Argumentative Paper Instructions: Developing a Persuasive Academic Essay
This paper will be a typed 4-5-page (no less, no more, and not including your APA cover page and reference page) paper arguing either for or against a topic of your choosing (cannot argue for both sides).
An argumentative paper is a biased form of writing, because it is typically written with the intent to get readers to agree with the opinions/arguments of the author. Usually, the topics for this type of essay are controversial. A good argumentative essay gives the pros and cons of the issue, and explains why the side of the author (you) is the best side. The goal in the essay should be persuade readers to believe the views of the author. You must provide arguments to support your stance and use evidence/research to back up your claims.
You must have at least 3 credible sources (NO Wikipedia) the sources must consist of 2 academic sources (scholarly journal articles from the CSUSB database) and 1 credible non-academic source (NO Wikipedia, pro/con sites, or Researchomatic). You must use APA format to cite your sources throughout your writing and in your reference page. This paper should have subheadings. Below are some examples you might use: • Introduction/Background (introduce your topic and give background information for readers understand, then clearly state your stance on the issue) • Main arguments (present what you are arguing clearly by using evidence and comparisons to support your claims. Then briefly present the other side to then prove why your side is correct.) • Conclusion (conclude your thoughts by reminding the reader of your most salient arguments and why your side is the correct side.
Be sure that you are arguing for a side, you do not want your readers to be confused at the end of your essay. Moreover, you should ensure that your topic has more than one side.
