Main topic: Should the United States have a single-payer health care system?
For this assignment, you will present and evaluate an argument from a scholarly source on your topic. You will also share other scholarly sources that you have found that will be relevant to your final paper. For an example of how to complete this paper, look at the Week Three Example Paper and download it.
Begin by finding three scholarly articles that address your topic. Of the three, strive to find at least one with an opposing perspective. (It is okay if you cannot find one with an exactly opposing position. At least make the attempt; whether scholarly articles exist on both sides will be discussed within the paper.)
Note: In some cases, it may not be possible to find scholarly sources that address your specific topic (especially if your topic is a local issue). If that is the case, just find a scholarly source that addresses questions that are most relevant to your topic. As an example, if your topic is whether a road should be built through the wetlands in your county, you can find a source that addresses the importance of preserving wetlands generally.
The UAGC library features research tutorials, which offer videos on getting started, understanding the research process, vetting scholarly and popular resources, and reading scholarly articles.
In your paper include the following elements,
Introduction (approximately 100 words)
Explain your topic and state the specific question you are addressing.
Explain why this topic is important.
Explain what you intend to accomplish in this paper.
Summary of Three Scholarly Articles (approximately 150 words each)
List each reference in APA.
After each reference, provide a summary of the article. You are not required to summarize all aspects of the paper; focus on how it attempts to answer the question you are addressing.
Presentation of an Argument from a Scholarly Source (approximately 150 words)
Select one of the articles (one that presents a clear argument) and present the argument from the article in standard form (with the premises listed above the conclusion, as with the Week 1 assignment).
Note: Articles do not always state their arguments clearly. Part of your job is to determine the argument presented in the article, as you understand it.
Evaluation of the quality of the reasoning in this source (approximately 250 words)
In your evaluation of the argument, you may address questions such as the following:
How well supported are the argument’s premises?
How strongly do the argument’s premises support the truth of the conclusion?
What (if any) missing premises would be needed to complete the argument (make it valid/strong)? Are these missing premises justified or merely assumptions?
How might someone with a different point of view reply to this argument?
Discussion of Research on this Topic (approximately 200 words)
In your paper, discuss your answers to questions, such as the following:
Was it hard to find scholarly sources on your topic?
Which side of your question do most sources seem to fall on?
If they are lopsided (more on one side than the other), why do you think that might be?
What type of further research would help you to discover which answer to your research question is most supported by the evidence?
Evaluation of Arguments in Non-Scholarly and Scholarly Sources (approximately 150 words)
Evaluate the difference in the quality of reasoning or in the degree of support for premises in scholarly sources contrasted with non-scholarly sources (e.g., between the scholarly sources you used for this paper and the popular sources you used for your Week 1 paper).
If you need support, review the Scholarly and Popular Resources video.
Conclusion (approximately 100 words)
Reflect on how this activity might influence how you conduct research in the future
The Scholarly Arguments on the Topic paper
must be four to six double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center’s APA Formatting for Microsoft Word resource.
must include a separate title page with the following in title case:
title of paper in bold font
Space should appear between the title and the rest of the information on the title page.
student’s name
name of institution (The University of Arizona Global Campus)
course name and number
instructor’s name
due date
must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice resource for additional guidance.
must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph.
must use at least three scholarly sources in addition to the course text.
The Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source.
To assist you in completing the research required for this assignment, view Quick and Easy Library Research tutorial, which introduces the University of Arizona Global Campus Library and the research process, and provides some library search tips.
must document any information used from sources in APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center’s APA: Citing Within Your Paper guide.
must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center.
See the APA: Formatting Your References List resource in the Writing Center for specifications.
