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Literary/Persuasive/Argumentative Research Paper (SLO) Instructions (b)

Overview: After learning some of the key strategies of written argumentation and research, you

will apply these concepts by writing an argumentative research paper. Review “Writing

Arguments” on pages 102 to 106 and “Reading and Writing about Literature on pages 121 to 124

in The Little, Brown Handbook.

Details:

 Length: minimum five pages and maximum seven pages (not counting works cited)

 Point of view: third person only

 Format: typed in MLA format (.doc or .docx)

 Criteria: clarity and persuasiveness of your interpretation, thoroughness of your analysis,

quality of organization and paragraph development, command of language, editing

Purposes:

 Argue for or against one side of a controversial topic.

 Persuade an audience to agree with your position.

1. Select one of the controversial topics from the list below as the subject of your

research paper. Each student must select a different topic from the list below:

 Domestic violence

 Poverty

 Redistribution of wealth

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 Euthanasia

 Religious discrimination

 Sexism

 Entrepreneurship

 Welfare

 Birth control

 Stimulating a stagnant economy in unusual ways

2. Compose a complete and well-developed essay in response to the following prompt:

Compose an essay in which you make a claim of value about your selected

controversial subject. Refer to page 104 in The Little, Brown Handbook to review “claim of

value.” Cite evidence from the text (including direct quotations) to support your claim, and

include explicitly stated warrants that explain how each piece of evidence supports your claim.

Refer to page seventy-six in The Little, Brown Handbook to review the structure and content

of academic writing.

a. Required content in the Introduction: (one paragraph)

i. You must identify the author and the title of “A Modest Proposal.”

ii. Also, you must identify the context of the argument (acknowledge that your

selected controversial topic originates from “A Modest Proposal” and

identify issues in the contemporary world that relate to the argument in this

text).

iii. Lastly, you must identify your claim in one complete sentence (include all

three required parts).

b. Required content in the Body: (multiple paragraphs)

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i. You must identify several data from secondary sources that support your claim.

Refer to page 105 in The Little, Brown Handbook.

ii. Each major supporting detail must be identified in a topic sentence. Each body

paragraph must contain a topic sentence, and each topic sentence must appear

as the first sentence in the paragraph.

iii. Additionally, you must explicitly state two warrants. Refer to page 106 in The

Little, Brown Handbook.

iv. Furthermore, you must include one rebuttal. You must acknowledge one

objection to your claim. This objection must be supported with evidence from

secondary sources. Also, you must refute this objection.

c. Required content in the Conclusion: (one paragraph)

i. Finally, you must provide a synthesis of your essay. A part of your synthesis

must focus on the consequences.

ii. You must explain how the controversial issue relates to a twenty-first century

audience.

3. Compose appropriate citations for this assignment.

a. Required works cited entries:

Immediately after the essay but beginning on a separate page, compose the

works cited entry for “A Modest Proposal.” Also, compose entries for all of the

secondary sources. Refer to page 429 in The Little, Brown Handbook. Consult the

“MLA Format Guidelines for Works Cited.” Follow these specific guidelines to

compose your works cited entries because these rules are the most current MLA

formatting guidelines.

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b. Required in-text citations:

Every time you quote from a text, you must include an introductory signal

phrase and a parenthetical (in-text) citation. Refer to pages 419 to 428 in The

Little, Brown Handbook.

c. Source citation restrictions:

Each quotation must not include more than two successive lines of text from any

source. Do not include more than one quotation from each source. You must

obtain a minimum of five secondary sources. All secondary sources must derive

from the following locations: the Navarro College online or physical libraries or a

local library. Print versions of magazines, newspapers, and books preferred. No

Internet sources accepted.

4. Additional parts of the research paper process:

a. prospectus

b. annotated bibliography

c. outline

d. rough draft

e. collaborative revision of rough draft

f. teamwork and personal responsibility objectives

g. copies of all secondary sources

h. final copies must be both digital (to SafeAssign) and hand-delivered (in class)

5. Submit all the parts of this research paper project by the deadlines identified in the course

outline.