Argumentative Research Essay

Overview

Some textbooks define argument as truth-seeking and persuasion. Now, you will write an argument essay, drawing on the academic research you conduct and by making an assertive claim with reasoning and evidence. You should aim to avoid informal fallacies in your essay, and to employ rhetorical appeals to ethos, logos, and pathos.

Your argument/claim for the essay will likely be an answer to the question you raised for the research journal, but now geared toward a specific audience. You will invoke this audience in your thesis statement.

This assignment aligns with the following Course Learning Outcomes of ENG 122:

1. Apply and expand the rhetorical knowledge, critical/logical thinking, reading, and writing skills developed in English Composition I to more complex assignments.

2. Plan, write, and revise compositions within various rhetorical situations, employing research and applying correct documentation where applicable.

3. Apply conventions of research to composition: defining problems, gathering information, considering multiple viewpoints, evaluating data, analyzing, summarizing, synthesizing, and documenting.

4. Apply genre conventions including structure, paragraphing, tone, mechanics, grammar, syntax, formatting, documentation, and style to complex writing projects.

5. Select and apply contemporary forms of technology to solve problems or compile information.

The final version of your Argumentative Research Essay is worth 300 points.

Your Task

Genre: Argumentative Research Essay

Audience: Readers who are impacted by or have a stake in the argument you are advancing. A specific group of individuals whose beliefs, values, and concerns predispose them to be attentive to your argument.

Length: 3000+ words

Format: MLA 8 (heading, header, in-text citation, Works Cited page)

Tone: Third-person (“they”) voice. No second-person (“you”) voice. Limited first-person (I) voice. The tone should be formal and academic.

Structure: This essay will use either a classical or Rogerian structure, depending on the rhetorical situation, and specifically the expected resistance of your audience. If the audience is likely to be resistant to the argument, a Rogerian, or delayed-thesis argument might be more effective. Regardless of which structure the essay uses, it should include the following well-developed elements.

• A well-developed introduction that establishes the ethos of the author, establishes a consistent tone and style, clarifies why the issue is important, draws the reader into the argument, and provides enough information to introduce a clear thesis statement.
• A thesis statement that invokes an audience, makes a debatable claim, and is supported by 2-4 relevant reasons. The thesis should be a viable, well-worded opinion leading to a focused argument. You can use the following example as a model for your own:

The Aspen City Council should replace all paved city streets with parks because doing so will reduce congestion in town, reduce pollution, and save money on traffic enforcement.

• A section that informs the audience about the background/context of the issue. The audience should be informed of anything they need to know to be able to clearly understand the argument. Here the essay should tell the story behind the argument, illuminate the situational context, and characterize and define the issue in terms that are favorable to your argument. This is also a good place to identify common ground if using a Rogerian style argument.
• Following the “map” outlined in the thesis statement, use the next section to advance the claims and reasons necessary to support the lines of argument. This section should employ logos and borrowed ethos in the form of credible sources and evidence to provide extensive, varied, and sophisticated support throughout the paper in the following ways:
  • Offering strong support for thesis by developing the reasons listed in the thesis
  • Citing and incorporating evidence from multiple sources for each reason
  • Employing research from at least 10 thoroughly vetted sources, including 4 or more peer-reviewed/scholarly sources
  • Synthesizing research with writer’s own ideas, i.e. the research does not dominate
  • Integrating source materials smoothly with successful interpretation/accreditation; avoids “dropped”/“dumped” quotations
• A robust section that identifies and refutes opposing arguments or alternative solutions fairly and effectively. It is okay in this section to make limited concessions, but opposing arguments should be dealt with in a way that demonstrates the author’s fair-mindedness, while at the same time advancing their own argument.
• A conclusion that synthesizes the main points rather than summarizing or repeating them. The conclusion should invoke the thesis without repeating it word for word, suggest a course of action or an idea you hope the reader will adopt, and point to the broader implications of your argument.
• A Works Cited page that contains citations in proper and consistent MLA format (8th edition), is double-spaced, alphabetized, and indented for second and following lines of each entry, and is free of errors in punctuation and mechanics.