Description

Researched Argument Essay In your English 1020 class, you have selected a research topic. At this time you have thoroughly researched your topic, and you have compiled an annotated bibliography for your topic. Now it’s time to put your newly-acquired knowledge to work. For this assignment, students will compose an argumentative research paper. When writing this argument, students should take a well-informed position on a debatable issue, supporting the thesis with credible, reliable, and authoritative research. The pattern of development for the essay may be a cause-and-effect argument, an evaluation argument, a proposal argument, or a combination of two patterns (for more information, review chapters 13, 14, and 15 in Practical Argument). Students should include a thesis statement, supporting claims, reasons, and evidence. Approach this assignment rhetorically, meaning student writers should involve themselves in the conversation surrounding their topics, considering multiple viewpoints during the research process, and then formulating a position that the student writer will then assert and defend in the essay. Use a blend of exposition (reporting, explaining, clarifying, assessing) and argumentation (taking a position, persuading, agreeing/disagreeing, planting a naysayer, etc.) to support your thesis. Physical Requirements The Researched Argument essay should consist of 7-9 typed pages, NOT counting the Works Cited pages.  The essay should be in 12-point, Times New Roman font, with 1-inch margins on all sides and an appropriate heading and title for MLA-style essays. Your essay should follow MLA formatting guidelines for citation, documentation, and page layout. Below you will find information for how to format a page correctly and how to cite and document sources accurately according to MLA format:  Formatting a Document Documentation Essentials MLA Parenthetical Documentation MLA Intext Citations 2018 Source Requirements This essay should employ 8-10 sources that you have found, including articles from VSCC Library’s databases, credible online resources, and any media sources that are relevant to your topic.  Some of these sources may be the ones you included on your annotated bibliography assignment, but you are expected to do additional research in order to thoroughly explore the topic and inform yourself about the issue.  These sources should be cited in the body of your essay and documented on the Works Cited page according to MLA 8th edition guidelines. Additional Resources You have access to several writing resources in this course. The first, Tutor.com, is a revision tool that will connect you to a live tutor in real time. You can chat with the tutor about your whole draft or parts of your draft, and you can ask specific questions, particularly as they relate to grammar and mechanics. There is a link to Tutor.com as well as instructions for how to use it on our course homepage. To find it, click on our course name at the top of your eLearn screen. Below the announcements, you will find the Tutor.com information. You also have access, through the library, to NoodleTools. This resource is particularly helpful to citation and documentation. For more information, click How to Use Noodletools (new window). Some instructors will choose to have a Language Center tutor embedded in the course; in those cases, the tutor will show up in the Classlist as Tutor, LC.  Students can contact that tutor at any time, but responses should only be expected during business hours Monday-Friday.  The physical location of the Language Center is on Vol State’s Gallatin Campus in Thigpen Library, in the Learning Commons.  For more information, visit their website: Language Center. Evaluation Click here to find out How Your Work Will Be Evaluated.