research the pro and cons of open carry in Texas
Directions: Write an argumentative research paper taking a side on an issue facing our society. The issue must have multiple sides. (No one would reasonably argue, “It’s okay to murder someone.”) Extensive research is needed. An argument structure must be intentional. There must be 12 resources, four of which must be from peer-reviewed journals. Note: Oral presentations will be given as well.
More information: The Genre. The researched argument is the most widely used tool in professional writing. By “argument” I mean you may want to persuade us to see your point of view; you might try to persuade us to take a particular action; you might argue that solution (and not others) would be most effective; you might argue that x and y (and not z) are the primary causes of a problem. Stay away from arguments that depend on belief and anecdote alone rather than evidence; for example, you cannot effectively argue that western medicine is a scam because it didn’t help you heal, but you could argue that research suggests that holistic medicine allows a way of healing the body that addresses the root causes rather than the results (I just made that up, I know very little about the issue). Likewise, you don’t want to argue that being on Twitter is wrong because it is easy to bully people but rather you might question the interface and practice of Twitter that encourages insults, shaming, and anti-social behavior, focusing your research on the ways that certain social media facilitate certain behaviors. A “pro/con” paper sometimes seems too simplistic in academic settings, but intelligent persuasion is effective. Focus your inquiry on something very specific within a broader topic: not internet privacy but maybe the new regulations on internet spying in universities. Your finished product should attempt to make a unique contribution to the discussion on that topic. Also in this unit, you will learn to organize arguments, create a research space in your introduction, cite sources correctly and effectively, and maintain a focused argument throughout for at least 1700 words.
Topic help: The default topic is “One of the largest problems facing our world today is…., and the best way to address it is….” All other topics MUST be approved by the professor. Begin EARLY! PLEASE research a subject about which you are passionate or at least interested. There are sample papers in Canvas.
Your Audience: You should consider the population of a well-informed national magazine as your audience.
Rubric: Your essay will be evaluated on clarity of thought, proper use of MLA including in-text citations, logic of argument, excellence of research, cohesiveness of the writing and grammatical accuracy.
A Good Research Paper: A good research paper is at least 2100 words. (Remember the formula of 1.5) It has a strong thesis. Not only is it clear, focused, well-organized, and informative, it is original, exciting, creative, and ground-breaking. A good paper will also combine all three appeals: set up author’s credibility, appeal to and acknowledge audience’s values and even opposition’s values, and persuade with evidence and logic. The writer educates in order to persuade. The writer’s ideas should drive the paper, not the research or someone else’s opinion. The writer shows thorough research, seeks objectivity with the subject, and recognizes opposing viewpoints. Good papers are free of mechanical and printing errors, and they follow MLA format in citation and structure. Citations are blended into the writing rather than blocked in like independent chunks.
Length: 2100-3,000 words. Underline Thesis.
