Week 1
discussion
Discussion
Prompt 1:
This week, you will be deciding on the research topic that you
will be using for the Signature Assignment for this course. The signature
assignment will be completed step by step each week as the course progresses. During
this first week, you will decide on the topic that you will use for your paper.
Your topic should be a debatable topic concerning social,
political, or cultural relevance. Some things to think about as you choose a
topic:
Will I be able to leverage only outside information regarding this
topic?
Will I be able to refrain from interjecting personal thoughts,
opinions, and ideas?
Will I be able to find at least 8 credible sources from books,
journal articles, academic websites, interviews, etc.?
Will my sources be up-to-date?
For this discussion, you will list your chosen topic for feedback
from peers and your instructor. After seeing feedback, you may decide to change
your mind on your chosen topic.
In your initial post, please answer the following questions:
What topic are you considering?
What research question will your topic answer?
Why did you choose this topic?
You must also post substantive responses to at least two of your
classmates' posts in this thread. In your responses, provide feedback on their
chosen topics. Look at the hints for choosing a topic and offer feedback on
whether your classmate’s topic seems to meet each requirement. If you see any
potential pitfalls for your classmate related to the chosen topic, be sure to
note these and offer suggestions for how to avoid them.
Discussion
Prompt 2:
Think about times when you have had to write in a formal setting
in the past; this could be previous courses or classes you have taken,
documents you have had to produce for your job, or even documents you have
created yourself such as resumes or cover letters. Ask yourself the following
questions:
When you have had to undertake these types of written projects,
what type of writing process did you use?
Did you brainstorm or freewrite? Outline? Create a rough draft? Do
revisions and proofreading?
If so, how effective do you think that your process has been for
you? How might you improve it going forward?
If not, what steps do you plan to implement going forward as part
of your regular writing routine? Which steps in the writing process do you
think will be most beneficial for you?
Discussion posts must be completed during the week assigned.
Initial posts are due by Wednesday, 11:59 p.m. (PT), and replies to peers
should occur throughout the week to show active participation. You must post a
minimum of two substantive responses to your classmates for each discussion
question posted to earn full participation credit. There is an automatic 10%
point deduction for late initial postings.
Week 2
discussion
Discussion
Prompt 1:
As a writer, knowing your audience is very important. For your
final research paper, you are writing a paper that provides an unbiased
presentation of two sides of a controversial topic. As such, you can assume the
following about your audience:
Your audience may not be highly educated on the chosen topic
Your audience may not have an opinion on the chosen topic
Remind your classmates of the topic you have chosen.
Discuss what types of background information you will need to
include in your paper to help ensure your audience fully understandings the
underlying problem.
Discuss what types of people might be interested in learning more
about your chosen debate.
Explain why it is important to educate your audience on your
topic.
In addition to your main response, you must also post substantive
responses to at least two of your classmates' posts in this thread. Your
response should include elements such as follow up questions, further
exploration of topics from the initial post, or requests for further
clarification or explanation on some points made by the classmates.
Discussion
Prompt 2:
To be an effective writer, it is extremely important to understand
not just the purpose behind your writing project but also the audience that you
are addressing.
For this writing log, you need to accomplish the following tasks:
Think about a presentation that you could give on your research
paper topic.
Describe your topic and your purpose behind your presentation.
Identify three different audience types who might be interested in
the topic.
Explain the differences between how you will approach your
different audiences based on their knowledge base and their preexisting
viewpoint on the topic.
For example, if you were writing about “online education versus
traditional on-ground education,” you could give a presentation about why
online education has more benefits for returning learners than on-ground
education does. Three audiences who might be interested in this topic are
administrators at a traditional college considering opening an online
component, potential returning students deciding whether to apply for a ground
or online program, and students already enrolled in an online program. While
each group has an interest in the topic, the presentation should shift
according to the audiences’ interests, background knowledge on the topic, and
point of view. You should explain which approaches are needed and what
different points you might focus on for each audience.
Week 3
discussion
Discussion
Prompt 1:
A topic sentence is the sentence in a paragraph that provides an
overview of the main point covered in the paragraph. Generally the first
sentence in a paragraph, it also provides a transition from the previous
paragraph. A topic sentence must directly relate to your thesis statement.
In this discussion thread, you need to identify at least four main
points you will be making for your essay; for each main point, craft a topic
sentence that addresses the main point.
