Research Essay: Read Thoroughly!!

An argumentative essay attempts to convince your reader of the validity of a particular opinion on a controversial issue. These following steps may assist you in forming your written argument.

1. Choose a topic that interests you. This should be a topic that you are passionate about and has a sense of controversy to it. Begin researching the topic and establish issues around the topic that can become the focus of the essay. The topic is not the same as the issue of claim made about the topic. The topic is the subject matter that will be addressed. The focus for research concerns an issue or interesting aspect of the topic. The claim is the overall point that you plan to make that is backed by research identified during the research process.

Be sure to record your thesis to let it guide continued research and essay development. Find 3 great sources that support this thesis statement and also look for one source that opposes your claim (counter claim) . Use this source to show that there are opposing views to your claim and show how the research supporting your claim overpowers this counter claim. The goal is to strengthen your argument as much as possible.

As you find sources, be sure to record the information needed to create a reference entry on the reference page. Galileo and Google Scholar have a citing tool that can help you identify the information needed to cite the source. Videos are posted to help you navigate these databases and their citation tools in the Research folder.

2. Clearly identify the issue at stake, and where you stand on it in the introductory paragraph. This is your thesis. Once the issue is identified and a thesis or claim developed, begin developing concepts around your thesis that can become your body paragraphs.

3. Body paragraphs must have essential parts. Body paragraphs must have a main idea that supports the thesis statement. Supporting details that proves the main idea, which will likely come from research. This information should be cited as paraphrased information or a direct quote.Use your strongest points to support your thesis statement in the body paragraphs. Draw on statistics, expert opinions, facts, research studies drawn from journals, books, newspaper articles, reports etc.. Body paragraphs should not end with an in-text citation. Instead, each body paragraph should end with a concluding statement.

4. As mentioned before, acknowledge and address opposing viewpoints and repudiate them using your sources. This will lend additional persuasiveness to your argument.

5. Provide a forceful conclusion that restates your position in different words. It may include a call to action.

The reference page should list all sources used per APA 7th edition guidelines. The in-text citations within the text should align with the texts listed on the reference page. Failure to include in-text citations and/or the reference page is considered plagiarism.

TOPIC: ABORTION SHOULD NOT BE MADE ILLEGAL