Question: Please include the following for your preliminary work on your Research Argument Paper
1. Your issue of controversy(This is not the same as a topic which is usually broader-see below for an example.)
2. Debate or guiding question: If you think about it, almost all essays involve a question behind the argument. Your thesis/claim/argument is the short answer to the question. The body of your paper explains the reasons for your short answer and provides further support for both your answer and your reasons. Also, although the book phrases the question as a debate question in order to make sure you answer in the form of a persuasive argument, the word "debate" implies an either/or situation. I would like you to remember that most questions and issues have more than two answers and/or perspectives.)
3. Thesis/claim/argumentYour nutshell (short-one sentence or two at the most) answer to your question.
4. Includea paragraph that explores and explains why this question(not the issue-your question-issues can have different questions depending on who is looking at the issue.) is important/significant to you.
5. Include a paragraph that explores and explains why others might find this question to be important/significant.
The reason I ask you to explore and explain why your QUESTION-not the issue- is important to you is because not all questions about an issue deserve equal time and effort in terms of doing research and writing an essay about the research. Exploring and explaining to yourself (and me in this case) why a question is of significance allows you to think more deeply about the reasons you are interested in the question; it can help you refine your question if you discover that it is too broad, or it can help you add more to your question. The following is an example of an essay that was born out of reading Jimmy Santiago Baca's memoir, A Place To Stand.