RESEARCH-BASED POSITION PAPER

Essay Topic: Contemporary (current) Global Issue

For the group presentation all groups did their research on a global issue that threatens the world as a whole. For this essay assignment you can either work on the same issue and conduct more research, or you can pick an entirely new topic to write a well-researched paper that meets the requirements listed below.

This is not a group assignment. All students are required to complete this assignment individually.

Assignment Overview

Write a well-developed argumentative research paper on a contemporary (current) global issue. The paper should be a work of critical analysis, meaning that it should formulate an original and compelling argument about the subject matter and should support that argument with relevant evidence and sound reasoning. The central argument of the paper should correspond clearly to one of the five argument types described in Chapters 8-12 of the textbook: Everything's an argument - Argument of Facts, Argument of Definition, Evaluation Argument, Causal Argument, and Proposal Argument.

Some topic ideas you can consider are:

• Globalization and low-wage labor
• Global Debt
• Financial crisis in developing countries
• Increasing Global Population
• Terrorism
• Poverty, Hunger and Lack of Drinking Water
• Global warming

Source Requirements:

You are required to use minimum six sources to support your paper. At least four of these sources should be academic, peer reviewed articles from the University databases.

The paper must demonstrate effective summary, paraphrase, and quotation using signal phrases and parenthetical citations for attribution.
The paper must include a properly formatted reference list.

Rhetorical Situation: You are writing to scholars within a particular field of study of your own choosing. Your goal is to make an original and compelling contribution to the discussion of a particular issue within that field of study. The argument that you formulate should be situated in relation to arguments put forth by other scholars within the field.

Assignment Outcomes

• Identify and explain a specific global issue that is relevant and compelling for a specific audience of academic readers.

• Develop a well-constructed thesis statement that responds to the issue and corresponds to one of the five argument types described in Chapters 8-12 of the textbook.

• Organize a sustained argument that is sensitive to the expectations of the academic audience for the paper.

• Use multiple types of evidence/support in developing the paper's argument.

• Use library databases to find appropriate source material.

• Distinguish between academic and non-academic sources and use different types of sources in appropriate ways.

• Integrate source references, including direct quotations, using signal phrases (attributive tags) and parenthetical in-text citations (APA format).

• Synthesize source references from more than one source.

• Construct a properly formatted reference list using APA guidelines.

Paper Structure:

I. Introduction: Your introduction should consist of a substantial paragraph that adequately defines the issue, establishes the importance of the issue, and set up the thesis statement. The thesis statement should give your reader a clear sense of what your argument will be.

II. Body: The body paragraphs should develop supporting claims that build off of each other in ways that contribute to the development of the paper's larger argument. Within the body of the paper, you should demonstrate the ability to use sources effectively, respond to opposing viewpoints, and use relevant evidence to support your arguments.

III. Conclusion: Your conclusion should consist of a substantial paragraph that explain the paper's fully developed argument and reflect on the implications of that argument for the paper's audience: scholars within a particular field of study.

Style and Tone: This paper requires you to work closely with multiple sources, which means that you will need to use signal phrases and in-text citation consistently and properly (accordingly to APA guidelines) in order to effectively manage your source material without allowing it to overpower your own voice. In describing and responding critically to your source material, you will need to maintain a scholarly tone (objective and respectful) and avoid unintentional plagiarism.

Write your paper in third person. Avoid using first and second person speech.

Essay#3 is due in two separate locations:

In-order to receive full credit for the submission, it is required that you submit essay # 3 (same file) through both turnitin and through taskstream. Links will be made available on eCourses.

Length Requirement: The paper should be at least 2,000 words and should not exceed 2,600 words. (One double-spaced page of 12-point Times New Roman font is about 300 words.) The paper must be formatted according to APA guidelines and include a references page (but no abstract).

Accessing Library Databases:

Go to the PVAMU University homepage

Click on Library - or use the following link: http://www.pvamu.edu/library/

Then choose: A-Z Database List | By Subjects (located in the middle of the page). Here you can choose a database you would like to explore.
Always check the full text box. List of commonly used Databases:

JSTOR

LEXIS NEXIS: Full-text database (covering current events). ProQuest

Britannica Online CQ Researcher

EBSCOhost: Includes citations and abstracts from journals in most disciplines ERIC

GailNet

Academic search complete

Once in the database, just like any other search engine, you will be able to search for articles and information of your interest.

Another non University database option is Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/