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Core 110: Effective Writing Argumentation/Persuasion This assignment asks you to employ formal
research and the MLA method of writing a research paper.
For this assignment you are expected to follow strictly the guidelines
set forth by the Modern Language Association in the preparation and writing
of your paper. As usual, the paper must be word processed,
double spaced, and paginated. This
paper must be 4-5 pages in length.
You must include a title sheet with the title of your paper, your
name, the date, assignment number, and class; at least 4 body pages; and
a Works Cited sheet listing the sources quoted or paraphrased in your
paper. You may argue anything you choose, but
you must argue for or against something with which you have had direct
experience. Past papers that
were successful include a student who worked in retail arguing that the
customer isn't always right and a student who was directly involved with
the American Cancer Society arguing that everyone should volunteer.
Another student, who happened to have
children of driving age, argued that the driving age needed to
be raised. Consider tackling a campus concern.
For example, you may decide to tackle the issues of student parking,
college requirements for graduation, or poorly maintained streets.
Remember that this essay must argue for
a position you hold on a topic.
You must steer away from the "biggies":
abortion, capital punishment, gun control, legalization of any
drug, altering the drinking age.
You cannot do these topics justice in just a few pages and it is
virtually impossible to come up with new angles on these overused subjects. Because this is a research assignment,
you are required to use a minimum of 4 outside sources in your essay to
support your topic. Because
of the nature of the assignment, it will be necessary to complete personal
interviews. If you're going
to write about student parking, interview commuters, residents, and campus
security. Find research through
the internet (check for reliability) and in newspapers that talks about
other campuses' parking situations and apply that research to your essay. You must incorporate at least 6 direct quotes and paraphrases. To read a sample student essay, select the following link: |