Essay

Writing Assignment 3: Draft of Academic Argument

1

st Draft Due [upload to Canvas]: See class schedule [15% of class grade]

1

st Draft Due [for online peer review]: See class schedule [Canvas Module grade]

WA 3 Online Peer Review Guidelines [see full explanation in Canvas]

• Conducted in discussion board

• Post your WA 3 draft as attached Word or PDF file in by module 12 due date

• Post your completed Peer Reviews by module 13 due date

Instructions: Write a formal, academic argument that is supported by credible research/evidence addressing the

research question you established/investigated in WA 1 and fully researched/outlined in WA 2.

NOTE: This paper is not a ROUGH draft. It is a first draft, which means it should be complete, meet

all minimum requirements, and be polished as possible. If you submit an EXCEPTIONAL (A-level)

draft, you will not be required to revise and resubmit a final version.

Content/Structure

The research paper should be a polished document that makes a strong argument and supports that argument throughout

the body of the paper using research sources.

Research Sources

You must use at least 8 academically-appropriate research sources for this assignment. Your sources must be appropriate

for college-level research; please use the standards and guidelines discussed in chapters 18 & 19 when selecting your

sources.

Acceptable Sources

● Articles from major newspapers, magazines, or other reputable news sources

● Articles from government departments or educational institutions (.govs and .edus)

● Articles found through the libraries databases

You MAY NOT use the following sources:

● Articles from privately-owned .coms or .orgs (some exceptions may be made with Ms. Allen’s approval)

● Wikipedia

● Papers written by other students (online or in print)

● Dictionaries & Encyclopedias (online or in print)

● Study guides

Support

You must explain your ideas in detail to make a clear and complete argument. For this assignment, you’ll also need to

include specific examples and/or quotes from ALL 8 sources to support your analysis.

Counterarguments

Your paper MUST address counterarguments and provide rebuttals, including at support from at least one source.

Format

● You must use in-text citations (parenthetical and signal phrases) that correspond with the bibliographic citation on

your works cited page; all sources used in paper must be on works cited and all sources on works cited must be

used in paper. In-text citations should match with first item (author or title) in bibliographic citation.

● No dangling/dropped quotes – all textual evidence should be integrated appropriately

● You must include a Works Cited Page with your research paper. DO NOT submit this as a separate document;

the Works Cited page belongs at the end of your paper.

● ALL assignments must be submitted in proper MLA format. For help with MLA style guidelines, read Chapter

22 in EAA and visit the Purdue OWL website and search for MLA: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

● Do not use 2nd person (you/your) or phrases like “I think, I feel, I believe, in my opinion, etc.”

Length

This paper should be approximately 6 pages in length, not including the Works Cited page. I expect the paper to end at the

top of the 6th page [5 full pages] to meet this requirement