Identify a contemporary conspiracy theory and argue against it.

Topic & Thesis
TOPIC: Identify a contemporary conspiracy theory and argue against it. “Contemporary” for our purposes means that the theory must have been hatched or reached the height of its popularity since 2005. For example, STUDENTS MAY NOT WRITE ABOUT: 9/11, Area 51, JFK, Illuminati, Chemtrails, Reptilian Elite, Autism/vaccine conspiracies, water fluoridation, Flat Earth Theory, Moon Landing Hoax, etc.
THESIS should strongly repudiate the conspiracy theory and the purported evidence offered by publications and individuals who have promoted it–via TV, websites, blogs, social media, and other platforms.
See the Sample Student Paper: “9/11 Truthers vs 9/11 Truth” (in Module 1) for a sense of appropriate essay sources, style, tone, format, and citation.
Research Requirements
At least two relevant quotes from Module authors must be integrated into the essay to provide a critical perspective on this theory:
(Kathryn Olmsted’s Real Enemies, https://www.google.com/books/edition/Real_Enemies/ldqRw1ZOCpoC?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
Richard Hofstadter’s The Paranoid Style in American Politics https://harpers.org/archive/1964/11/the-paranoid-style-in-american-politics/
Zack Stanton, You’re Living in The Golden Age of Conspiracy Theories https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/06/17/conspiracy-theories-pandemic-trump-2020-election-coronavirus-326530
and/or Ali Breland & Sinduja Rangarajan). Often, this is effectively referenced in the essay’s “frame” (title, abstract, introduction and conclusion).1
Five additional, authoritative, sources must be cited to provide background and context for your conspiracy theory, examine the known evidence, and support your arguments against it.
Source Guidance:
Sources may NOT include Wikipedia, a popular dictionary or encyclopedia, or any other general-knowledge outlet such as “Ask.com,” “About.com,” “How Stuff Works,” etc.
No more than one print book may be cited as a source.
Websites and periodicals (newspapers, magazines, blogs) offering in-depth coverage are another good place to start.
Sources may include fringe conspiracy sites to illustrate your theory and identify its promoters, but they should be balanced with reliable counter-arguments in the paper’s analysis.
Google Scholar can be a good search tool to weed out irrelevant and lightweight search results from the broader Internet.
Documentaries can be excellent or sketchy, depending on the expertise and agenda of its creators—scrutinize and verify any claims or images shared from one.
Abstract
An abstract of about 300 words is required on page one and counts towards the essay’s 2000-word minimum. An abstract is a summary of your major arguments and examples to help readers and other researchers quickly determine whether your sources and findings are relevant to their interests.
The abstract is written after the paper is completed. It does NOT replace the paper’s introductory paragraph. Consult this UNC Writing Center handout
(Links to an external site.)
for more information and suggestions on how to write an “informative” abstract.
Preparing & Submitting the Essay
Develop research questions before and during the research process.
Who are this theory’s Paranoid Spokespeople, and why are they pushing this conspiracy theory?
What is their expertise on or relationship to the subject, if any?
What is their evidence and why is it not to be believed?
How do any of the Module 1 writers shed light on this theory or its believers?
Review the Module One Overview on rhetoric and logical fallacies to help you take apart the arguments presented by proponents (optional).
Submit the paper using the last link in Module One. PDF format is best to retain all formatting.
Submitted essays will be automatically scored by Turnitin, software that scans for copied language from online and other sources and assigns a “Plagiarism Score.” Turnitin is not 100% reliable, but it is a helpful tool for you and me to see how closely you are paraphrasing from your sources (or whether you are neglecting to acknowledge them). Students are invited to “pre-submit” a near-final draft to check your Turnitin report and clean up citation before final submission (remember, the most recent version submitted is graded.
Format & Citation Checklist
12-point, professional font, like Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, Georgia, etc.
1-inch margins on all four sides (warning: Microsoft Word defaults to 1.25” on the sides)
Lines are double-spaced, using one tab at the start of a new paragraph.
No extra line spacing goes between paragraphs, below titles and subtitles, or in-between items on the Works Cited page.
Attribute every quote and information from a source to its author as in-text citations.
Include a Works Cited page at the end, listing all sources that are cited in the paper, alphabetically.

Last Completed Projects