Public Argument Paper
Drawing upon the sources you explored and researched for Part A, you should now begin to craft a specific, focused, and thesis-driven argument.
Traditional arguments are debatable—that is, they are usually open to interpretation, meaning that there are several ways to approach an argument. As such, as a writer of a Public Argument, you should develop a particular stance on an issue. The stance you develop should take the form of thesis statement. This statement, which can vary in length, should give your readers a firm sense of your argument. What are you arguing? And why? What’s to be gained if we read your argument? What’s at stake if we don’t read your argument? Why is this argument important right now? Because the thesis is essential to the success of your argument, it will likely change and shift during the process of writing. That’s OK. In the end, just make sure your thesis matches the support you provide throughout your paper.
The bulk of your paper—the body—should attempt to support your thesis. What do your readers need to know about your thesis? What details need to be fleshed out? What research needs to be incorporated? How can you help your readers consider your claim? The body is the section in which you’ll quote, paraphrase, and summarize key research on your topic. Remember, though, you should maintain your thesis throughout the paper, and therefore, should only use sources to support your central claims.
An essential part of the argument asks you to ethically discuss opposing points of view. What are other approaches to the argument? How are others discussing the argument? Who are all the stakeholders in your argument? Are you ethically considering their points of view? By incorporating this important section in your paper, you will avoid making either-or/us-against-them type of arguments.
Guidelines
Traditional arguments are debatable—that is, they are usually open to interpretation, meaning that there are several ways to approach an argument. As such, as a writer of a Public Argument, you should develop a particular stance on an issue. The stance you develop should take the form of thesis statement. This statement, which can vary in length, should give your readers a firm sense of your argument. What are you arguing? And why? What’s to be gained if we read your argument? What’s at stake if we don’t read your argument? Why is this argument important right now? Because the thesis is essential to the success of your argument, it will likely change and shift during the process of writing. That’s OK. In the end, just make sure your thesis matches the support you provide throughout your paper.
The bulk of your paper—the body—should attempt to support your thesis. What do your readers need to know about your thesis? What details need to be fleshed out? What research needs to be incorporated? How can you help your readers consider your claim? The body is the section in which you’ll quote, paraphrase, and summarize key research on your topic. Remember, though, you should maintain your thesis throughout the paper, and therefore, should only use sources to support your central claims.
An essential part of the argument asks you to ethically discuss opposing points of view. What are other approaches to the argument? How are others discussing the argument? Who are all the stakeholders in your argument? Are you ethically considering their points of view? By incorporating this important section in your paper, you will avoid making either-or/us-against-them type of arguments.
Guidelines
- Must be approximately 8 pages (double-spaced, Times New Roman font, size 12)
- Must include Works Cited/Reference page
- Must adhere to a specific style (either MLA or APA)
- Must incorporate at least 4 sources (likely more)