For this assignment, you must individually write a well-supported, well-organised, thesis-driven argumentative essay (between 900 and 1100 words) exploring the complexities of personal identity.
The thesis-driven essay can focus on one specific aspect of personal identity and demonstrate how it is more complex than it initially appears, or it can take a broader view and look at personal identity in general and why it is complex. For example, possible areas of focus may include academic identity, national identity, religious identity, gender identity, generational identity, hobbies, family relationships, psychological identity, political identity, etc.
To strengthen your argument, incorporate at least one example from your life and consider multiple perspectives. While you can draw upon your experiences or family, you must maintain a persuasive stance throughout the whole essay. The essay must also include at least five credible sources, which must be cited and referenced per the APA style.
Dos and Don’ts
Dos:
- Make complex, quality claims, bringing in evidence from your own background (or case studies).
- Prepare an outline and a reverse outline, keeping the principles of organization in mind.
- Do try to include at least one academic article in your research.
- Do include an annotated bibliography.
- Do format the entire document in APA style.
- Do proofread and revise (as many times as necessary).
- Do hand in the following parts of the assignment in one single document to get the full score (see template):
- The complete essay in APA with references
- The annotated bibliography (Appendix 1)
- The essay outline (Appendix 2)
This template may be used as guidance for the thesis-driven essay: Download the template and save it to your computer. When complete, save it as a PDF and submit it to the forum. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OHLVyk6m6Zonc-JkiGaWmvct_BLAIxJbA9mzdXs8Pmw/edit?usp=sharing
Don’ts
- Do not quote big chunks of text. Instead, paraphrase the arguments. Quote minimally.
- Do not collaborate, and do not share your essay electronically with others. This is an individual assignment. It does not matter if other students are from your country; your family and experiences are unique. You can discuss the project with others and ask for feedback, but you must write your own essay.
- Do not abuse ChatGPT and other AI tools. Instead, use AI tools critically and responsibly and follow your instructor’s guidelines (e.g., footnotes).
- Do not plagiarise. Use legitimate sources and cite them properly.
- Do not fail to hand in the different components of the assignment. Revise your work before submission to avoid unnecessary penalties.
- Do not start at the last minute.
Footnote Requirement
- Add footnotes to draw attention to your most prominent applications of LOs, especially those mentioned in the LOs to be graded: #thesis, #organization, #evidence-based, #composition, #sourcequality, and #professionalism.
- In the footnote text (at the bottom of the page), provide the hashtag of the LO and a brief explanation (at least 2-3-sentences) of your application. Help the professor understand precisely why this constitutes a robust application.
- Remember that the use of #thesis should be within the paper itself; the footnote is merely there to show how you believe you applied it well in the text. For each LO, footnote what you believe your strongest application of the LO is.
- Footnote text does not count towards the target length of the assignment.
- Including footnotes is an important part of reflecting on your learning. It should be an occasion for #professionalism. Help the professor understand exactly why this constitutes a strong application. For samples of effective annotations, refer to the footnotes that go along with each LO example written in square brackets.
Using APA7 Conventions for Formatting an Annotated Bibliography
- The text and the reference list should be double-spaced.
- Use Times New Roman, size 12.
- Each paragraph should be indented.
- Reference list entries must have a hanging indent.
- References should be organised alphabetically.