Writers Den

Your researched argument is meant to stand as a
culmination of all the work you have done throughout the course.You will more
than likely be asked to write many of these as you move further into your
academic and professional career, and you should expect these essays to
gradually become longer and more involved as you move forward.

Throughout this course, we have been focusing our
arguments on the practice of arguing to find meaning. Because of that, it is
important to practice balancing opposing viewpoints of a single issue.This
essay allows you the chance to do just that. Because much of the writing you
will be doing throughout your academic and professional career will be
argumentative, this essay will help you to hone your rhetorical skills in
several ways: first, this essay will help you to establish an environment of
civilized discourse within your writing (essential for productive
argumentation); secondly, this essay will allow you to practice your research
skills in both identifying and integrating sound arguments; and thirdly, this
essay gives you a chance to practice your critical thinking skills—skills you
will need for success throughout your academic and professional life.

Remember, the purpose of this essay is not to prove
whether you are right or wrong, but instead prove that you can fairly present
two sides of an argument and logically determine the best solution to the
problem you are faced with. With that in mind, we ask that you withhold your
personal opinion, personal judgments of the material, or personal narrative
until the concluding remarks of your essay.

The final draft of your essay should meet the
following guidelines:

·
is between 900 and 1200 words in length;

·
includes direct quotations and paraphrased passages
from four or more scholarly texts representing more than one side of the issue;

·
qualifies each of the authors
(authors representing each side of the debate should have compatible
credibility);

·
withholds personal opinion until the conclusion of
the essay;

·
is written clearly, concisely, and accurately;

·
is written primarily in third-person;

·
includes a References page;

·
has been closely edited so that it contains few or
no mechanical errors.

*Note that no one writes a polished essay in a
single sitting.Start early and give yourself time for multiple revisions.

Researched
Argument Checklist:

As you go work on your essay, the following
questions should help to keep you on track. It may be beneficial to have
someone read your essay and help you answer them.

1. How does this essay meet the assignment criteria?

2. Does this essay treat both sides of the argument equally and fairly?

3. What is the purpose of this essay to be? What does it do to meet that
purpose? How effective is the argument?

4. Does this essay avoid second person language and limit first person
language?

5. Are there elements of pathos, ethos, and logos in this essay. Do
these appeals work together to propose a solution?

6. Does the essay avoid logical fallacy in the reasoning behind the
solution?

Grading Criteria Assignments	Maximum Points
Meets or exceeds established assignment criteria	40
Demonstrates an understanding of lesson concepts	20
Clearly present well-reasoned ideas and concepts	30
Mechanics, punctuation, sentence structure, spelling that affects clarity, and citation of sources as needed	10
Total