Post your thesis statement and your topic sentences. (Remember,
you need a minimum of four topic sentences for this assignment.)
In addition to your main response, you must also post substantive
responses to at least two of your classmates' posts in this thread. As you
craft your follow-up responses, consider the following questions:
Does each topic sentence relate directly to the thesis statement?
Do the topic sentences include transitions from the previous
point?
Are the topic sentences presented without bias?
Are the topic sentences written in third person?
Are there two topic sentences for both main arguments to the
primary issue discussed in the thesis statement?
Discussion
Prompt 2:
Discuss how the writing process has worked for you thus far.
Have you found it easy to be organized as you began working on
this signature assignment?
Think about yourself as a person in general—would you say that you
are always organized, always trying to get organized, happily disorganized?
Does your approach to writing mirror your approach to organization
in other ways in your life? If so, how? If not, how are they different?
Week 4
discussion
Discussion
Prompt 1:
Research is something we all do in both our personal and our
professional lives. We research products we might buy, films or books we might
watch or read, restaurants and hotels we might patronize, medical issues and
doctors, and much more. At work, we research companies we might want to work
for or with, products we might want to use, computer issues we face, and so on.
Think back over the past few months and give at least one example
of research you have conducted for yourself and for work. If you cannot think
of one from each category, you may give two from the same category.
Tell us whether you were able to find the information that you
needed and explain if the information proved to be accurate.
Discuss what types of source materials you are using for your
research paper, and list one of the sources that you plan to use.
Tell your classmates how that source relates to your chosen topic
and what information you plan to use from that source.
In addition to your main response, you must also post substantive
responses to at least two of your classmates' posts in this thread. Your responses
should include elements such as follow-up questions, a further exploration of
topics from the initial post, or requests for further clarification or
explanation on some points made by the classmates.
Discussion
Prompt 2:
Search for your favorite movie on the Rotten Tomatoes website and
read a few of the critics’ reviews.
Write a response (approximately 250 words) that introduces and
provides a brief synopsis of the film, and then address the following
questions:
According to the site, what was the overall consensus of the film?
What were some of the criteria used to analyze the film?
Are the critics’ evaluations similar to yours? If not, on which
points did your view differ?
What do they consider to be the strengths and weaknesses of the
film?
Week 5
discussion
Discussion
Prompt 1:
Plagiarism occurs when a writer uses the words or ideas of someone
else without crediting the person who originally presented the ideas. This can
be done both intentionally and unintentionally, and it is something that is
taken very seriously by the university, so students must recognize and avoid
committing unintentional acts of plagiarism.
Some tips to help prevent unintentional plagiarism include the
following:
When quoting an exact phrase, sentence, or short passage,
quotation marks must be used.
In addition to quotation marks, parenthetical in-text citations
must be included any time information from a source is used. This includes
summarizing, paraphrasing, and using direct quotes.
At the minimum, the author’s last name and date of publication
must be included in the text of the essay when the source is paraphrased,
summarized, or quoted. If this information is not available, the title of the
article or name of the organization must be included.
For every in-text citation that you have, you must have a
corresponding reference entry on your reference page. You do not need to cite
sources on your reference page that are not cited in your essay.
For this discussion, consider the effects/consequences of
committing plagiarism.
How could committing this offense affect your professional life?
What do you think are some of the main reasons why students
plagiarize?
What types of penalties do you think are appropriate for
intentional and unintentional plagiarism?
In addition to your main response, you must also post substantive
responses to at least two of your classmates' posts in this thread. Your
responses should include elements such as follow-up questions, a further
exploration of topics from the initial post, or requests for further
clarification or explanation on some points made by the classmates.
Discussion
Prompt 2:
Choose one of the sources you will be utilizing in your final
paper.
Using one passage from that source, provide an example of a
quotation, an example of a paraphrase, and an example of a summary from that
passage. Try to choose a passage of 50–100 words.
Use the same passage for your quote, paraphrase, and summary.
Clearly identify your quotation, paraphrase, and summary to avoid
confusion.
Finally, include the reference list citation for the source you
used.
In a separate paragraph, discuss the differences between
quotations, paraphrases, and summaries. Identify when these types of methods
might be more appropriate, and discuss how you think you might incorporate
quotations, paraphrases, and summaries into your research paper.
Week 6
discussion
Discussion
Prompt 1:
This week, your rough draft is due by Sunday, and one of the
challenges that students face during this week is a sense of being overwhelmed
at the idea of actually writing the essay, which too often leads to
procrastination and either late nights or late work (or both!) So, let’s talk
about how to avoid this trap.
