Writing Assignment 3: Argumentative Research Paper (130 points)
The goals of this assignment are
·
To organize and present your well-reasoned conclusions to a problem or issue in order to persuade the audience to acceptor at least seriously consideryour point of view;
·
to keep track of sources efficiently and credit sources accurately;
·
to demonstrate your potential to conduct high-quality
scholarly research.
INSTRUCTIONS:
STEP 1
: Select a topic. Select a topic from the list below. Another option is for you to propose a topic. The topic must be related to one of the assigned course texts or class presentations. If you propose a topic, be sure to let me know before the due date of your œResearch Paper Proposal. Here is a list of our course readings and possible research topics:
œThe crossing: Arizona border and migrant deaths, border patrol abuse of migrants,
Impact of Deportation on Those Who Have Lived in the U.S. for Many
Years, Border Patrol Apprehension Methods and Border DeathsSB
1070 (œshow me your papers law) and civil rights, immigration since NAFTA,
preventing illegal immigration, water drops for migrants an act of crime
œStrangers from a Different Shore: compare
the work, family, and community
experiences of Asian immigrants to that of Latino immigrants, untold
history of racial inequality, cultural segregation=social
integration, crime rate higher for second generation immigrants
œLetter to Ma: immigrant families-
supportive structures or oppressive cages,
substance abuse amongst immigrant communities,
immigrant women and assimilation
œI’m the King¦: macho behavior and alcoholism (or violence, families, women),
macho behavior in Latino, African-American, Asian-American
communities, roots of macho behavior
œShould I Act More Black: assimilation and the American dream
œGraffiti: Art or Vandalism: use of graffiti as expression of politics,
uses of graffiti (gang tags,
hate crimes, freedom of expression, art), compare graffiti in Los Angeles to
graffiti in another country
œKeeping at-risk kids out of jail¦: City Attorney Trutanich tagging injunctionhow the arts
impact Latino communities,
incarcerating youth vs. improving economic and
educational opportunities in poor areas
STEP 2
: Complete the handout œResearch Paper Proposal
STEP 3
: Locate five scholarly sources(from the Oviatt Library) and do an annotated bibliography (see Moodle Week 5 for how to write an annotated bibliography.)You should use a variety of sources, meaning that they cannot all be magazine articles, newspaper stories, or sites off the internet. Include different sources to get a multitude of perspectives on your topic.
Click here for more on this paper¦¦.
STEP 4
: Write the argument research paper. Select one of the following two approaches for this
essay:
APPROACH 1-Take a position on the problematic and significant issue.
Present the issue to your intended audience, take a position, and develop a convincing, well-reasoned argument about that position (e.g. œDiners should avoid overfished species such as bluefin tuna and Chilean sea bass, œThe environmenttal benefits of genetically-modified crops outweigh their risks, or œHunting is a sound way to control deer overpopulation).
APPROACH 2-Propose a solution to a problem.
Present an problem and propose a convincing, well-reasoned solution to the problem, keeping in mind your intended audience (e.g. œSoft drinks should be taxed to help curb diabetes, or œThe government should raise reimbursement rates so the National School Lunch Program can provide more nutritious meals or œThe USDA should implement stricter inspections to detect E.coli and Salmonella contamination,).
Sources
You must cite (can be a quote, paraphrase, or summary) from a minimum of 5 sources. At least 3 sources must be scholarly sources. The rest can be a combination of sources such as personal interviews, movies, youtube clips, documentaries, and .com/.org websites. Essays without scholarly sources and adequate coverage of the opposing view do not fulfill the requirements of an academic argument.
Format and Guidelines
·
Essays must be 4-5 pages (not including Works Cited), using MLA style (size 12, Times New Roman font, double-spaced).
·
Submit a copy of Writing Assignment 3 to Moodle (I will not respond to papers that have not been uploaded on Moodle).
Due Dates and Points
Research Paper Proposal Draft (5 points)2/27
Research Paper Proposal Final Draft (15 points)3/4
Annotated Bibliography Draft (5 points) 3/13
Annotated Bibliography Due (15 points) 3/20
Essay 3 Shitty Draft 3/27 (10 points)
Essay 3 Second Draft 4/3 (10 points)
Essay 3 Final Draft 4/24 (70 poiints)
Click here for more on this paper¦¦.
Research Paper Proposal .
Sample Organization for a Non-discipline-specific Research Proposal
.
Title of Project
Give your project a working title, which may or may not become the title of your paper.
Statement of purpose
Explain what you hope your research will find or show
. State your question or series of questions before you begin your
research. After you have conducted significant research you should be able to answer your question(s) in one or two
sentences, which may become the thesis of the final paper.
Background
Explain your interest in and experience with this topic. Describe any previous research you have conducted on this or relatedtopics, any classes you have taken on this or related topics, or any reading you have already done in the field. If you havepersonal experience that has lead you to want to do more research, describe that here too.
Significance
Explain why this topic is important or worth considering, or this question or series of questions is worth answering. Answer the followingquestions: why should your instructor let you select this topic? what do you hope to learn from it? what will this newknowledge add to the field of knowledge that already exists on this topic? what new perspective will you bring to the topic?what use might your final research paper have for others in this field or in the general public? who might you decide to shareyour findings with once the project is complete?
Click here for more on this paper¦¦.
Description
Describe the kind of research you will conduct to complete this project (library research, internet research, interviews,
observations, ethnographies, etc.)Discuss the kinds of sources you hope to consult and the methods you will use toextract and process the information you gather in as much detail as is possible at this stage.
Problems
Describe the problems you expect to encounter and how you hope to solve them. For example, texts might be unavailable,
necessitating travel to other libraries or use of inter-library loan facilities; people you had hoped to interview might be
unavailable or unwilling to participate, necessitating that you select other interviewees or change the focus; internet sites mightbe down or no longer available, etc. (Try to imagine every possible problem so that you have contingency plans and theproject doesn’t become derailed.)
Literature Review (see below)
Literature Review
Find at least 3 articles about your topic and list the relevant facts from each one.
A. According to
(author/source)
(
date
) the main idea about this subject is
List information or facts from the source that give insight into your topic:
·
·
·
·
·
(You can add more facts as you find them.)
In conclusion (author) says
about the topic.
B. Another idea, by
(author/source)
(
date
) is
List information or facts from the source that give insight into your topic:
·
·
·
·
·
(You can add more facts as you find them.)
In conclusion (author) says
about the topic.
C. A third writer,
(author/source)  
