Research Essay: Local Issues
Overview: Your task is to choose a local issue that is important to you and provide a well-researched argument about the topic. Your thesis must present a claim about the topic that is debatable.
Requirements:
The essay should be at least 1200 words in length. The Works Cited page does not count in this total.
Make sure that you have a strong, argumentative thesis statement that clearly lays out what you will discuss in your paper.
Use the scholarly tone for writing a formal paper.
Support your argument with evidence from your research.
Include proper MLA in-text citations and Work(s) Cited page
You must have at least four sources for your essay.
You must have a variety of source mediums. The sources must be evaluated for strength.
Note: All work submitted must be original. If you need help understanding plagiarism, please check out some of the material under content or ask me directly. You can not submit work that has previously been submitted for another class.
Topic:
Choose a topic that is culturally, socially, and/or politically relevant to the local community– one that matters to you. Start by looking in your local community (neighborhood, school, local business, etc.) to see if you can find an issue to raise and/or a problem for which you think you could find a solution. Your thesis will be grounded in the local solution, but you may rely on national data to support your claims.
This means that you should begin this process early by becoming familiar with current events in the local, national and/or global discourse. Although you will have considerable freedom to select the issue, we will work together to ensure that your topic will work for this assignment. You must also be able to make a clear, well-supported argument, which critically and intelligently states your opinions on the subject. Be specific and concise in asserting your position.
Topic categories: education, tourism, transportation, environmental issues/impacts, public health, housing, etc. You could also consider a larger/national/global issue as it applies locally.
When planning a persuasive argument, follow these steps:
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Choose your position. Which side of the issue or problem are you going to write about, and what solution will you offer? Know the purpose of your essay.
- A successful essay must provide specific and convincing evidence. Often it is necessary to go beyond your own knowledge and experience. You will need to read articles others have written on the topic, do research, or watch/read (wait for it…) the news.
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Structure your essay. Figure out what evidence you will include and in what order you will present the evidence. Remember to consider your purpose, your audience, and your topic.
The following criteria are essential to produce an effective argument:
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Be well informed about your topic. To add to your knowledge of a topic, read thoroughly about it, using legitimate sources. Take notes, and use signal phrases to establish each source’s credibility.
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Test your thesis. Your thesis, i.e., argument, must have two sides. It must be debatable. If you can write down a thesis statement directly opposing your own, you will ensure that your own argument is debatable.
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Disprove the opposing argument. Understand the opposite viewpoint of your position and then counter it by providing contrasting evidence or by finding mistakes and inconsistencies in the logic of the opposing argument.
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Support your position with evidence. Remember that your evidence must appeal to logos.
- Your sources must be evaluated for strength. The success of your argument depends in part on the selection of sources, which lends credibility to your claim and establishes ethos.
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When in doubt, favor the logical argument over the emotional one. While you probably will be impassioned by your cause, remember that you must argue thoughtfully, and with intelligence (establishing the ethos necessary for your reader to trust you).
RESEARCH:
You must have at least four sources for your essay. However, you may find that you will need even more. These may come from books, magazines, journals, online databases, or the Internet websites, but do not to rely completely on one type of source (such as using only Internet websites). This does not mean, however, that you have to have one of each type of source. In other words, you must have a variety of source mediums. You should evaluate your sources for strength and make sure that they are appropriate for an academic assignment.
Do not use Wikipedia as a source.
All sources must be represented within the text of the essay, which means that you must cite each source at least once. You will follow the MLA format for citing these sources.
Your essay must also have a Works Cited page that lists the sources used in your essay. It will be written according to the MLA format. It does not count toward the required length of the essay.
GETTING STARTED:
First, get to know our library: http://libguides.tridenttech.edu/LibraryOrientation. There is a wealth of information at your fingertips!
Take a look at the Post and Courier for topic ideas (available via Newsbank database in TTC’s library). The newspaper can also be a wonderful source for the assignment.
Make an appointment to work with a librarian to find sources for your paper.
Also try to search for articles using one of our library’s online databases ( Academic Search Premier or Opposing Viewpoints in Context are a couple of my favorites) ; you should also check through the other available databases.
Finally, don’t forget to check for available books on your topic, not only in our library, the libraries of the other colleges in the area.