RESEARCHED ARGUMENT ESSAY GUIDELINES
(Based on Tom Regan’s “The Case for Animal Rights” in the course text,
“The Norton Reader”. Argue for or against the essay and/or the issue
presented in the essay using the essay/text as the main source.
Strategies of Argument:
-Explore a question. (Many arguments develop from problems that puzzle.)
-Make a claim. (Some arguments may begin with opinions that can be supported
with good reasons and convincing evidence.)
“Any claim should be followed by its proof.” –Aristotle
Presenting Evidence:
-Recognize reliable sources* of information-MINIMUM of (2) sources; including
the text.
-Provide evidence for all your claims
*use .gov (government sites) .org (non-profit sites) and/or .edu
(educational sites) for reliable sources. (.com could be anyone) NO WIKIPEDIA!
Reasons for Argument:
-Argue for the greater good; lesser evil
-Fairness and Equality
-Long-term or short-term good
-Benefit for greater numbers
-For or against self-interest
-Feasibility
SAMPLE OUTLINES:
1. Intro: Statement of Claim
Reason #1 and supporting evidence
Reason #2 and supporting evidence…
Conclusion
OR
2. Intro: Statement of Claim
Reason #1 and supporting evidence
-deal with objections
Reason #2 and supporting evidence
-deal with objections…
Conclusion
Sample Outlines, con’t…
OR
3. Intro: The Problem
-previous attempts to solve it
-why previous attempts failed
New Solution:
-advantages of the proposal
-Feasibility
-Implementation
Conclusion
TIPS:
-Handle information honestly, quote fairly from your sources, anticipate
objections, argue civilly, be credible, and use emotional appeals sparingly
-Remember to stay away from using the first person “I”; this weakens the points you
are trying to make.
-Share background information about the author either in the introduction or second
paragraph. This will answer the reader’s question “Why should I, or shouldn’t I, listen to
this author?!”
FORMAT:
-see syllabus for guidelines
MUST HAVE A WORKS CITED PAGE OR CONSIDERED PLAGAIRISM!
(Use MLA or APA format for works cited page and documentation within the text)