Introduction
Attention grabber (see handout over Interesting Introductions for more help).
Roadmap that introduces what you will be writing about (subject, opposing viewpoint, and reasons)
Working thesis (generally, the last sentence of the introduction)
Body paragraphs
Counterargument
Counterargument/Opposing view (topic sentence; begins with a transition)
What do “they say” against your argument? (quote, example, statistic, fact)
Refutation
Refutation (explains why the opposing view above is wrong, incomplete, or problematic; begins with a transition and an acknowledgment of the opposition)
Supporting evidence to prove naysayer wrong (quotes, examples, statistics, facts)
Second evidence or example
Supporting paragraph
Reason 1 (topic sentence)
Supporting evidence one (quotes, examples, statistics, facts; include direct quotes here, paraphrase, or summarize information).
Second evidence or example
Supporting paragraph
Reason 2 (topic sentence)
Supporting evidence two (quotes, examples, statistics, facts; include direct quotes here, paraphrase, or summarize information)
Second evidence or example
Supporting paragraph (strongest evidence goes here)
Reason 3 (topic sentence)
Supporting evidence three (quotes, examples, statistics, facts; include direct quotes here, paraphrase, or summarize information)
Second evidence or example
Conclusion (choose one)
Real world consequences
A call to action
A future issue
A solution
Assignment Description
In upper level courses, you will often be asked to demonstrate your ability to converse with other scholars in your field. Your job is to change the reader’s mind about a particular subject and persuade the reader into believing your argument. Your paper must be written so that it is accessible to readers from a different perspective. In other words, be fair and unbiased when acknowledging what others say about your topic, but then prove why they are wrong using logical reasons and credible evidence. In this essay, you must synthesize various sources while persuading the reader to accept your viewpoint. You do not want to simply report what others are saying, but engage in a dialogue with them.
Your research paper MUST include the following:
A clearly stated thesis that articulates your position and what you want to argue in your paper; your thesis should be narrow enough to be argued within the page limits and qualified if necessary. Your thesis should fall at the END of your introduction. See the PPT “Creating Thesis Statements” on eCampus for more help.
Clear reasons with supporting evidence; do not use religion as evidence because you cannot persuade someone to change beliefs with religion or faith because religion is personal.
A variety of evidence. See the PPT “Arguing and Evidence” on eCampus for more help.
A synthesis of sources; do not simply summarize your source material, but show how they are connected and respond to them
The “quotation sandwich” method for quoting, which includes an introduction, an explanation, and commentary; don’t be a hit-and-run quoter. See the PPT on eCampus “The Art of Quoting” for more help.
A variety of citations: exact quotes, paraphrases, and summaries; cite all appropriately.
A fully-developed counterargument paragraph with a fully-developed refutation paragraph
A title that gives an insight into the paper and is catchy and interesting; it should be in the form of metacommentary.
A minimum of five credible and relevant sources
A minimum of five pages in MLA format, not including the MLA Works Cited; check eCampus for examples and guidelines
A Works Cited page in MLA format with corresponding in-text citations
You may NOT write about the following topics. They are not acceptable in this class (reasons why are listed after the forbidden topics):
Legalizing marijuana (I use it as my example, so it gives students an unfair advantage)
Abortion (Because science has not determined when life begins, abortion is strictly a religious issue)
Obesity (I’m just tired of this topic, and yes, we all know that being overweight is not healthy)
Texting and driving (Good lord, we all know it’s a bad idea. There is no point in arguing)
Minimum Requirements
Length: 5-6 pages, not including the Works Cited page. Style: Essay needs to conform to MLA standards, including double spacing in Times New Roman font, and must include a Works Cited page with correct in-text (parenthetical) citations for all quotes, paraphrases, and/or summaries. Sources: Five sources minimum: three peer reviewed academic articles from a database plus two credible sources of your choice (newspapers, organizations, government websites, books, etc.). One of your sources must be a counterargument that you will refute in your essay.
IF YOU DO NOT MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS, YOU CANNOT EARN HIGHER THAN A 60%.
Due Dates/Points Possible
Worth: 100 points; 15% of your total grade
Peer Review/First Draft: Hard copy to class, see syllabus for date
Second Draft: Safe Assign on eCampus, see syllabus for date
Final Draft: Safe Assign on eCampus, see syllabus for date
Purpose and Learning Objectives
The purpose of this assignment is to practice persuasive writing and synthesis of sources. You will increase your critical thinking skills by analyzing yours and others’ assumptions, evaluating multiple perspectives, and developing a clear position. Writing, research, and eloquent written expression are vital for a successful future. You will express all of these skills in this assignment.
