WRITING THE
ARGUMENT PROPOSAL
Catch Up From Last Week!
Review Prompt for The Argument Proposal
How Scaffolding Assignment 1: The Argument Proposal connects to the
Research Paper:
• One of the goals of the scaffolding assignment is to show that you can
do research, discuss some of the important perspectives and claims
relating to your topic, and decide what your own claims/position are on
the topic.
• Part of the point of the Argument Proposal is to get you to do some early
research and plan out your own argument/claims/perspective on the
topic.
• After completing the Argument Proposal, you should be well on your
way to writing a well planned essay—and this should make your rough
draft much easier to write.
Writing the Argument Proposal
Things to Think About:
• What is your research question? What is your research
plan? How do you plan to find the research you need
and construct the argument in your essay? Since your
audience will be an academic one, your research and
argument proposal should follow an accepted academic
structure for presenting your claims and your evidence.
• This assignment will be a little bit like a detailed essay
outline, and you must address each of the sections below
in detail.
Requirements for the Argument Proposal
• You must include the following
1.
Your research question.
• Remember, it needs to be narrow and specific.
2. Summarize one important claim you have discovered in
3.
4.
5.
6.
the ongoing conversation on this topic (with source/s).
Summarize an opposing claim you have discovered in
the ongoing conversation on this topic (with source/s).
What you think is questionable or problematic about some of
these claims?
Discuss your claim is in regards to this topic. What do
you want to make your audience aware of and/or convince
them of? (this can also be thought of as your tentative thesis)
What might other people doubt about your claim and how
you might respond to them?
Length, Format, and Other Requirements
• Other Requirements:
• Your response should be about two double-spaced pages
(600 words).
• You should make an attempt to cite the sources you use to
discuss the claims you have found in connection to your
topic.
• Use this exercise as an opportunity to improve your MLA skills.
• If you include quotations from the original text, make sure they are
short quotations (no more than 3 lines long).
• You can also save the citations for this assignment and use them in
the Annotated Bibliography.
Reminders About Research Questions:
• Unacceptable Research Questions:
• "I’m going to write about the environment and pop culture."
• "I’m going to write about science fiction."
• “Katniss is a badass and I want to write about it.”
• These are ALL too broad and need to be more specific. None of these examples
are questions. Neither example gives you a specific direction to go in.
• Acceptable Research Questions:
• "As a part of the current pop culture trend of ‘going green,’ do so-
called ‘green products’ actually have a beneficial impact on the
environment, or are they just a ploy to attract ecologically conscious
consumers?"
• "How has the genre of science fiction changed from the 1950's to the
present to reflect changing concerns about technology and fears about
the future?"
• “How are gender roles and assumptions challenged by the characters
of Katniss and Peeta in The Hunger Games?”
Remember!
• A narrow and specific research question will lead
you to a narrow and specific tentative thesis!
• More on thesis in the coming weeks!
EVALUATE SOURCES
There are Three Steps to Using Sources:
Find sources and choose the best ones for your purpose.
2. Read the sources carefully, keeping track of your own
reactions to the author’s ideas and using your sources as
a springboard for your own contribution to the
discussion.
3. Use the sources in your essay, giving proper credit in the
body of the essay and at the end, using MLA format.
1.
More Advice on Sources
• Just because you find a source and read it doesn’t
mean you have to use it. If you read a source and
don’t like it, keep looking.
• Keep researching throughout the writing process.
If you find a wonderful source with all kinds of
good ideas you want to respond to after you wrote
a draft, that’s fine. Include that source and your
response when you revise.
• Keep track of every source you use ideas or quotes
from in your paper. You will need to be able to
find the source again when you give it credit.
Using Sources and Giving Credit
• Once you’ve found your sources, read them, took notes, and
you’re ready to use your sources in your essay.
• So… which quotes should you use?
• Quotes that contain ideas you want to respond to.
• Quotes that show something you are making a point about.
• Quotes where the original source’s wording is especially good or
important to your response.
• Quotes that contain ideas that would make most people want proof.
• Any quote you use should have an explanation/response that
is TWICE AS LONG as the original quote. If a quote takes up
two full lines of your paper, the explanation/response to that
quote should take up FOUR.
Source Evaluation Questions
•
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Ask yourself the following questions to determine a
source’s level of credibility:
When was the source published?
What are author’s credentials?
Who’s the intended audience?
Is the argument balanced or does it show bias and make
unsupported claims, illogical conclusions, or inaccurate
generalizations?
Lastly, what sorts of references does your source cite?
Criteria for Evaluating Sources
Know your CRAAP!
• Currency
• Relevance
• Authority
• Accuracy
• Purpose
The CRAAP test is adapted from the Meriam Library at California State
University Chico.
Is the Source Current?
• When was the information published or posted?
• Has the information been revised or updated?
• Is the information current or out-of date for your
topic?
• Web sites: are the links functional?
• If there is a reference list, does it include up-to-date
sources?
Is Your Source Current?
Relevance:
The Importance of the Info to Your Needs
• Does the information relate to your topic or answer
your question?
• Who is the intended audience?
• Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too
elementary or advanced for your needs)?
• Have you looked at a variety of sources before
determining this is one you will use?
Relevance
What audience might find this web site relevant?
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/autism/DS00348/
Authority:
Who is the Source of the Info?
 Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?
 Are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations
given? If yes, what are they?
 What are the author's qualifications to write on the topic?
 Is there contact information, such as an address, publisher
or institution?
 Web sites: does the URL reveal anything about the author or
source?
examples: .com .edu .gov .org .net
(See http://scc.losrios.edu/~library/tutorials/c/URLs/TLDs/ for an
explanation.)
Authority
Accuracy:
How Reliable, Truthful, or Correct is this Info?
• Where does the information come from?
• Is the information supported by evidence?
• Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
• Can you verify any of the information in another source or from
personal knowledge?
• Does the language or tone seem biased or free of emotion?
• Are there spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors?
Accuracy
Is information
supported by
evidence?
Purpose:
Why does the information exist?
• What is the purpose of the information? to inform?
teach? sell? entertain? persuade?
• Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or
purpose clear?
• Is the information fact? opinion? propaganda?
• Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
• Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious,
institutional, or personal biases?
Purpose