ENG102-018

T 10-10:50

Th 9-10:50

C132

-  Catherine Drinker Bowen

Overview

Write an academic research paper in which you adopt and defend a position on your topic using outside sources to support your contentions.

Background and Goals:

This is the big one, folks.  The one we've been working up to, the one that will count as a massive part of your grade.  This is also the one where you're going to take that research you've been doing (will continue to do) and make it, well, do something.

Fear not, as we will be breaking this down into specific steps as we go along.

Assignment Specifics:

The general assignment is to use research to support a specific claim about your topic.  Specifically, you will be:

• Positing a claim about a controversial issue within your topic.  Note that "controversial" is a somewhat subjective term.  Your argument doesn't have to be about some earth-shattering, world-shaping discussion.  There simply needs to be some disagreement about it. 
• Using outside sources to support specific and persuasive supports of that claim. 
• Using outside sources to consider the opposition to your claim.  Your task will be either to refute or in some way mitigate that opposition.

Source Requirements

For this paper, you will be required to use a minimum of 8 research sources.  We will discuss in class how these sources will be used in your paper, but the key is to remember that your are not necessarily looking for sources that directly support your claim.  Rather, you are looking for sources that support your supports for that claim.  In Toulmin terms, your sources will support your reasons.

Other source requirements:

• Unless otherwise cleared with me, only 4 of your 8 sources may be internet sources.  Please note that articles retrieved through EBSCOhost are considered print sources, not internet.
• Part of an effective argument is using credible, persuasive sources.  Don't just grab something because it seems to support your claim.  We will discuss source credibility further, but things you will want to consider include:
• Timeliness: when was the source published?  Is this an issue in your topic?
• Author: is the author a credible authority on the topic?
• Publisher: who published the text?  Are they a credible publisher?

Length and Format:

Your paper should be approximately 2400-3000 words, or 8-12 pages double spaced.

The paper should be done in standard MLA format unless otherwise discussed with me.  This includes:

• MLA documentation
• Double spacing
• 1 inch margins all around
• MLA page headings

 We will go over all of these in class.

Grading Criteria:

• Does the paper have a coherent and definite claim (thesis)?
• Does the paper support that claim with clear and persuasive reasons?
• Does the paper effectively use research to support the reasons?
• Does the paper consider and account for opposition to the claim?
• Is the paper coherently and effectively organized?
• Is the paper in standard MLA format?
• Are mechanical errors rare?