Read the article “Writing a Rough Draft: Make it Fast, Make it
Easy.” Then post to the discussion forum answering the prompts below.
Discuss what steps you plan to take to help you get started with
drafting your essay.
Discuss whether or not procrastination is something you struggle
with and which strategies you could use to overcome it.
In addition to your main response, you must also post substantive
responses to at least two of your classmates’ posts in this thread. Your
responses should include such elements as follow up questions, further
exploration of topics from the initial post, or requests for further
clarification or explanation on some points made by the classmates.
Discussion
Prompt 2:
Read the article "Sentence Variety," and then write a
response that discusses the importance of using sentence variety when writing.
As part of your response, address the following:
Find and post an example of a simple sentence in your rough draft:
Explain why a simple sentence was most effective in this case, or
explain why it might need to be changed to a different sentence type.
Look at the sentences before and after. Are they both simple
sentences as well? If so, does sentence variety need to be addressed here? Why
or why not?
Find and post an example of a complex sentence in your rough
draft:
Explain why a complex sentence was most effective in this case, or
explain why it might need to be changed to a different sentence type.
Look at the sentences before and after. Are they both complex
sentences as well? If so, does sentence variety need to be addressed here? Why
or why not?
Find and post an example of a compound sentence in your rough
draft:
Explain why a compound sentence was most effective in this case,
or explain why it might need to be changed to a different sentence type.
Look at the sentences before and after. Are they both compound
sentences as well? If so, does sentence variety need to be addressed here? Why
or why not?Check all three sentences to see if they are correctly punctuated,
and if not, address what changes need to be made and why.
Week 7
discussion
Discussion
Prompt 1:
To participate in this peer-review assignment, please follow these
steps:
Post your rough draft in this week's discussion forum. Please note
that it is important to post the draft of your essay as early in the week as
possible to have the best chance of getting a peer to review your work.
Using the Signature Essay Peer Review worksheet, perform a peer
review of the essay posted directly below yours in this forum.
Sometimes confusion occurs. If the essay directly below yours
already has a review posted, choose an essay that has not been reviewed.
If your draft is posted last, review the draft posted first.
Attach your completed Peer Review Worksheet as a “reply” to your
peer’s first draft.
For this discussion forum, you are only required to respond to one
peer to receive full credit. If you do not submit your draft and your Peer
Review Worksheet to both places, you may not receive full credit for your work.
Discussion
Prompt 2:
Using the questions below as a guide, write a response:
When you read your peer’s essay, did you find yourself comparing
your essay to the essay you were reading? What similarities or differences did
you notice? How did the approaches compare?
During the review process, did you come across any ideas for
changes you wanted to make to your own essay? If so, provide examples.
After reading the feedback from the peer who reviewed your essay,
what changes did you decide to make to your essay? Did you come across any
feedback that you disagreed with? Provide examples.
Use the peer-review worksheet and try to answer the questions
about your own essay. What areas may need to be revised? What strengths do you
see in this draft?
Week 8
discussion
Discussion
Prompt 1:
At this point, you have finished your rough draft and received
feedback on it, and now you should be finishing the revision process. All too
often, writers are tired of their essay at this point and are just ready to be
done so they can submit it for a grade.
Let’s talk about how important it really is to take the time to carefully
read your essay and to go through the revising and editing stages of writing.
First, read this article on Typos, Grammatical Errors and Spelling Mistakes for
some examples of major errors that made it past any proofreading and into
publication.
Then, check out Grammar Glitch Central, which collects examples of
grammatical errors that have made it into print.
Pick one example to discuss and explain what the error was and how
it could be fixed.
Next, address how you think this reflects on the company or the
writer who published the ad or article.
Finally, discuss whether you do the revision and proofreading
stages when you compose a written project for work or school, and if you see
yourself using it in the future.
In addition to your main response, you must also post substantive
responses to at least two of your classmates’ posts in this thread. Your
responses should include elements such as follow up questions, further
exploration of topics from the initial post, and requests for further clarification
or explanation on some points made by the classmates.
Discussion
Prompt 2:
Throughout this term, you have worked on writing an informative
essay.
Your essay provides two sides of an argument to allow your reader
to decide which viewpoint is more compelling. For this assignment, you get to
make your case. Explain which side of the argument from your informative essay
has the most compelling case, and argue why your readers should agree with this
point of view. Then, in two to three sentences, discuss how the process of
trying to persuade differs from the process of being informative.
