Persuasive Research Essay

MLA RESEARCH PAPER

MLA Format 101: A Beginners Guide to MLA Format and Citations

 

Due Dates: DATE ASSIGNED—15 NOVEMBER 2016

 

TOPIC APPROVAL: 28 NOVEMBER 2016

25 SOURCES:/50 NOTE CARDS: 7 DECEMBER 2016

TYPED OUTLINE/BLOCKS: 14 DECEMBER 2016

ROUGH DRAFTS*: 16 DECEMBER 2016 AND 6 JANUARY 2017

FINAL COPY**: 13 JANUARY 2017

 

*Two copies of your typed rough draft are due before the bell rings. Do not plan on using the school’s copy machine. There will invariably be a lengthy line. An electronic copy will be turned in on www.turnitin.com

**Final copy must be turned in to www.turnitin.com before the bell of the class period of the student regardless of computer problems or recent absences.

 

REMEMBER: FIVE WEEKS IS LONG ENOUGH.

 

OBJECTIVE:

Compose a persuasive research paper. Access a variety of primary and secondary information and select the best sources while evaluating source credibility and reliability. Use organizational strategies as an aid to comprehend increasingly difficult content material and interpret information. Analyze and evaluate information from a variety of sources. Summarize, paraphrase, and/or quote relevant information. Understand and include persuasive elements. This is a CCHS Benchmark. Failure to turn in the MLA research paper will result in immediate failure of Honors World Literature.

 

FORMAT:
MLA Format. Typed (12 point font, New times Roman, 1 inch margins, double spaced)

MLA Format (parenthetical documentation and works cited page)

 

ATTENDANCE:

Attendance is crucial. Understand that if you are absent, you are still responsible for what was covered in class. You may need to come in after school for tutoring if you are absent.

 

REQUIREMENTS:

You will turn in a hard copy of your paper as well as uploading it to Turn It IN. You will also turn in a binder. Either a 1” hard copy of a binder or your Edmodo Backpack to be shared with Miss Loock.

 

MATERIALS NEEDED:

100 Note cards

Binder to hold printed material/ E-Binder (aka. Edmodo Backpack)

Library Card (to a public library)

Optional—flash drive

 

ASSIGNMENT:

You will write an Argumentative Research Paper: 10 full pages and onto the 11th page. Works Cited could be on page 12. Your paper must prove a three-five fold thesis statement. In order to prove the thesis, eight outside sources need to be used to support the thesis. Outside sources must be collected properly and documented accurately.

GUIDELINES: 8 Outside Source: Minimum

In compiling information for the research paper, students must be able to collect data from a myriad of different media. Students must use 4 different forms of media or they will fail to meet the minimum source requirements. The following are the parameters for outside sources:

  1. Books, newspapers articles, magazine articles, movies, lectures,

sermons, etc.

  1. Databases
  2. Two computer references max (i.e. Internet)

*** Internet sources may be used, as long as they are credible resources. (i.e. www.newsbank.com is okay, but www.ryansviewonantiabortionblogspot.com is not).

  1. One additional source of your choice (interviews, encyclopedia, dictionaries, etc.)

NO MORE THAN TWO BOOKS, ARTICLES, ETC. FROM THE SAME AUTHOR

GUIDELINES: Note cards

50 note cards are needed as quote cards… note cards must include appropriate numbering and:

  1. Direct quotes
  2. Paraphrases
  3. Summaries
  4. Statistics

 

GUIDELINES: Prewriting Strategies

As with any writing project, you should take some time to organize your thoughts. Here are a

few prewriting strategies that focus specifically on writing persuasive/ argument essays.

  1. Choose a side of the argument that you feel most comfortable presenting.
  2. While researching the facts, think of the questions posed for the assignment or the topics

to investigate.

  1. Analyze the source of information presented for value and reliability.
  2. List the facts and opposing arguments on the topic that are most important for your

audience.

 

GUIDELINES: Essay Format

 

Introduction

The introduction should present the topic of your paper. In academic writing, the introduction most often begins with a general reference to the topic and narrows down to your thesis within four to six sentences. The thesis should be clear, concise, well stated and identifiable. In other words, the reader should have no question about what will be discussed within the paper.

 

Statement of the Case

The statement of case in the essay is the presentation of all pertinent information for your argument. In this section of the paper, at least one paragraph should be dedicated to each element of the argument.

 

Proposition statement

The proposition statement is used in the same way that a thesis statement is used. This statement should clearly define and detail the scope of the essay, but it should also be a debatable statement. Ex: Hispanic county officials must show their support of bilingual education programs because . . .

 

 

 

Refutation

In the refutation section of the essay, you will have the opportunity to refute any claims made against your argument. It is imperative that you research your audience and their views that oppose the elements of your argument. This section will make your argument that much stronger if you can show that opposing ideas have been considered and disproved.

 

Conformation

During the conformation section of the essay, you will reinforce the elements of your argument that refute the opposition’s argument. All three areas, the proposition statement, the refutation section, and the conformation section, should be parallel.

 

Digression (optional)

At this point in the essay, you may want to include some kind of anecdotal information. You could give information from a case study, or from a personal story that has been documented in a journal. Keep in mind that this information, like all information presented in the essay, should be factual and well documented.

 

Conclusion

You must remember that this is your last chance to state your case. Think of the conclusion as the summation in a court case; you have to be convincing—give the reader a “Call to Action.”

 

 

NOTES: Plagiarism

Plagiarism is when a student uses any of the following without documentation:

  1. Another’s wording
  2. Particularly apt term
  3. Paraphrasing another’s argument
  4. Presenting another’s line of thinking

 

CHECKLIST:

Here is a quick and easy way to evaluate your own organization and presentation of your argument. Use this list to determine if you have met the requirements of format and structure of your essay.

  1. Does my introduction present the issue I will discuss, and does it clearly state my position?
  2. Is my topic debatable? Are there two sides to the topic?
  3. Does my proposition statement clearly state my position on the issue?
  4. Have I given enough information on the topic so that my audience can easily follow my

argument?

  1. Are there any definitions or ideas that need to be clarified for my audience?
  2. Have I addressed the major arguments against my position?
  3. Did I refute the arguments against my position using researched, well-documented facts and statistics?