Any argument on a position argument in response to an argument that has been published in the last year.

Paper 3: Position Argument

You will write a position argument in response to an argument that has been published in the last year (unless you get instructor permission). Your paper will oppose the opinion offered in the original argument; however, you do not have to necessarily write about the article from which you originally start your project. Your job is to convince readers that the position the original article takes is wrong and your position is correct.

You may not write about the following topics for Paper 3: legalizing marijuana, legalizing same-sex marriage; abortion; paying student athletes; and gun control.

Before you write your essay, you will write a research proposal. The research proposal instructions can be found on the Paper 3 Proposal assignment in Canvas.

Persuasion doesn’t simply mean you will make a claim, but that you will support it with definitions, details, examples, narratives, statistics and other kinds of evidence to convince your reader that your position is the most valid one. Support for an argument requires robust, credible research. All sources you use for this paper must be current (2010 or later unless given special permission by the professor) and credible (mostly scholarly and/or unbiased, well-informed sources).

Your paper will be 5-6 pages long. You will include approximately 5-6 authoritative sources, and you will use MLA standards to properly cite your sources in-text and in a Works Cited page (your bibliography does not count toward your required page length).

You will organize your argument according to your thesis statement. You will include a strong introduction, cohesive body paragraphs, anticipation of opposition, and a strong conclusion.

You will synthesize your sources with your own ideas, interpretations, and critical analysis of your paper’s topic. Your paper should be about 25-30% borrowed information, and the remainder should be your original composition.

You will use best writing practices, think beyond the obvious, and revise, revise, revise!