Should steroids be legalized in profession sports? Are they safe? Would it ensure fairness? Are the penalties fair?

Assignment Overview

Rhetorical Situation: You are a senior student in your major department and have been asked to present a paper at a scholarly conference. The paper should be on a current  topical issue in your discipline field. You will read through scholarly journals and newspapers to identify such an issue. You will also check with one professor in the discipline department to ensure the topic is valid. Your paper will be a policy argument regarding the specific topic. You are required  to develop a specific policy thesis and organize a sustained argument around it that employs multiple rhetorical modes.  You are also required to find  source material, partly by using library databases, and at least one of the sources must be a peer-reviewed academic article. (EBSCO)

Assignment Outcomes

• Identify and explain a specific and compelling problem within the parameters of the rhetorical situation outlined on the assignment prompt.
• Develop a solution to the problem and communicate this solution within a well-constructed thesis statement.
• Organize a sustained policy argument that is sensitive to a particular rhetorical situation.
• Use more than two rhetorical modes in developing the paper’s argument.
• Use library databases to find appropriate source material.
• Distinguish between academic and non-academic sources and use different types of sources in appropriate ways.
• Integrate source references, including direct quotations, using signal phrases (attributive tags) and parenthetical in-text citations (APA format).
• Synthesize references from a minimum of six sources.
• Construct a properly formatted works cited page using APA guidelines.

 

 

 

 

Requirements                                                      

• Length: 2,000-3,000 words.
• Format: Follow MLA guidelines.
• Source Usage: Six sources, at least two academic. The paper  must demonstrate effective summary, paraphrase, and quotation using signal phrases and parenthetical citations for attribution.  The paper must include a properly formatted works cited page.
• Submission: Submit through Turnitin.com.

All final topics must be approved by the professor.

Development  Requirements:

The essay should be an argument regarding one of the topic areas below. Make certain to obtain research on both sides of the issue. Pay attention to the full argument format, citations, logic, and structure.  The introduction should give an overview of the issue, definition of issue,  history of the issue, and the main arguments and thesis. The body paragraphs should examine one argument each according to the prescribed structure.  The conclusion should include a proposal for resolving the problem and a projection of the issue in the future.

 

Topic areas:

1)   A social/political  problem policy

2)   A medical or scientific problem policy

3)   An environmental /technological problem policy

4)   An educational problem policy

 

Suggested sources:  www.Debate.org;   www.Procon.org

 

 

 

 

 

Argument Essay Format (Sample: Should capital punishment be banned in the US?)

1. Introduction (min. 1/2- 2 pages)
2. Definition; all terms – capital punishment, death penalty,types ( 2 sources/professional…Encyclopedia Brittannica…)
3. *History/timeline – earliest date, all dates events/laws /data,types/form/current people (min 2 sources)
4. Importance -This issue is important because the crime rate has been increasing throughout the nation. ….
5. Organizational sentence- Major arguments are the following: Is c.p. constitutional? Is it effective? Is it moral? (capital punishment is  __, ___, and ___.
6. Thesis – After careful examination, it will be proven that (capital punishment should be banned in the US. )

 

 

1. Argument #1 (min. 3/4p- 2 pages)) One point of argument is whether capital punishment is constitutional.
2. Definition- The term “constitutional” is defined as “………”(Constitutional”). The term “constitution” is defined as “…..”(Princeton University Law School).
3. History- The U.S. Constitution was created in……..It contains….Its purpose is to ……. (Stanford University).
4. Importance – This point of argument is important because it is one of the most debated issues in the legalization of capital punishment.
5. Opposition’s argument – Proponents/Opponents of capital punishment claim that it is constitutional. ( 1- source research)…
6. Rebuttal- (What is wrong with their argument? Disprove them.)

These statements are _________.

Possible rebuttals: limited interpretation of the Constitution

misinterpretation of the Constitution

biased interpretation of….

untrue

partially truths

illogical (fallacy specify)

unfounded

 

** F.Your argument (Proponent)…It is unconstitutional because ….(more research 2 sources))

G.Concluding sentence…As a result, capital  punishment is unconstitutional.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Argument #2: Another….Is it effective? (min. ¾ page- 1 ½ p)

1. Definition
2. History
3. Importance
4. Opposition’s argument
5. Rebuttal
6. Your argument (Proponent)- According to …… the Constitution……. Capital violates/ is upheld) by ___ Amendment……..

 

1. Concluding sentence:

As a result, capital punishment  is (constitutional/unconstitutional).

