Argumentative Essay

Writing & Research

Created by: Megan LoweULM Reference Librarian

Session Overview What Is It? Examples Getting Started Research Quotations & Citations Q & A Time

What is an argumentative essay?

Is like a persuasive essay Should present pros and cons of the issue Should contain an argument Should contain evidence or support for the

issue (facts, statistics, anecdotal evidence) Should concern a manageable topicDerived from the Bogazici University Writing Lab

Examples of Argumentative Topics

Selling marijuana in public places should be illegal * Polygamy is a natural state, and should be legal * Assisted suicide should be legal ¤ Animal testing should be illegal ¤ Graphic video games make kids aggressive and/or

violent Vistas is a better operating system than XP

* From Bogazici University Writing Lab

¤ From Glendale Community College English Department

Getting Started

Picking a topic Something of interest to you Something interesting Something controversial Something argumentative

Getting organized Outlining your paper Creating a keyword list Getting research

General Outline of a Paper Introduction | Thesis statement

Argument-evidence paragraph #1 Argument-evidence paragraph #2 Argument-evidence paragraph #3

Summary of Argument | Conclusion

Example Outline

Thesis: Beans are a more healthy source of protein than beef.

1. Beans are fat-free. (Or, you can point out that beef is not fat-free)

2. Beans are low-sodium. (Or, you can point out that beef is not low-sodium)

3. Beans are cholesterol-free. (Or, you can point out that beef is not cholesterol-free)

Conclusion: Based on the facts that they are fat-free, low-sodium, and cholesterol free, beans are definitely a more healthy source of protein than beef.

Research Evidence for argumentative essays can be

objective – like facts, statistics, and case studies – or anecdotal – your personal experiences

Objective evidence will require research – you can use sources like books, articles, websites, and even people!

Research

Books can be found using the Library’s online catalog.

Articles in magazines, newspapers, and journals can be found using the Library’s databases.

Good websites can be found using engines like Google and Ask

Keywords

Regardless of where you seek resources – books, articles, or websites – the best way to search for resources is keyword searching

Keywords represent the most important parts of your thesis statement or argument

Before you start searching, develop a list of keywords from your argument

Keywords: Example

Thesis: Beans are a more healthy source of protein than beef. Beans legumes Source Healthy – health Protein Beef = red meat Cholesterol

You will combine them together using AND!

Remember: you aren’t limited to the actual words from the thesis – use related words or alternate ideas! Also, look to your arguments for keywords, too – those are key ideas!

Quotations & Citations Quotations: when you use text from a resource

in your own writing Citations: how you acknowledge resources

you’ve used in your paper

Quotations

Indirect Quotation: Some researchers note that "children are totally insensitive to their parent's shyness" (Zimbardo 62).

Direct Quotation: Zimbardo notes that "children are totally insensitive to their parent's shyness" (62).

Paraphrase: While not all children are, research has shown that some children are insensible to the introversion or timidity of their parent or parents (Zimbardo 62).

Citations BookLangland, William. Piers the Ploughman. Baltimore: Penguin Books, Ltd., 1974.

Journal articleThibodeau, P.L., and S.J. Melamut. "Ergonomics in

the Electronic Library." Bulletin of the Medical Library Association 83.3 (July 1995): 322-329.

Citations

Journal article from a database

Becker, Karen. "The Characteristics of Bibliographic Instruction in Relation to the Causes and Symptoms of Burnout." RQ 32.3 (Spring 1993): 346-357. EBSCO ERIC. ULM University Library, Monroe, LA. 19 May 2009.

<http://www.epnet.com>.

Citations

Website

Lowe, Megan. “Citations Guide: MLA Style.” Megan Lowe @ ULM. 8 June 2006. University of Louisiana at Monroe. 12 June 2007 <http://www.ulm.edu/~lowe/MLAcitationguide.html>.

Remember: citations are important for two reasons They allow you to give credit where credit is due, which

keeps you from plagiarism and cheating charges Allows readers to retrace your research steps and look at

the actual resources you used

Question & Answer Time

Argumentative Essay FYI

Presentation http://www.ulm.edu/~lowe/argumentativeessay.ppt

Sites Consulted for PresentationBogacizi University Writing CenterGlendale Community College English Dept.

Don’t forget: the OWL at Purdue! http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ My Contact Info

Email: cullark@ccisd.com