Write a Persuasive research essay on Organic vs conventional foods.
Getting Started
I want you to understand now that just because I'm listing the Introduction first, that does not mean that you have to write it before you write the rest of your paper. You could write the introduction last, for example. How would anyone know?
Skipping the Introduction, at least for a while, can help you to get started on the paper more quickly. For example, if you have a really good counterargument that you know how you're going to refute, what's wrong with typing that up? It's not as if you're writing this thing by hand. You can move all this stuff around after you get a few paragraphs on the page with which to work. This is a good way to avoid staring at a blank page for twenty minutes, wishing you'd done all this yesterday.
Another option is to create an outline, which I will never see. Many students resist outlining because it feels like more work, but it is a quick way to organize your ideas before spending a lot of time writing. It helps to avoid redundancies, and if you've already gotten your ideas in order, you can simply fill in those blanks, paragraph by paragraph, and you're done. You might find you have some ready-made headings within the outline that you can use, too.
What to Include
Introduction
You will need an introduction, usually just a paragraph or two (though more is fine, if it works well with your argument), that lets the reader know what your thesis statement is. You will also want to use the introduction to engage your reader further and keep him or her reading. Here are a few ideas if you do not remember from Core Composition I:
Explain to your readers why you think it's important to argue about your issue. For example, why is it controversial? What are its implications? Why is your issue important? For whom is it important? (And no, you don't need to cover all these questions, like a laundry list, in your introduction. These are just some ideas to consider.)
You might also try starting with an anecdote (though not a personal one--keep yourself out of this and focus on the issue) or by briefly describing a case study.
These are not the only options for your Introduction, but they are a good place to start your thinking.
Thesis Statement
For this research essay, you'll be presenting a thesis statement, which is also commonly known as just a thesis. In your thesis statement, you'll be telling the reader what you believe to be true. Your thesis statement should be one sentence, and we should be able to tell from it what your side is. The rest of your essay, basically, will work to defend the opinion in your thesis statement.
If you'd like a refresher from Core Composition I on thesis statements, here's one:
https://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml
Claims to Back up the Thesis Statement
Your thesis statement might state that any cell phone use while driving should be illegal nationwide. Claims to back up this thesis include, but are not limited to, the following: cell phone use while driving has caused an increase in automobile accidents, cell phone use while driving has caused an increase in the number of speeding tickets issued, and cell phone use while driving causes cancer. I want to assure you I am making these claims up off the top of my head.
But do you see how claims back up the thesis statement writer's opinion that cell phone use while driving should be illegal nationwide?
Evidence
Once you've let the audience know what you're claiming, you can get down to the business of proving that your claim is true. This proof, which we call evidence, is the research you have been compiling. Evidence includes items such as statistics, quotes from experts in the field, and the like. Make sure you cite all the evidence you use.
Counterargument
Co-mingling with all this evidence that you're right, though, will be a counterargument. A counterargument is basically the voice from the other side; it's the person who disagrees with you from across the table. While you're stating that cell phone use while driving should be illegal nationwide, the person with the counterargument is shaking his or her head and saying, "But I need to stay in constant touch with the children I've left unattended at an amusement park!"
It might seem silly to mention an argument that disagrees with your own. But you want to give this counterargument its day in the sun because if you don't, the reader will be thinking, "But I need to stay in constant touch with the children I've left unattended at an amusement park!" You don't want your reader thinking that you're uninformed (or worse, that you're ignoring the other side because you secretly know it's right). So, you'll talk about the counterargument, probably in an entire paragraph. And then you'll state why you're right anyway.
For example, if you're claiming that excessive television viewing by children decreases their intelligence, someone might be thinking, "OK, but what if my kids watch only educational programming? Did you even think about that?" So before that thinking on your reader's part even starts, stop it with something like this:
"Although some children's viewing is limited to educational programming, their intelligence may still be adversely affected. When a child remains passive for long periods of time, that child is not exploring his or her environment (Smith 138). That child is missing out on active discovery and social connections from the real world. Sesame Street can demonstrate to a child that Elmo can be hot or cold, but a demonstration is a weak substitute for experiencing the differences between a hot sidewalk underfoot or a cold snowball in the hand."
Conclusion
By all means, do have a concluding, final paragraph. As with the thesis statement, I figure most of you have concluded a paper or two in your day. One tip is to avoid starting your conclusion with something like, "In conclusion," because that's a bit tired. Instead, just say what you want to say. You needn't alert your reader that you're wrapping up. And here's a fine overview from the University of North Carolina if your brain needs some refreshing or if you always felt you were lousy at this in the first place:
https://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/writing-the-paper/conclusions
Well, that's all for now. It is time to begin drafting your research essay. Do send a message to me via this Canvas course if you have questions.
Conclusions
writingcenter.unc.edu
This handout will explain the functions of conclusions, offer strategies for writing effective ones, help you evaluate drafts, and suggest what to avoid.