Assignment Task: For a proposal argument paper, writers will do the following:
1. Pick a current social/political issue that has 2 sides. You may refer to articles from nytimes.com or any other online news-source that you feel strongly about and have something to propose in order to make better. There is also a list of possible topics on the Library Research page of the Course Menu titled Research paper and argument topics.
2. Pick a topic that allows you to do both-have a position and a proposed solution. A topic without a possible proposed solution is not going to be an effective proposal argument paper.
3. Ascertain that the topic is relevant to socio-politico-cultural contexts of your time, and to your experiences as a thinker, scholar, and writer within the context of college or higher education.
4. Work on expanding and/or fine-tuning the thesis and argument so that the argument is organized and manageable.
5. Think and plan carefully how the paper appeals to your audience.
6. Think and plan carefully about how the paper maintains clear, logical progression of the argument as you write.
7. Develop a counterargument: after you have drafted sections speaking to the primary points as evidence in support of the primary claim of the paper, you will research and develop a section which provides an overview of possible counterarguments to your position.
8. Research and provide a rebuttal (a refutation) to the counterargument. Research-based refutation/rebuttal sections will speak to the points made in the counterargument. Thus, you will end up arguing why your particular position and your particular proposal is more valid than, or at least as valid as, the counterarguments.
9. Use multiple academic sources - books, journal articles, or valid academic internet websites- to develop the refutation to the counterargument in making a powerful case for both position and proposed solution.
10. Use multiple academic sources in order to make the transition from specific topic to its relationship to a larger, socio-politico-cultural context, and thus enlarge the context of your argument paper.