 

1. Argument #3: A final point of argument is whether capital punishment is moral. (min. ¾ page-1 ½ p)
2. Definition
3. History
4. Importance
5. Opposition’s argument
6. Rebuttal
7. Your argument (Proponent)
8. Concluding sentence

 

1. Conclusion- In conclusion, capital punishment should be banned….(min. ½)
2. Restate thesis
3. Proposal (details) – One major proposal to address the issue is…..
4. Projection- If this proposal is implemented…the result….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outline

 

 

I.Introduction

1. Definition
2. History

1.B.C. Period

2.Modern Period

1. 1700-1900
2. 200-present

1. Importance
2. Thesis statement

 

1. Argument #1: Is capital punishment constitutional?

1. Definition
2. History
3. Importance
4. Opposition’s argument
5. Proponent’s Argument
6. Concluding sentence

 

 

III. Argument #2: Is capital punishment effective?

1. Definition
2. History
3. Importance
4. Opposition’s argument
5. Proponent’s Argument
6. Concluding sentence

 

1. Argument #3 Is capital punishment moral?
2. Definition
3. History
4. Importance
5. Opposition’s argument
6. Proponent’s Argument
7. Concluding sentence

 

 

V.Conclusion

1. Restate thesis
2. Proposal
3. Projection

 

 

Final Research Topics

Health/Medical

Should euthanasia be legalized nationally in the U.S.? (Is it moral? Is it constitutional? Is it ethical?)

Should healthcare workers have the right to refuse treating infectious patients? Is it constitutional? Is it ethical? Are there better alternatives?

Should steroids be legalized in professional sports? Are they safe? Would it ensure fairness? Are the penalties fair?

Should the abortion  law be repealed? Is abortion safe? Is it moral? Is it constitutional?

Should the USA have universal healthcare? Would it be effective? Would it be cost effective/economical? Would it be constitutional?

 

Mechanical Engineering

Should automobile companies be civilly and criminally liable for defects in cars?

Are the current requirements and regulations on airplanes sufficient to ensure safety? Are the inspection requirements sufficient?(FAA)  Are the equipment requirements sufficient? Are the pilots/employees sufficiently trained?

 

Music

Should music be mandatory in the K-12 curriculum? Is music beneficial academically? Is it beneficial socially? Is it cost-effective?

 

Political science

Should the TSA and Patriot Act be continued? Is it effective? Can it be abused? Does it violate individuals’ rights? Are there better alternatives (proposal)?

Should the electoral college be abolished? Is it necessary? Does it ensure democracy? Is it discriminatory?

 

Psychology

Should   the insanity plea be abolished? Is it effective? Can it be abused? Is it moral/humane? Are there better alternatives(proposals)?

Should youth be tried as adults? Are youth totally responsible for their actions? Are there negative effects of trying youth as adults? Are there better alternatives to the current policies?

 

Social Work

Is the current CPS system effectively protecting children? Are the workers sufficiently trained? Are there sufficient resources for the CPS office? Are the reporting/monitoring systems effective? HHS

 

                                                                        Works Cited

 

Burden, Arnold, and Andrew Safer. The Dramatic Life of a Country Doctor: Fifty Years of Disasters and

Diagnoses. Nimbus Publishing, 2011.

Lerner, Leonard. Miracle at Springhill. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1960.

Lunsford, Andrea et al. Everything’s An Argument with Readings. 6^th ed. Boston: Bedford/St.Martin’s,

Mann, David. “Tour a Mine, Springhill Miners’ Museum.” Nova Scotia, Tourism Nova Scotia, 14 March

2017, www.novascotia.com/see-do/attractions/tour-a-mine-springhill-miners-museum/1317.

“Miner.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online, Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2019,

www.encyclopediabrittanica.com.  [Reference source-dictionary/encyclopedia]

 

– MLA Format

                                            See: Purdue Owl document on eCourses for full MLA Format

 

Page sample entries:

Note: alphabetical, indentation, information order and format

__________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

In-Text citation samples:

Note a paraphrase citation and a direct quoted citation.

 

Buildings shook, telephones went dead (Prairie View A&M University), and seventy-three miles away seismographs at Dalhousie University” (Mann) .   …..registered the movement as a small earthquake  (Lunsford et al  289).  Shortly after the first group of trapped miners was rescued (“Miners”), The Ed Sullivan Show, America’s most popular network program, invited the miners and their wives to appear on air to “commemorate the heroism of the individual” (Burden and Safer 169).

 

 

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Proofreading Checklist:

 

 

Order of Essay Document:

Title page

Outline

Essay

References

 

 

1. title page  and outline page
2. margins
3. paragraphs
4. required sections of the essay
5. topic sentences
6. organization of discussion/ required discussion
7. direct quotes
8. in-text citations
9. references  page
10. transitionals
11. required resources/research; minimum six different resources
12. spelling/mechanics (fragments, run-ons, abbreviations, subject-verb agreement, plural, possessive, verb form,pronouns
13. APA format for in-text
14. APA Reference page: alphabetical order, order of information within the citation, indentation, lower case/upper case lettering, italics usage, punctuation.
15. Three references are to be annotated bibliographic format
16. Pronoun agreement….. ex: People should get a higher education because it will help him /them in the future.