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Embrace writing as a process that involves pre-writing, research, and multiple drafts that culminate in a polished, fully realized, final draft.
Research Paper Assignment Instruction:
Review Logic in Argumentative Writing (Links to an external site.) and Developing Strong Thesis Statements (Links to an external site.).
Read the article titled Argument (Links to an external site.).
Argumentative Research Essay Assignment:
This essay must be written in the argumentative mode. This is a research-based essay – not an opinion-based essay. The primary purpose of this argumentative essay is to convince readers to think the way you do about a subject. To accomplish this goal, you must establish a reasonable and thoughtful argument supporting a specific position on an issue.
Your essay should:
be formatted in APA style, including a title page, page numbers, and a references page
contain in-Text Citations in APA style.
open with an introduction which includes your thesis statement (the last sentence of your intro paragraph).
Your thesis statement (the last sentence of your intro paragraph) should present a specific argument with 2-3 specific points of reasoning that you will “prove” in the body paragraphs of the essay.
contain body paragraphs that state your reasons with supporting evidence to prove your thesis statement. Each body paragraph should ideally open with a topic sentence that identifies a main/controlling idea for the paragraph. Each topic sentence (and by extension, each paragraph) should serve to prove your thesis statement.
acknowledge the opposing view, but explain why your position is the correct one
contain a conclusion that synthesizes rather than summarizes your main points
contain at minimum 5 scholarly, peer-reviewed sources published within the last 5 years
contain a References page in APA style
*** An abstract page is optional. ***
You are responsible for choosing your own topic for this assignment. Consider writing about an issue you are passionate about – ideally one in your current or desired career field.
Support your position with evidence. The following are different ways to support your argument:
Facts – a powerful means of convincing
Statistics – Be sure your statistics come from responsible sources. Always cite your sources.
Quotations – Direct quotations from leading experts effectively support your position.
Examples – Examples enhance your meaning and make your ideas concrete. They are the proof that backs up your point.
OWL Purdue hosts excellent resources on the web for finding and evaluating sources such as this: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/conducting_research/evaluating_sources_of_information/general_guidelines.html
Do not:
write an essay for or against a particular political candidate. Focus on an issue or issues instead.
insult or alienate your readership
cite Wikipedia.
cite WebMD
rely heavily on popular magazines and newspapers.
cite blogs or personal websites
cite conspiracy theorists
Write with maturity and thoughtfulness knowing that your essay will be read by the general audience of college-level adults in our class.Consider and acknowledge counterarguments. Don’t deliver a partisan rant or regurgitate the talking points of an elected official or cable TV news host. Though our class respects all faiths and lack thereof, please avoid exclusively faith-based argument. See also at this link our university’s non-discrimination statement: http://egccresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Eastern-Gateway-Community-College-Non-Discrimination-Statement.pdf
8 full pages not including your title and references pages. “1 full page” refers to a full page of 12-point Times New Roman double-spaced font that runs to the bottom of the page. 1-inch margins. No excessive spaces to pad length.
Available Points
100 points
Required Format
APA format is required, including a title page and page numbers formatted correctly in APA style. An abstract page is not required. See the following resources on APA:
A sample student essay in APA style (see the “APA 7 Student Paper) example): https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/apa_sample_paper.html
Purdue Online Writing Lab’s comprehensive guide to APA style: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html
Type, save, and upload your essay as a Microsoft word document. Save in a file format that can easily be opened in Word such as DOC, PDF, or RTF. Additional requirements:
12-point Times New Roman font
Double-spacing
1-inch margins
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