Plan, research, write and peer-review a persuasive research paper on a topic of your choice, approved by the instructor. The paper will be 1800 – 2000 words, based on Modules 8 & 9. Follow the guidelines below. You must complete the following 3 steps (specific due dates will be posted) as part of this assignment:
1. Obtain instructor’s approval for topic.
2. Submit a draft of your paper for peer feedback.
3. Submit the final version of the paper to your instructor.
Guidelines for Persuasive Research Paper:
· length: 7-10 pages (double spaced, 12 point font.
· must have persuasive focus (must convince reader to do/believe something)
· choose a topic that interests you and one which you have not already written on or will not be writing/speaking on in another class
· The topic should not be related to your field of study. For example, if you are a nursing student, you should avoid health related topics!
· assume an audience of your peers and your instructor in this class: that is, write for a general educated audience (define specialized terms)
· topic must be something about which there is substantial debate, either in your professional discipline or generally in society
· sufficiently narrow your topic so you can discuss it adequately in 7-10 pages
· general, overworked topics such as abortion, capital punishment, marijuana, Canadian health care, cell phone use, etc., will not be approved; a good starting point is to focus on relevance within a Canadian context, to connect with your audience.
· must acknowledge and refute (or concede) at least 3 opposing arguments
· use a fair, unbiased tone (must build credibility through an objective tone)
· incorporate appropriate appeals (must use appeals–rational, emotional, ethical–that are appropriate and effective for topic)
· avoid fallacies (errors in logic and argumentation)
· be written mainly in your own words
· remember to follow the general essay guidelines at the top of this page
· provide at least 5 sources in bibliography
· cite at least 5 sources (all 5 sources must be cited within the body of the paper)
· include relevant, specific sources that will persuade your audience
· provide correct/complete bibliographic entries and citations (see notes below on plagiarism.)
NO PLAGIARISM! Your paper must acknowledge every borrowed quote, specific piece of information, and paraphrase or summary through correct in-text citations AND complete bibliographic list at the end.