Week 1
Writing Assignment: Topic Submission
For this assignment, you need to submit your finalized topic
choice for final instructor approval.
Due Sunday, 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time)
Use the feedback you received from the discussion as you submit
your proposed topic.In your response of at least two paragraphs, include the
following information:
Explain the broad topic you will be covering.
Explain the controversy you will be presenting both sides of the
issue on.
Explain your purpose for choosing this topic and its relevance to
current issues.
List the audience that you plan to address and why.
Discuss any challenges that you believe you might face or
obstacles you can foresee that you will have to overcome to write about your
chosen topic.
Remember to use appropriate formatting as per APA (6th ed.):
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/0
Week 2
Writing Assignment: Thesis Statement and Source Analysis
For this assignment, you will write the thesis statement for your
research paper and provide a preliminary list of at least six sources for
approval by your instructor.
Due Sunday, 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time)
Create a single-sentence thesis statement that provides an
overview of your debatable topic as well as the two major arguments relating to
that topic. Keep each of these hints in mind as your craft your thesis:
Your thesis statement should match your approved topic from week
1.
A thesis statement is a single declarative sentence (not a
question).
It must be written in the third person only.
Create an APA-formatted reference page with at least six potential
sources that you plan to use both for your annotated bibliography (due next
week) and your final research paper. Keep in mind the following hints:
The appropriate heading for your reference page is the single word
References, which should be centered in lightface Roman font (not boldface,
italics, or underlined.)
The reference page should be written using Times New Roman 12
point font, double-spaced with 1" margins, and no extra spaces between
citations.
Entries should be listed in alphabetical order by author’s last
name.
When you cite an author in the reference page, list the last name
first, then the first initial (Lincoln, A.). Do not write the full first name
when using APA formatting.
In an APA citation, only the first word and proper nouns are
capitalized in an article or book title. The first word after a colon is also
capitalized (e.g., “The strange quirks of APA: Understanding capitalization”).
For each citation, all lines after the first line of each entry
should be indented one half-inch from the left margin.
Refer to this website for great help on exactly how to properly
cite sources and format your reference page:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/05/.
You will be required to use at least ten scholarly sources for
your final paper, and you may list all ten here for approval if desired.
Week 3
Writing Assignment: Outline
This week you will be writing an outline for your final paper.
Your outline must include introduction, body, and conclusion sections and be in
outline format.
Due Sunday, 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time)
In the introduction section of your outline, include the thesis
statement you submitted for your Thesis Assignment, making any necessary
revisions based on instructor feedback. Your outline should stem directly from
your revised thesis statement. You should also include topic sentences (for
each section) and paragraph transitions that help tie your major points
together.
Remember that your final essay must be a minimum of 5 pages long
not counting your cover page or references, so you will need somewhere between
6-8 body paragraphs.
Helpful hints:
Your outline should remain without bias. You must equally present
the arguments of both sides of the issue without revealing which side you agree
with.
Your outline must be written in third person.
Each topic sentence should directly relate back to the thesis
statement.
You may use the outline template provided. Remember to use
appropriate formatting as per APA (6th ed.):
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/0
Expository Essay Outline Template
When you write an expository
essay that presents two sides of an issue without revealing bias, there are
three primary organizational tactics that can be used:
1.
Present all
the major arguments on one side of the issue, and then present all the major
arguments of the opposing viewpoint.
2.
Present one
of the major issues relating to the overarching topic, and in the same
paragraph, discuss the viewpoints of both sides on this particular issue.
3.
In one paragraph, present one of the
viewpoints on one major aspect of the controversy, and then follow that
paragraph with another paragraph presenting the opposing views’ arguments
related to the same aspect of the controversy. You then repeat that pattern one
to three more times.
Carefully consider these options,
choose one, and continue with this organizational strategy for your entire
essay.
You may use the below outline
template:
I.
Introduction
a.
Hook:________________________________________________________
b.
Thesis
statement:_______________________________________________
II.
Body Paragraph 1
a.
Transition:_____________________________________________________
b.
Topic
Sentence:_________________________________________________
i.
Supporting detail
1:________________________________________
ii.
Supporting detail
2:________________________________________
iii.
Supporting detail
3:________________________________________
III.
Body Paragraph 2
a.
