The Pro/Con Research Paper

Due on the last day of class

 

There are several different ways to organize your argument:

 

1. Introduction                        2. Introduction                        3. Introduction

Confirmation                           Refutation                               Refute first opposing argument and lead to

Refutation                               Confirmation                           your 1st confirmation point

Conclusion                              Conclusion                              Refute 2nd opposition argument and lead to

                                                                                                your 2nd confirmation point    

           

1)      Introduction

a)      Announce subject

b)      Narrow down and state the issue

c)      Arouse the audience’s attention

d)     Establish yourself as trustworthy

e)      Give background info

i)        Where the issue started

ii)      What caused it

iii)    Ho long it has been going on

iv)    Who is involved in the issue, etc.

f)       Explain magnitude / context of the issue

i)        Why the issue is worth discussing

ii)      Who it affects

iii)    In what context is arises

g)      State your thesis

i)        Take a clear stand and explicitly state which side of the issue you’re on

ii)      Give some indication of why you are on that side of the issue

iii)    Place the thesis at the end of the introductory section.

 

2)      Confirmation

The confirmation consists of assertions/reasons which argue for the stand you have taken in your thesis.  You should have one paragraph for each of these reasons, for each confirmation point. 

a)      Topic Sentences: The first sentence (topic sentence) should present a reason which backs up your thesis.  It should make an assertion which can (and will) be backed up by evidence.

i)        Example: Without animal testing, many lifesaving techniques would still be unknown. Each topic sentence should touch back to your actual thesis.

ii)      Example: Another point in favor of using animals for medical research is that their physiology often closely resembles that of humans.  

b)      Similarly, you may want to refer back to the topic sentence at strategic points in the paragraph.  Just repeating a key word or phrase once or twice in a paragraph can focus the reader’s attention and add force to the entire point.  But, be sure that the repetition serves a purpose; don’t do it to keep thinking of more words.

c)      Evidence: You should now provide quotes and/or paraphrases to support the topic sentence.  Provide reputable sources which back up your side.

i)        Example: Give doctors’ testimonies, examples of medical procedures which were dependent upon animal testing before they could work on humans

d)     Explanation/Elaboration: Prove your point. Explain how your evidence (quotes/paraphrases) supports your argument.

i)        Use reasons and sound logic to prove your point – no fallacies!

ii)      Make sure your reader has interpreted all of your information correctly – tell them what you want them to think, feel, or do and remind them of what point you are trying to make.

iii)    Make sure to tie all of the information together by showing how it relates to your thesis.

 

3)      Conclusion: Not every one of these is needed, but you should use a combination of the following:

a)      Suggest a solution to the problem

b)      Emphasize your major strength

c)      Emphasize the opposition’s major weakness

d)     State how your side will benefit the people involved in the problem or issue

e)      Summarize your main points

f)       Leave the reader with a sense of hope or despair, depending on your point of view

 

4)      Miscellaneous Points to Remember:

a)      Don’t use “you” or “I” in argumentative research.  “I” is alright in shorter, more personal essays (i.e. English 100).

b)      Don’t plagiarize!!  When you paraphrase or summarize a source’s idea, you must use your own words and sentence structures, and you must use parenthetical citations (i.e. put the author’s name and a page number in parentheses after the quote or paraphrase.  If there’s no page number, then the name will suffice).

c)      Do use a lead-in and parenthetical documentation every time you directly quote (i.e. introduce what you are quoting and avoid “quote dumping” – copying and pasting in quotes without introducing them and then explaining their relevance to your topic sentence.)

d)     Do use assertive, vivid verbs when analyzing sources

e)      Do use an interesting, informative, eye-catching title (NOT dull ones like: “A Research Paper on Animal Rights” or “Paper Number Three).