Deliverables
An Argumentative research paper of at least 10 pages (about 2500 words or more plus references) containing at least eight sources cited using MLA style
As you continue to work on your writing assignment, please submit your work to the Writing Center in Smarthinking for feedback. This will help you refine and revise your assignment for final submission. REMINDER: Each submission is considered one half hour of your 10 hours of tutoring.
Topic Guidelines
Any debatable topic is acceptable for this assignment. Due to the length requirements, complex topics such as gun control, immigration law, abortion rights, and capital punishment are not recommended. If these issues interest you, find a specific instance or aspect of the topic to research. For example, you might want explore how other cities and states responded to the recent laws concerning immigration rights in Arizona; such a project is more focused (and more interesting) than addressing immigration rights in general.

Consider addressing a topic that is personally important to you, including issues related to health, beauty, family life, and career decisions. The more relevant your topic is to your priorities, the more likely you are to write in an engaging, compelling way.

To find ideas for debatable topics, consider these sources:

nytimes.com (opens an external site) (Links to an external site.)
ontheissues.org (opens an external site) (Links to an external site.)
procon.org (opens an external site) (Links to an external site.)
Step 1

Expand your research.

You may use sources you identified in your previous assignments. Your goal is to locate a number of sources related to your topic. Using the Internet and/or your campus library resources, add to your collection of sources until you have accumulated at least:

3 sources from non-scholarly periodicals such as Time, Newsweek, or The Economist
3 sources from scholarly sources (use your library’s academic databases)
3 sources from the general Web (blogs, Web sites, etc.)
Keep a record of all the articles you consider by providing a citation and a link to each one.