Research-Based ARGUMENT ESSAY (Using at Least 3 Sources) Directions
WR 122 Handout - Prof. C. Agatucci - Winter 20081. LENGTH & MANUSCRIPT FORM: The expected length of your argument essay is 1200-1500 words (5-6 wordprocessed and double- spaced pages, including separate Works Cited page), or as long as your essay needs to be to achieve the aim/s and cogently develop/support the thesis/case claim of your argument. “Final” Drafts must follow general manuscript form requirements explained in the WR 122 Syllabus and in class for previous formal graded assignments.
Recommended: Although his research-based argument essay is longer and uses more sources than this WR 122 assignment requires, Patrick Pugh's "Legalizing Euthanasia: A Means to a More Comfortable Dying Process" (133-141) is good model of Manuscript Form and MLA-style in-text citation and Works Cited practices.2. TOPIC CHOICE: The topic issue addressed in your Research-Based Argument Essay is your choice provided it satisfies the guidelines discussed in class and in Topic Proposal, Annotated Bibliography, & Comparative Analysis of Source Positions Directions (handout).
3. MINIMUM OF THREE (3) SOURCES, reliable and relevant to your chosen topic issue and representing more than one position/point of view on your chosen issue, must be explicitly cited in your argument essay following correct MLA style in-text citation and Works Cited practices. "Good" sources (e.g. reliable, authoritative, up-to-date, accurate, representative) will carry more weight than dubious sources (however relevant) in helping you make and support your argument's points.
4. AVOID PLAGIARISM and CITE YOUR SOURCES using MLA STYLE! All quotations, paraphrases, and summaries from your sources must be cited IN-TEXT (of your essay) in MLA style, and correctly match-able to corresponding complete bibliographical entries in MLA style listed alphabetically on a separate WORKS CITED page at the end of your essay. You should also make a good faith effort to integrate MLA-style in-text citations smoothly and grammatically correctly into your essay, using appropriate author tags and active verbs, and using ellipsis, brackets, block quotations as needed.
5. GENRE & AIM/S of Your Argument: Your argument must be written in the genre of an essay, controlled by a thesis, so remember to apply what you have already learned about sound essay writing principles. Your argument essay should be designed to accomplish one or more aims described in ch. 7 (Arguing to Convince), ch. 8 (Arguing to Persuade), and/or ch. 9 (Arguing to Mediate) of Crusius and Channell's Aims of Argument; taking into consideration the aim/s best suited to your topic issue, the sources you've found, and your audience-oriented goals. The aim/s or purpose/s of your argument essay should be captured in your thesis (with appropriate qualifications and exceptions), should unify your essay's content, and guide you in organizing and developing your essay.
6. METHODS OF DEVELOPMENT. Thus far in WR 122, we have been studying, analyzing and evaluating others’ argument essays; now it is time for you to apply what you have learned to writing your own argument essay. You will be expected to study AofA chapter/s especially relevant to the aim/s of your argument, including AofA example argument essays, and follow the advice given in relevant chapter/s carefully in preparing your argument essay. But you should also apply effective types of appeals (e.g. to reason/logic, emotion, values, character, style) relevant to developing your argument essay drawn from AofA chs. 1-9 assigned this term in WR 122.
7. AUDIENCE & OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS: Your argument essay should effectively address a diverse audience, anticipating ranges of background knowledge and pre-existing opinions that your readers are likely to have on your topic issue. Preliminary exercise & workshops devoted to analysis of audience and source positions are intended to help you develop a strong and effective argument. Significant opposing viewpoints on the topic issue under discussion should be anticipated, introduced and addressed in your argument essay. Remember Crusius and Channell's "Four Criteria of Mature Reasoning" (12-14). Essay arguments written to convince and/or persuade must try to neutralize and/or rebut the weightiest opposing viewpoints (e.g. via concession, rebuttal, refutation). Essay arguments written to mediate must necessarily introduce and analyze opposing viewpoints, identify key points of disagreement and agreement, in order to achieve the aim of negotiating workable compromises and solutions among these viewpoints on the problem/issue under dispute.
8. College-level STYLE, CLARITY & COMMAND of STANDARD WRITTEN ENGLISH are expected in all WR 122 formal written assignments and will be considered in grading this assignment.
NOTE: ALL MAJOR WR 122 COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES, stated in the WR 122 Syllabus,
ARE ADDRESSED BY THIS ASSIGNMENT!!
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Research-Based
Argument
Essay
Directions
- WR
122
Handout
-
Winter
2008
URL of
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http://web.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/wr122/ResearchBasedArgumentEssayDir.htm
Last Updated:
11 February 2008
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