Your research paper should demonstrate the following learning objectives:
Demonstrate knowledge of the audience to whom you are speaking
Demonstrate the ability to enter a scholarly conversation
Illustrate the purpose of your argument
Create a qualified and narrow argumentative thesis statement
Demonstrate the ability to use the library databases
Research and evaluate relevant academic sources
Research and evaluate popular sources for credibility and relevance
Synthesize various information from relevant and credible sources
Construct and organize academic paragraphs
Summarize, paraphrase, and quote correctly
Build and create an argumentative essay
Apply the standards of MLA to avoid plagiarism
Create documents in MLA style
Apply formal, academic English in writing
Process of Completion
Choose a topic that you are interested in, and fill out the “Creating a Research Plan” handout (posted on eCampus).
Write down everything that you know about your topic in your Writer’s Notebook. What can you verify? What is common knowledge and what needs a source to prove that it’s true? Find credible sources to prove anything that is not common knowledge.
Begin preliminary research to discover more about your topic. Do a basic Google search and read dot-com websites, Wikipedia, and news sources to broaden your knowledge. Remember that dot-com and Wikipedia are tertiary sources and not credible for citing in an academic essay. You are just gaining more knowledge right now.
Narrow your topic and formulate a working thesis. Then come up with research questions to guide your research. See the PPT “Developing a Research Plan” for more help.
Begin research using the Richland library databases. Academic Search Complete is the best database to begin your research. Find a minimum of three academic sources to use in your essay.
Do a web search for credible sources to include in your essay. Use newspapers, organizations, or government websites. See the PPT “Source Credibility” for help determining credible sources. Be sure you have at least ONE source that you disagree with in order to include a counterargument in your essay.
In your Writer’s Notebook, annotate the five sources you want to use in your essay. Take careful notes over the author’s claim and purpose. Respond in your notebook. Do you agree, disagree, or have mixed feelings about the ideas in these sources?
Put together an outline to help organize your ideas. See the handout on eCampus “Creating an Outline” for more help.
Choose the sections of your sources that you want to include in your essay. Be sure to include at least one paraphrase, one summary, and several quotes. See the PPT “The Art of Quoting” and “Paraphrasing” on eCampus for more help with integrating your sources.
Write your rough draft using the Tell, Show, Share Method of paragraph development. See the PPT “The Tell, Show, Share Method” on eCampus for more help. Don’t worry about grammar now; just put your thoughts down on paper. See the handout “Ten Tips for a Successful Argument Essay” on eCampus for more help.
Put your essay away for twenty-four hours before revising it for grammar and punctuation mistakes. Visit the English Corner for more help with revision or expanding your ideas.
Come to all peer reviews and turn in all drafts. Review carefully your peers’ comments and then mine. Edit and revise your essays based on the feedback you receive.
Review your Safe Assign report for plagiarism BEFORE turning in your final draft!
Reread your essay one last time and make any final edits or changes before turning in your final!
Plagiarism
Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Plagiarism includes failing to cite a direct quote with quotation marks and an in-text citation, borrowing someone else’s work without a correct citation, bad paraphrasing (Safe Assign will not identify a good or fair paraphrase), purchasing a paper, having someone else write your essay, or turning in the same paper to two different classes. Any paper with plagiarism, even accidental (I forgot to cite that!), will receive a zero as a final grade. The best way to avoid plagiarism is to cite correctly. See both MLA citation PPTs on eCampus or visit Purdue OWL for more help.
“PLEASE I WANT MY ESSAY ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTIONS AND SOURCES MUST BE PEER REVIEWED SCHOLARLY”…
Professional homework help features
Our Experience
However the complexity of your assignment, we have the right professionals to carry out your specific task. ACME homework is a company that does homework help writing services for students who need homework help. We only hire super-skilled academic experts to write your projects. Our years of experience allows us to provide students with homework writing, editing & proofreading services.Free Features
Free revision policy
$10Free bibliography & reference
$8Free title page
$8Free formatting
$8How our professional homework help writing services work
You first have to fill in an order form. In case you need any clarifications regarding the form, feel free to reach out for further guidance. To fill in the form, include basic informaion regarding your order that is topic, subject, number of pages required as well as any other relevant information that will be of help.
Complete the order formOnce we have all the information and instructions that we need, we select the most suitable writer for your assignment. While everything seems to be clear, the writer, who has complete knowledge of the subject, may need clarification from you. It is at that point that you would receive a call or email from us.
Writer’s assignmentAs soon as the writer has finished, it will be delivered both to the website and to your email address so that you will not miss it. If your deadline is close at hand, we will place a call to you to make sure that you receive the paper on time.
Completing the order and download