You will be doing research to synthesize and make an argument about a topic of your choosing. Your job is to examine two scholarly articles that address some aspect of Heavy Metal music, its history, culture, fans, lyrics, popularity, etc. In doing so, you will synthesize the information that you find and argue for your position using the two articles you have found as support.
As previously mentioned, you will be finding at least two sources from the library, and based on the issues being addressed in the articles, making an argument to support or defend your position about the issue. For example, you could examine two articles that address the relevance of metal music in American society today. Next, you would incorporate your view of the issue as it compares and contrasts with the authors' arguments in the essays. We will go over an example or two during this unit, and I will show you a proper structure to use when you write your paper.
Some tips in writing this paper:
1. You need to thoroughly understand the articles you are synthesizing-be sure to read each several times and annotate them.
2. Do not just pick the first two essays you find. Take some time and closely examine the research. In the long run it will make writing the paper easier and a better learning experience.
3. As you read the source texts (those articles you find in your library search) you will need to critique them. It ‘s not enough to understand them, but you have to have your own opinion about the issue the articles are addressing.
4. While you don't have to do this, it typically helps if the articles you select approach your topic from different perspectives. By doing this, the positions are pitted against each other-which makes your job somewhat easier.
5. When you make your argument (your position on the issue) you will need to support it with examples from the texts and your explanation as to why the examples were effective.
6. Ethos, Logos, and Pathos are effective ways to begin your argument. Use them.
7. Your thesis should be early in your essay-the first or second paragraph. It should be clear to the reader.