ArgumentativeResearchPaper
LibraryInformationLiteracyClass
Purpose
Tolearnandapplyalltheprinciplesandmethodsofwritingafullcriticalessay
basedoncarefulandcompleteresearch.Todevelopatopicofinquirythrough
systematicresearch,analysis,andevaluationofsourceswhichprovidediverse
perspectivestoproducearesearchedposition,astatement,anargument,anda
clearmeaningfulthesis.
Objectives
1. Addressaquestionusinganappropriateresearchstrategy.
2. Composeacoherentthesisthataddressesanaudienceandpurpose
appropriatetothewritingtask.
3. Persuadethereadertoacceptandadoptanideabyarguingapositionand/or
offeringasolution.
4. Locateandcriticallyevaluateinformationfromwritten,oral,graphic,mass
media,andscholarlysources.
5. Presentallmaterialwithobjective,thoughtfulandfairtreatment.
6. Accessanduseinformationethicallyandlegally,employingtheappropriate
formatanddocumentation.
7. Integrateresearchintoanargument.
8. Drawreasonableconclusionsbasedonresearch.
9. Writeanorganized,well‐editedessaythatshowscorrectuseofgrammar.
Persuasive‐ArgumentativePaperBasedonResearch
Thesubject/topicofyourresearchpapermustbeacontroversialissuethat
hasbeen“inthenews”withinthepastyear.Thestudent’staskistoresearchthis
subjectthoroughly,completeaseriesofrelatedassignments,andsubmita
persuasiveessaybasedonresearchthatarguesaclearthoughtfulpositionorthesis.
Theinstructormustapproveallsubjects.Somerecentcontroversialsubjectsinclude
LGBTrights,immigrationreform,theAffordableCareAct,guncontrol,privacy
rights,educationreform,andtheeconomy.Researchyoursubject,narrowyour
subjectintoaspecifictopic,andchooseapositiontoargue.
Writea6‐8‐pageresearchpaperusingaminimumoffiveacademicsources.
Fourofthesefivesourcesmustbecurrent,publishedwithinthelasttwoyears.One
sourcemaybeolderandprovideahistoriccontextforyourargument.Include
diversesourcesfromtheMCCClibrary,thenewsmedia,andpopcultureinyour
researchpaper:
 Anarticlefromareferencesource,likeCQResearcher.
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Magazineorjournalarticles,fromqualitypublicationssuchasNewsweek,
Time,orU.S.NewsandWorldReport.
Newspaperarticles,suchasthosepublishedinTheNewYorkTimesorThe
PhiladelphiaInquirer.
Governmentdocuments,liketheBillofRightsoraSupremeCourtruling.
Abook.
Apopculturesource,likeafilmoraTV,Radio,orInternetprogram.
Addanoptionalsixthorseventhsource,likeapersonalinterview,an
Internetnewsarticle,atelevisionnewsprogram,oratalkshow.
PaperFormatandContent
Allstudentpapersmustbewrittenaccordingtoconventionalacademicstandards
andadheretoMLAdocumentationstandards.TheappearanceofMLAstylepapers
shouldbebasedonthesamplepapersinourHackerandSommers’composition
handbook.
PreliminaryResearchAssignments
ReviewtheInformationLiteracyTutorialsontheLibrarywebsite.Brainstormideas,
chooseaninitialresearchtopic,andcreateatentativethesis.
 Summarizeacurrentmagazineorjournalarticle.
 Createtennotecardswithspecificquotesandparaphrasesthatsupportyour
thesis.
 FormatfiveorsixMLAcitationsforaworkingbibliography/workscitedpage.
 Developakeysentenceoutlineandthencreateafull‐sentenceoutline.
 ParticipateinaStudent‐TeacherConferencetodiscussyourresearchpaper.
Approach
Presentyourpaperwithcarefulclearthinking.Inthefirstparagraph,introduce
yourtopicandstateyourthesis,theargumentforyourentirepaper.
Inthesecondparagraph,provideanynecessarybackgroundinformation,
definitions,andideastoputyourargumentincontext.Addressopposingarguments.
Gettoyourownargumentsasquicklyasyoucananddevelopthemcarefully,step
bystep,throughthebodyofyouressay.Statesupportingideasincleartopic
sentences,andthensupporteachonepersuasively,offeringthoughtfulmaterial
fromyourownmindandfromyourresearchedsources.Citequotes,paraphrases,
andsummarizedideas.
Finishyouressaywithaconvincingandcompleteconclusionthatrestatesyour
thesis/argument,commentsonanyspecialconsequences,andoffersasolution.