ARGUMENTATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT ASSIGNMENT
The Topics:
You have a choice between one of the two following topics to explore
Here's the short version, and then you'll see the extended.
1. Should guns be allowed on college campuses?
2. How do features of vice and corruption in modern New Orleans align with or differ from historical precedents?
1. With the numerous school shootings over the last two decades, especially in America as this is chiefly an American thing, one may wonder - What is the cause of all these shootings, and what can be done about the problem?
Is there some root thing worth targeting, or has some perfect storm been created now-beyond our powers to stop it-and we should just accept frequent shootings as the price of living in America?
In an essay of 1500 words you must answer the question
Should guns be allowed on college campuses? (if you choose to, you may also include lower school).
Three essays should be read in preparation:
The first is Timothy Wheeler's "There's A Reason They Choose Schools."
The second is Malcolm Gladwell's "Thresholds of Violence: How School Shootings Catch On" [link available in Web Links at the bottom of Modules, or by Googling].
The third is Jesus M. Villahermosa's "Guns Don't Belong in the Hands of Administrators, Professors or Students" [Google it].
Optional is the fictional piece "American Tramplings," available in our Writing Assignment #4 module.
Your essay must be in MLA format again - refer to your checklist.
Your work must have 6-8 outside sources. You must use at least one of the required readings, and may use all three.
PARTICIPATE IN THE DISCUSSIONS for ideas! (and please be civil there, as this is an emotional topic).
2. Also in an essay of 1500 words and with 6-8 outside sources...
After reading the long work "Sex and the Historic City" ( as a .pdf in our module )
Write a research paper in which you argue how current issues of vice, prostitution, and land use in the New Orleans area are related to the many historical precedents described in the essay.
Issues of gentrification, Air B n B, and post-Katrina master plans are all fair game.
What, if anything, should be done to correct the problem?
• Note the essentials shown below
The Four Pillars of Argument:
This is an argumentative research paper, meaning you will take a stand on a debatable, current, controversial topic, formulate your own argumentative claim and support that claim with reasons, examples, evidence and discussion. You will use outside sources to develop and support your claim. You must pay attention to the 4 Pillars of Argument-thesis, evidence, refutation, conclusion as well as the rhetorical situation and the classical appeals throughout the paper.
Make sure that your research paper includes:
1. Introductory Information
This will be a standard introductory paragraph(s) that introduces the topic and the position that you plan to take on the topic. It should grab the reader's attention and set the tone for the entire paper. There are several introductory strategies you can use. You must have a hook, grab the reader's attention, and clarify the topic you will be discussing. This section may be longer than just one paragraph.
2. Thesis Statement/claim
This is your position statement, the argument you are making in the essay. You can present your thesis statement wherever you feel it works best-at the end of the introductory information, after the background information, before or after your counter-argument. It is your choice, but it must be clear what your topic is and what position you are taking on it.
3. Background Information
You should provide your readers with relevant background information as needed. You may include background information at the beginning of the paper or anywhere else that you need to provide context for a point you are making. Background information includes history, definitions, important legal cases, etc. Remember, the point of background info is to give your audience a context to understand the debate
4. Reasons and Evidence
This is where you provide support for your thesis statement, the meat of your essay. You will present reasons to support your claim and then provide evidence to support these reasons.
Devote at least one or two paragraphs to each reason and be sure to provide evidence to substantiate the reasons. Remember to use the RENNS (reasons, examples, names, numbers, and the senses) to provide support. You should find your evidence through your research efforts. You must provide 3-4 reasons in support of your claim.
5. Refutation (Counter-Argument/Rebuttal)
When presenting an argument, you must discuss the opposing position's reasons and evidence and offer a rebuttal and/or refutation. Addressing the opposition assures that you are aware of the this point of view. This refutation does not need to be in a single paragraph, isolated from the rest of the paper. You can deal with the opposition within body paragraphs if the counterargument is about one of your reasons. Make sure to use an appropriate signal phrase to introduce the counter argument.
6. Conclusion
This section logically concludes the entire essay. It is your last chance to wow the audience and reiterate the importance of your position and topic. Make the audience care.
7. Works Cited page
This paper has a six-source minimum, but a true research process involves reading more than the minimum, reading things you may not need in the final paper, and continuing to research even as you have begun drafting the paper.