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Research Paper

Overview

For the final assignment in ENGL 102, you will write a Research Paper in which you will take a

stand on an issue, offer reasons and evidence in support of your position, and summarize and

respond to alternative views. Your goal is to persuade your audience and try to bring them

around to your opinion or point of view.

This Research Paper demands much effort on your part and you will go through two steps

(Formal Outline and Final Draft) to accomplish this assignment. These two steps will serve as

the guidelines and ensure that your paper will not be off the topic and thus meet the

requirements for this assignment.

Suggested Essay Structure:

1) Introduction with thesis statement

2) Support of your reasons with evidence

3) Presentation of opposing views

4) Rebuttal or Refutation: your argument against opposing views

5) Conclusion

Formal Outline with Thesis (20%)

Due Date: 11:59 pm of Friday, March 13

Please read Lesson 5 of the Research Writing: Organizing Your Materials: Outlining for more

information.

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Outside Sources

Items selected should be from different types of sources. In your final paper, you must have at

least eight sources, three different types of sources, and no more than two of your sources can

come from the Internet. Here is an incomplete list of possible types of sources.

Books (see the library online catalog)

Print articles (If you are not sure how to do this, ask at the Library Help Desk for help.)

Print articles online (If you are not sure how to do this, ask at the Library Help Desk for

help.)

Web pages (be careful! Evaluate the credibility and validity of individual web pages. Cite

the URL -- the web address that appears in the address line of your web browser.)

Interviews. Be sure you cite the name, title, and reason for interviewing the person you

interview, and cite the time. Do not do more than one interview for your paper.

Local information publications such as brochures, information pamphlets, or white

papers (documents produced by government agencies and local organizations)

Final Draft (80%)

Due Date: Friday, May 8

In this final draft you will use the sources you have collected to assist you in making the

argument. To truly be persuasive, however, you must recognize and discuss opposing

viewpoints. Not only does it enhance your credibility as a writer to address views that differ

from the ones you propose, but it also allows for a fuller understanding of the issue you are

writing about. Remember that reasonable people do disagree about most important issues.

In this draft, you will continue to outline the argument and supporting reasons, but you will also

begin summarize an opposing set of viewpoints and refute them. Refutation is more than

simply re-stating your argument. It means that you will consider the opposing viewpoints and

disagree with these opposing reasons. For example, if you were writing an argument proposing

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a solution that Social Security should be strengthened by those funds being set aside, an

opposing viewpoint would certainly be that the best way to strengthen Social Security

retirement funds would be for the government to invest more aggressively in stocks or higher-

yield bonds. You would certainly acknowledge this opposing viewpoint as reasonable but, to

refute it, you might well go to its supporting reasons (e.g., more money can be made in the

Stock market than can in safer investments, or, higher yields make for more prosperous

retirements). In either case, you could refute the opposing viewpoints by referring to the

riskiness of the market. Of course, there would be other ways to refute but, in each case,

refutation should acknowledge the claim, reasons, and evidence of the opposing viewpoints.

Make sure that the Final Draft contains the following elements:

The issue should be clearly defined and should be one of the topics approved by your

instructor.

The problematic nature/significance of the issue is clear.

At least 8 sources from a variety of media should be used in support of the writers

position and/or the opposing views. No more than two Internet sources should be used.

The draft should have a clearly identified audience and purposeafter reading the draft,

it should be clear to whom the writer is writing and why he/she is writing.

The draft is logically organized, with a clear thesis, reasons, and evidence.

Opposing viewpoints are acknowledged and addressed. Rebuttal should be tied directly

to these opposing viewpoints.

The writer has created a balanced paragraph structure.

The writer uses variety in sentence length and type.

A separate Works Cited page following MLA documentation.

The total word count should be at least 1500 words.

The draft should exhibit reasonable error control.

Suggested Topics:

1. Americas Image Abroad

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2. American Economy and the Deficit

3. American Private Education, Colleges & Universities or K-12

4. Art, Public Funding

5. Computer Technology

6. Consumer Credit/Debt

7. Controlling Prescription Drug Costs

8. Endangered Species (specific)

9. Energy Solutions, Alternate to oil/gas

10. Ethics in Business

11. Government Infrastructure Spending

12. Housing

13. Immigration

14. Nutrition Labeling

15. Parent and Child

16. Telemarketing and the publics right to privacy

17. Traffic-Violation Photography

18. UFOs

19. Vegetarianism

20. Workplace concerns

The topics above are rather general and only serve to give you a sense of the topics you can

pick. In other words, the title of your research paper should be more specific.

If you intend to choose another topic, please be sure that the topic should be approved by the

instructor.

Note: Please avoid the following (plus a few others) deadly topics:

1) Abortion

2) Adoption

3) Animal Testing/Animal Experimentation/Animal Research

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4) Death Penalty

5) Drinking Age

6) Drugs

7) Gay Marriage

8) Gun Control

9) Juvenile Crime

10) Marijuana

11) Prayer in School

12) Religion

13) School Uniforms

14) Seatbelts/Airbags

15) Sex and/or Violence on TV

16) Sex Education/Birth Control

17) Teenage Driving

18) Violence in Schools