.

 Rough Draft – please use the essay template, including a works cited page, and upload the rou gh draft to the assignment link.

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 Final Paper – upload the final draft (including a works cited page) to the Turnitin link on Blackboard.

Library Workshops:

In addition to our classroom discussions, the class will attend an instructional meeting in the libr ary. This meeting is mandatory and cannot be made up. Students will be given instruction on how to do research as well as some time during the workshop to start their research.

Please use the handbook when doing research as well as the MLA Handbook. The paper must be typed and appear on the page exactly like the sample paper in the MLA chapter in the handbook. The works cited section of this paper is a significant part of the overall grade, so works cited entries for all sources must be completed exactly as the MLA style and format dictate. Failure to record important bibliographic information will certainly result in re -doing research, as well as a lower grade.

****Please note that automatic works cited entry generator websites may not include the c orrect information in the correct order, or with the correct formatting. If using these websites, you must check your finished citation against the MLA entry.

Weak arguments, point of view shifts, colloquial language , and non MLA formatting will all result in a lower grade.

Structure for the Research Paper:

This essay will be 5-7 pages long and must include a works cited page. The essay must include a(n):

 Introduction – general topic to the specific topic.  Claim: Position or Proposal argument  Background – narrative of past events, an overview of others’ opinions on the issue, definitions

of key terms, or a review of basic facts.  Thesis Statement – must be debatable, must take a position, or make a proposal .  Arguments in Support of the Thesis – present assertions and the evidence to support them.

o Evidence - facts, statistics, examples, expert opinions, appeals to readers’ beliefs or needs (evidence can be one of these or a combination of these).

 Counterclaim – acknowledge the opposing argument.  Refutation of Opposing Arguments – show how opposing arguments are weak or limited to

make your argument stronger.  Conclusion – restate major arguments in support of thesis, summarize key points, restate thesis,

remind readers of weaknesses in opposing arguments, or underscore the logic of the position.

Forming a Thesis:

Students must pick a topic that explores an issue that is not easily solved. To develop the thesis, students will have to incorporate both nonliterary primary sources (photos, magazines, movies, television shows, advertisements, web pages, etc.) and literary secondary sources (books, articles, etc.).

Students may choose between a position and proposal argument forms.

 Position arguments try to convince the reader to change his or her thinking or perspective on a specific issue. The writer must make a claim about a controversial issue, take a clear position, use specific support or evidence, and acknowledge the opposing views.

 Proposal arguments challenge the reader to take some course of action based on the argument. This type of argument proposes a course of action in response to a recognizable problem. The proposal says what can be done to improve the situation or change it altogether. The writer

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must define the problem, propose a solution or solutions, and explain why the solution will work and how it is feasible.

While developing a thesis, students should consider the “Steps to Formulating a Working Thesis: Four Models” (Greene and Lidinsky 111)

 Misinterpretations model: “Although many scholars have argued about A and B, a careful examination suggest C.”

 Gap Model: “Although scholars have noted A and B, they have missed the importance of C ”

 Modification Model: “Although I agree with the A and B ideas of other writers, it is important to extend/refine/limit their ideas with C”.

 Hypothesis-testing model: “Some people explain A by suggesting B, but a close analysis of the problem reveals the possibility of several competing/complementary explanations such ad C, D, and E.”

Refutation

Good arguments acknowledge that dissenting opinions exist. Great arguments show that how this dissenting opinion is not convincing. If the opposition has a good point, admit it. Then show why the point is still not enough to sway the reader’s opinion. This is also called conceding a point, and it will strengthen the writer’s argument. To refute the opposition’s argument, you must show that it is one of the following

1. Outdated 2. untrue 3. illogical 4. contradictory 5. ambiguous (not clearly defined) 6. dishonest (deliberate attempt to deceive) 7. absurd 8. contains logical fallacies

Sources:

Students will need to use at least three different sources: reference books, periodicals, online periodicals, database search, etc. Be sure to keep accurate research notes for the Annotated Bibliography and the final works cited page. Please review the rules on paraphrasing and plagiarism in the handbook.

Note: Please note that Wikipedia.com is not considered a scholarly website and therefore NO citations or references for this paper should include Wikipedia. However, students may use the articles that Wikipedia references at the bottom of the entry for your research paper (if they are from a credible source).

Absolutely NO WORK may be submitted after November 30, 2016.