In this 700- 1000 page essay, you will take a stand on an issue based on the topics provided below. Your starting point for this particular essay will be a specific question related to your chosen issue, a question to which there is more than one logical answer possible. Your thesis statement will be your answer to that question, and in the body of your paper you will seek to persuade the reader of the validity of your position. You CANNOT be on both sides of an issue; you must choose a position and defend it.
Guidelines:
1. This paper requires three outside sources. Avoid Wikipedia. Find credible, scholarly resources. You can use multimedia resources such as videoor audio clip of an interview with an expert on your chosen topic.
3. Keep your topic narrow and focused. If you approach your topic by generalizing
it will be difficult to write a successful essAY because those issues are so general and so abstract
that you wont be able to get specific enough within the limits of the paper. Seek to
work on a specific issue within the topic.
4. Make sure that your paper aims to persuade the reader to see your point of view by using three persuasive appeals:
a) Logos: the use of logic
b) Pathos: the use of emotional appeal
c) Ethos: the use of credible resources and your own integrity as a persuasive writer
Find out more about how to use logos, ethos, and pathos in your essay:
https://www.mesacc.edu/~paoih30491/ArgumentsBestFriends.html
https://louisville.edu/writingcenter/for-students-1/handouts-and-resources/handouts-1/logos-ethos-pathos-kairos
https://law.marquette.edu/facultyblog/2014/01/27/logos-ethos-and-pathos-in-persuasive-writing/
5. Underline the thesis statement. Your thesis statement expresses in one lucid sentence the main claim or argument you will develop and prove in the essay as it progresses.
6. Write a focused introduction and a strong conclusion.
7. Anticipate the opposing point of view. An effective essay is balanced and unbiased. As St. Martins recommends, present a counteragument to the opposing point of view. That way, your paper is even more impactful because you addressed the differing stance and offered a strong dissent.
8. Give your title a creative title.
9. Avoid using I in the research and argumentative essay. Use the third person or objective point of view.
10. Use the proper MLA in-text and Works Cited citation format.
Refer to the Week 1 Announcement in which MLA citation information is provided.
See these additional helpful resources on using MLA citations:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_and_style_guide.html
https://style.mla.org/
11. Avoid fallacies (faulty/illogical reasoning). Here is a list of fallacies:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/logic_in_argumentative_writing/fallacies.html
11. Proofread your essay before submission. Too many errors negatively impact the quality, clarity, and credibilit of your writing.
11. Avoid plagiarism, please. The research is meant to merely support your own ideas expressed in your own words. Be aware that SafeAssign is a plagiarism checker. Even if you cite your sources, if your paper consists mostly of other authors words, your paper is still considered plagiarized. Plagiarized papers will receive the grade of ZERO and will be reported to Life University administrators for the action and investigation. It is a painful process for you and for your instructor, so do strive to write a paper that is your own.
