English 125
Palella
Research Argument Essay
Requirements: 7-10 pages, double-spaced, typed in Times New Roman font, size 12. Paper
formatting and in-text citations should follow MLA guidelines.
Final draft due date (100 points): Thursday, July 19 by electronic submission to Turnitin.com
Assignment
Your task is to develop an original argument on your Essay #3 topic that is informed by
academically credible sources. Your goal for this task is to persuade your readers/listeners to
adopt a certain point of view or to take a particular action. Although you are building on the
research of others, present your own particular way of thinking about and analyzing the topic.
Offer a clear line of reasoning to support your stance, and consider the objections and
assumptions of your audience. Support your argument with original evidence and evidence from
research (direct quoting, paraphrasing) and think carefully about providing a balance of logos,
ethos, and pathos.
Introduction: Engage readers’ interest in your issue. Provide background, including previous
attempts to solve the problem at hand. Give the problem “presence” by showing who is affected
and what is at stake. How are various people involved (taxpayers, voters, future generations,
