Research Paper: Assignment Overview
Composing an Argument
Before you begin drafting your paper, be sure you have reviewed the following readings:
They Say, I Say
Chapters 8-11 (Part 3 “Tying It All Together”) and Chapter 15
The Little Seagull Handbook
W-8b (Tips for Writing an Argument), pages 55-62
R-4 (Integrating Sources, Avoiding Plagiarism), pages 138-149
MLA Style, pages 150-200
Your Writing Assignment
Using the sources you found for the annotated bibliography and through continued research, the thesis you will develop, and the templates we’ve explored through They Say, I Say, you will develop your own argument related to the topic you chose in Module 2.
Before you draft, you will need to determine the following:
Your stance on the issue (thesis)
Good reasons to support your thesis
Strong evidence (and a variety of types—facts, statistics, expert opinions, examples, etc.)
Counterarguments (naysayers, positions different from your own)
Take notes as you reread sources, looking for quotes as well as areas to paraphrase or summarize for your paper (be sure to document where you found the information and any direct quotes to avoid plagiarism in the final paper).
Then, consider the organizational strategies provided in Part 3 of They Say, I Say as well as on pages 57-58 in The Little Seagull Handbook. These strategies will help you determine the best plan for addressing your argument as well as counterarguments in your paper.
Prior to submitting your final paper, you will be required to submit your thesis (Mod 3:1) and your first two pages (Mod 3:2) for review by your peers and your instructor. See the schedule of assignments for those due dates.
Your final paper will:
be four to six pages long (not including the bibliography page)
include a complete works cited page (see more style specifications below)
use a minimum of six sources, with the same criteria as the annotated bibliography
One source must be an article from the appropriate “Readings” section in They Say, I Say.
Three sources must be from the online databases and/or catalog accessed through Boyd Library.
One source must be from a general web search.
One additional source of your choice may be from any of the above.
show evidence of revision for both content and grammar
Formatting in MLA Style
You will need to continue to consult the MLA Style chapter in The Little Seagull Handbook for how to set up your document and cite a variety of sources, both in-text and on the works cited page.
Formatting a research paper: The directions and sample essay on pages 189-200 will be a helpful guide for setting up your document, citing sources internally, and including a work cited page.
In-text documentation: pages 153-159
List of works cited: pages 160-189
You will find the detailed research paper rubric in the “Final Research Paper” section of Module 3.
Last Completed Projects
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