Argumentative Essay

Writing & Research

Presented by: Megan Lowe

ULM Reference Librarian

What is an argumentative essay?

Is like a persuasive essay Should present pros and cons of the issue Should contain an argument Should contain evidence or support for the

issue (facts, statistics, anecdotal evidence) Should concern a manageable topicDerived from the Bogazici University Writing Lab

Examples of Argumentative Topics

Selling marijuana in public places should be illegal * Polygamy is a natural state, and should be legal * Assisted suicide should be legal ¤ Animal testing should be illegal ¤ Graphic video games make kids aggressive and/or

violent Vistas is a better operating system than XP

* From Bogazici University Writing Lab

¤ From Glendale Community College English Department

Arguable or Not Arguable

Marijuana should be legalized. Arguable

Smoking is harmful to people’s health. Not Arguable UMHS is the best school in the district. Arguable

Emissions hurt the ozone. Not arguable

Getting Started

Picking a topic Something of interest to you Something interesting Something controversial Something argumentative

Getting organized Outlining your paper Creating a keyword list Getting research

General Outline of a Paper

Introduction | Thesis statement Argument-evidence paragraph #1 Argument-evidence paragraph #2 Argument-evidence paragraph #3

Summary of Argument | Conclusion

Introduction

Get the attention of the audience Attention Getter or Hook

Provide background information to orient the reader to the issue What does the reader need to know about this issue? Define terms

Create a thesis statement or assertion to guide the reader

The Antithesis

Address the case of the opposition Several paragraphs at the beginning or weaved

throughout the paper (argument-concession)

Concede points which can not be refuted Use signal words and phrases such as Admittedly, While

it is true that etc.

Offer refutation for claims which can be countered Use signal words and phrases such as It has been

argued, However etc.

Body Paragraphs

Provide a clear topic sentence for each paragraph Use Topic Sentence, Concrete Detail, Commentary (TS, CD, COMM) or

Statement, Evidence, Explanation (S-E-E) or, Claim, Data, Warrant (CDW) Build to the strongest argument Use a variety of appeals Demonstrate logic and reasoning Address the opposition

Conclusion

Restate your main premise Provide a brief summary of your argument Show how a group will benefit from following your assertion Explain what might happen if your idea is not accepted End with a rhetorical question Ask for a call to action

Sample Argument Essay

Read the annotated essay on the next slide and review the following: attention getter organization antithesis—con how author refutes the con connective words—transitions development of arguments slippery slope metaphor conclusion

Research

Evidence for argumentative essays can be objective – like facts, statistics, and case studies – or anecdotal – your personal experiences

Objective evidence will require research – you can use sources like books, articles, websites, and even people!

Research

Books can be found using the Library’s online catalog.

Articles in magazines, newspapers, and journals can be found using the Library’s databases.

Good websites can be found using engines like Google and Ask

Keywords

Regardless of where you seek resources – books, articles, or websites – the best way to search for resources is keyword searching

Keywords represent the most important parts of your thesis statement or argument

Before you start searching, develop a list of keywords from your argument

Keywords: Example

Thesis: Beans are a more healthy source of protein than beef. Beans legumes Source Healthy – health Protein Beef = red meat Cholesterol

You will combine them together using AND!

Remember: you aren’t limited to the actual words from the thesis – use related words or alternate ideas! Also, look to your arguments for keywords, too – those are key ideas!

Databases: Ebscohost

Databases: Ebscohost

Full-text articles in Ebsco will either be HTML, PDF, or both. If you don’t see HTML or PDF (or both), then the article is not available in full.

Databases: Ebscohost

Possible keywords!

Abstracts are a summary of the article.

This will cite the article for you!

Databases: Ebscohost

Quotations & Citations

Quotations: when you use text from a resource in your own writing

Citations: how you acknowledge resources you’ve used in your paper

Quotations

Indirect Quotation: Some researchers note that "children are totally insensitive to their parent's shyness" (Zimbardo 62).

Direct Quotation: Zimbardo notes that "children are totally insensitive to their parent's shyness" (62).

Paraphrase: While not all children are, research has shown that some children are insensible to the introversion or timidity of their parent or parents (Zimbardo 62).

Citations

BookLangland, William. Piers the Ploughman. Baltimore: Penguin Books, Ltd., 1974.

Journal articleThibodeau, P.L., and S.J. Melamut.

"Ergonomics in the Electronic Library." Bulletin of the Medical Library Association 83.3 (July 1995): 322-329.

Citations

Journal article from a database

Becker, Karen. "The Characteristics of Bibliographic Instruction in Relation to the Causes and Symptoms of Burnout." RQ 32.3 (Spring 1993): 346-357. EBSCO ERIC. ULM University Library, Monroe, LA. 19 May 2009.

<http://www.epnet.com>.

Citations

Website

Lowe, Megan. “Citations Guide: MLA Style.” Megan Lowe @ ULM. 8 June 2006. University of Louisiana at Monroe. 12 June 2007 <http://www.ulm.edu/~lowe/MLAcitationguide.html>.

Remember: citations are important for two reasons They allow you to give credit where credit is due, which keeps

you from plagiarism and cheating charges Allows readers to retrace your research steps and look at the

actual resources you used

Argumentative Essay FYI

Sites Consulted for PresentationBogacizi University Writing CenterGlendale Community College English Dept.

Don’t forget: the OWL at Purdue! http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/