Documented Argument Assignment Sheet

What you may know as a research paper is not the same as a Documented Argument. The author of a research paper may not take a position on a certain topic or may merely summarize information relevant to the topic. The Documented Argument is not a report.

We have practiced argument this semester. You must take a position on a topic, and use evidence (research) to support that position. The topic you choose does NOT need to be controversial. We will discuss topic selection in class, and your topic must be approved.

Purpose: To construct an argument with documented support.

Audience: An educated reader who knows little about your topic. Do not make assumptions about what experience the reader may have. I should be able to understand your argument and so should your parents, your friends, your neighbors, President Garland and Julia Alvarez. 

Requirements:                       

Sources: You must cite at least six sources in your Documented Argument. Follow these guidelines in the selection of sources. You need:

1) one scholarly book (you may not use the Bible but you may use theological studies of which there are thousands and thousands)

            2) one scholarly articles (a book chapter from a scholarly book may count; see me for questions)

            3) one Internet source (you may have one Internet source for every six sources, i.e. if you have two Internet sources, you must have a total of TWELVE sources cited in your paper)

Other ideas for sources: interview; magazine article (you may have one magazine article for every six sources); pamphlets; reports; newspaper articles. YOU MAY NOT CITE encyclopedias, dictionaries, or other reference books.

Citations: You must cite each of the sources on your Works Cited page at least once. You are expected to use MLA style correctly. There is a chapter on MLA in your Handbook. You should have no more than ONE indented quote (more than four lines of text) in a six-page paper and no more than TWO indented quotes in an eight-page paper.

Length: A successful Documented Argument will be 6-8 pages long in 12-point Times New Roman font with 1-inch (or 1.25-inch) margins on all sides.

Other requirements:

            1) You must have a title.

            2) You must turn in a completed checklist with your final paper (see due dates).

 FINAL PAPER DUE: MONDAY, MAY 3, 2004.