Transition:_____________________________________________________
b.
Topic
Sentence:_________________________________________________
i.
Supporting detail
1:________________________________________
ii.
Supporting detail
2:________________________________________
iii.
Supporting detail
3:________________________________________
IV.
Body Paragraph 3
a.
Transition:_____________________________________________________
b.
Topic
Sentence:_________________________________________________
i.
Supporting detail 1:________________________________________
ii.
Supporting detail
2:________________________________________
iii.
Supporting detail
3:________________________________________
V.
Body Paragraph 4
a.
Transition:_____________________________________________________
b.
Topic Sentence:_________________________________________________
i.
Supporting detail
1:________________________________________
ii.
Supporting detail
2:________________________________________
iii.
Supporting detail
3:________________________________________
VI.
Conclusion
a.
Transition:_____________________________________________________
b.
Restatement of
thesis:___________________________________________
Week 4 Writing Assignment: Introduction and Conclusion
This week, you will be using
information from your assigned readings and the Toolwire assignment to draft
the introduction and conclusion of your research paper.
Due Sunday, 11:59 p.m. (Pacific
time)
Keep these tips in mind:
Your introduction should begin
with a hook that draws the reader in.
You need to provide background
information on the issue at large and explain the two major arguments you will
be exploring related to your issue.
Your thesis statement must be
present in your introduction paragraph and is typically the last sentence in
the paragraph.
Your conclusion should effectively
summarize your paper, reminding your audience of the two major sides of the
argument that you explored.
It should bring closure to the
essay.
Both paragraphs should be written
in third person.
Be careful not to overuse tactics
such as rhetorical questions or anecdotes.
Outside sources are typically
reserved for body paragraphs. If used in the introduction or conclusion, they
must be used sparingly and include appropriate in-text citations according to
APA style: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/02/.
Week 5 Writing Assignment: Annotated Bibliography
This week, you will focus on
determining which sources you will use for your final assignment.
Due Sunday, 11:59 p.m. (Pacific
time)
For your final paper, you will be
required to have eight credible and scholarly sources. For this assignment, you
must choose a minimum of five of those sources to create an annotated
bibliography.
Use the Annotated Bibliography
Handout Click for more options for help
with formatting.
For each source, you will first
need to have an appropriately formatted APA reference citation, immediately
followed with a citation entry.
The citation entry should address
the following components:
A short summary of the articles
An evaluation of the author’s
background or authority
A description of the intended
audience
A comparison of this work with
other sources you have selected
An explanation of how this source
supports or opposes your topic
Remember that your entire
annotated bibliography should be double-spaced with no extra spaces between
entries.
Your bibliography needs to be
correctly indented with the first line of each reference list citation flush
left with the left-hand margin (no indentation), and the second and proceeding
lines should have a one-half inch hanging indent from the left-hand margin.
Your annotation begins on the line
following the end of the reference, and lines up with the indented portion of
the reference.
Your citations should be listed in
alphabetical order by author’s last name.
Week 6 Writing Assignment: Rough Draft
This week, you will put together
the first draft of your essay.
Due Sunday, 11:59 p.m. (Pacific
time)
Use your outline from Week 3 and
adding body paragraphs to the introduction and conclusion you submitted in Week
4.
A rough draft is not expected to
be polished, and as such, this assignment will be graded on a completion basis.
However, in order to receive full credit for the assignment, the following
components must be met:
Rough draft includes an
introduction, a minimum of four body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Body paragraphs include
transitional statements and topic paragraphs.
A minimum of eight references are
incorporated as support into the essays.
References are cited using correct
APA formatting in both in-text citations
(https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/02/) and a references page
(https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/05/).
Furthermore, keep in mind the
following tips as you draft your essay:
Ensure that you remain without
bias in your essay and you fairly present both sides of the argument on your
issue.
Do not write in first or second
person (avoid the use of pronouns such as I, me, mine, we, us, ours, you,
yours, etc.)
Be sure to revise your
introduction and conclusion paragraphs based on the feedback you received on
your Week 4 assignment.
Use the outline you posted for
Week 3 as a guide, but if you find that changing some pieces makes more sense
as you draft, that is fine.
