Present an analytical argument about your selected topic that provides supporting evidence from appropriately weighty and credible secondary sources.

Purpose and audience

Present an analytical argument about your selected topic that provides supporting evidence from appropriately weighty and credible secondary sources.

Your purpose is NOT to simply report on those sources they are to be used as support for your own thesis. The audience for this essay is the academic community.

It might help to think of your essay as your entry into the ongoing academic conversation about your topic, meaning your finished product should be the kind of secondary source that other people writing research papers would cite. Because academic writing should be as objective and impersonal as possible, avoid personal statements and uses of the second person (“you”).

Requirements

All essays must follow the Classical Model

Your essay must have no fewer than six paragraphs.

There are several assignments that help scaffold the overall process: a Thesis Statement, an Outline with an Introduction and Conclusion, a Draft, and the final essay. Each stage must be submitted by the date indicated in the individual assignment.

The final paper should be at least 2500 words.

You must cite at least ten weighty and credible secondary sources. Credible sources are scholarly articles or books.

Use the Library Databases and Catalog to locate appropriate sources.

All sources must be properly documented according to MLA style—consult your handbook and the course materials for information on documentation.

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