Research Persuasive Paper

You may choose one of the following topics. Or, if you wish to devise your own topic, please seek your instructor's approval of it before you begin writing:

• Obamacare (ACA) should be repealed.
• Global climate change is a hoax.
• All public schools should adopt a school uniform policy.
• The "war on terror" has become a war against American freedoms.
• All eligible citizens should be required to vote or pay a fine.
• Censorship is never justified.
• High-stakes testing should be eliminated in public education.
• Drivers convicted of a first-time DUI should receive mandatory jail time.
• The death penalty should be repealed in all states.
• The rich in America should pay more taxes.
• Students are harmed by their dependence on personal digital technology (laptops, smart phones, etc.).
• Tobacco products should be made illegal.
• America's chief executive officers (CEOs) are paid too much.
• Dieting ultimately makes you gain weight.
• The "war on drugs" has become a war on America's minorities.
• English should be the official language of the United States.
• The legal age for drinking alcohol should be lowered to 18.
• The cost of higher education is too high.
• Creationism should be taught in public schools.
• Snack and soda vending machines should be removed from public schools.
• Supermarkets should charge for plastic bags.
• Child beauty pageants should be banned.
• Mandatory sentencing in nonviolent drug cases should be ended.

Examine your paper and check the following areas to make informed decisions about what to change to improve your paper:

• Is the introductory paragraph effectively written? Does it define the issue and state an arguable thesis statement?

• Are the main points in support of the thesis statement organized logically in the essay?

• Does the supporting reasoning that you provide relate logically to the main point that is stated in each paragraph? Are there any ideas that are unrelated and need to be modified or deleted?

• Are paragraphs developed effectively with relevant and current evidence from credible sources? Which paragraphs need more support?

• Are opposing viewpoints addressed and counter-argued logically? Are there any opposing viewpoints that you have not considered but that you should include in your essay?

• Are there paragraphs where you need to add transition words to improve coherence?

• Is the concluding paragraph effectively written? Does it summarize the key points and restate the thesis?

• Have you used sources appropriately? Check your essay for the use of sources, appropriate paraphrasing, and the formatting of direct quotations.

• Have you used APA style correctly? Check for errors in APA in-text citations. Check to make sure in-text citations and reference citations correspond. Check for errors in formatting of reference citations.

• Have you written effective sentences? Examine your sentences for clarity and effectiveness. Rewrite sentences where the meaning is not clear or the sentence structure is wordy or awkward.

• Proofread your paper. Is it free of grammatical and mechanical errors? Correct any errors that you find.

This assignment will also be assessed using additional criteria, provided here.

Please submit your complete research essay in APA style. It should include the following:

• Title page
• Abstract page: Leave blank or use placeholder text until you have finished your entire paper.
• Body section: Full title should be centered at top of the first page of the body.
• Reference page: References should begin on a page by themselves after the last page of your body section.