Remember to use appropriate
formatting as per APA (6th ed.): https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/0
Week 8 Writing Assignment: The Final Paper
ENGL 240 Signature Assignment
(Research Paper)
The Research Paper assignment is
broken into two key parts:
? Part A: Research Paper
Components:
o Week 1: Topic Submission
o Week 2: Thesis Statement &
Source Analysis
o Week 3: Outline
o Week 4: Introduction &
Conclusion
o Week 5: Annotated Bibliography
o Week 6: Rough Draft
o Week 7: Peer Review
? Part B: Research Paper Final
Draft: This is also the Signature Assignment for this course.
Due Week 8
Purpose: The research paper will
explore a controversial topic in an informative style. This
means that the writer must present
an equal amount of information for both points of view
related to the topic. The topic
should be a debatable topic concerning social, political or cultural
relevance. The paper must present
both sides of the argument without providing personal
thought or opinion. Each side will
be neutrally presented allowing your audience to make their
own decision as to which side to
support.
Some things to think about as you
approach this undertaking:
? Will I be able to refrain from
interjecting personal thought, opinion, and ideas?
? Will I be able to find at least
eight credible sources from books, journal articles, academic
websites, interviews, etc.?
? Will my sources be at
up-to-date? (Please don't use anything more than 8 years old
without approval.)
Research Paper Requirements: These
should all be met in the final paper due in week 8.
1. No personal opinion should be
given. Please refrain from “I think” or “I believe.”
2. Five to seven pages, not
including the title and reference pages.
3. Minimum of eight resources for
your final paper.
4. In-text citations should be
provided throughout the paper, giving credit for the sources
used.
5. Reference page should be
written in APA style, using the sixth edition of the manual.
6. Do not use Wikipedia; it is not
a credible resource.
7. All assignments related to the
research paper will be due on Sundays.
Note: The paper is broken down
into several pieces during the class. Your final paper will be due
in week 8. Please read the weekly
assignments carefully!
Guidelines for writing: The
Structure of an Informative Paper
? Introductory paragraph: Sets the
stage for the topic and earns the audience’s interest.
Historical context and other
features of an introduction (preview of topic, thesis
statement) should be contained in
the introductory paragraph.
? Thesis statement: States the
scope of your paper. For example, “Before deciding which
side to take, readers should be
aware of both positions regarding “X”. It should be the last
sentence of your first paragraph.
? Background information: Gives
readers the basic information they need for
understanding your thesis and its
support. As appropriate, you might include definitions
of key terms, historical or social
context, prior scholarship, and other related material.
Often times this can be included
in the introduction or in a paragraph immediately after it.
Some topics have great historical
context and some don’t.
? Evidence and reasons as related
to point-of-view “A”: The first part of your paper should
present information that people
agree with from the “A” point of view: This is the core of
the essay. Each reason or piece of
evidence usually consists of a general statement
backed up with specific details
and examples. Evidence needs to meet the standards for
critical thinking and reasoning to
be logical. Depending on the length of your essay, you
might devote one or two paragraphs
to each reason or type of evidence. For organization,
you might choose to present the
most familiar reasons and evidence first, saving the most
unfamiliar reasons and evidence
for last. Alternatively, you might proceed from the least
important to the most important
point so that your essay builds to a climax, leaving the
most powerful impact for the end.
? Evidence and reasons as related
to point-of-view “B”: The second part of your paper
should present information that
people agree with from the “B” point of view: and as
stated earlier, each reason or
piece of evidence usually consists of a general statement
backed up with specific details
and examples. Evidence needs to meet the standards for
critical thinking and reasoning to
be logical. Depending on the length of your essay, you
might devote one or two paragraphs
to each reason or type of evidence. For organization,
you might choose to present the
most familiar reasons and evidence first, saving the most
unfamiliar reasons and evidence
for last. Alternatively, you might proceed from the least
important to the most important
point so that your essay builds to a climax, leaving the
most powerful impact for the end.
? Concluding paragraph: Ends the
essay logically and gracefully—never abruptly. It often
summarizes the controversy,
elaborates its significance, or calls readers to action.
? Sources: A source is any form of
information that provides ideas, examples, information,
or evidence. A primary source is
an original work created by groups or individuals being
studied, including original
documents, letters, diaries, poems, books, paintings, artwork,
films, news footage, etc. Nothing
stands between you and a primary source. A secondary
source reports, describes comments
on, or analyzes someone else’s work. When
completed, your research paper
will be a secondary source.
? Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the
intended or unintended use of someone else’s words and/or
ideas as your own. According to
Troyka, “plagiarism occurs when you take ideas or
words from a source without
revealing that you used a source” (p. 17)
