Many times the word radical is used as an insult. How might radicals be of benefit to society?

Investigate the issue to find a tentative answer to your research question. Think rigorously about the evidence you discover. Use Chapter 15 to evaluate source material you discover in your investigation.

Refer to 2-3 reliable, scholarly sources in your argument. Do not use ProCon, Wikipedia, encyclopedias, dictionaries whether online or in print, gradesaver or other sites that sell essays as source material. Sources must be reputable, authoritative, and verifiable. (See Evaluation Guidelines in Ch 15. The best place to find reliable source material is the library database. Go to https://www.delmar.edu/library/index.html (Links to an external site.) Enter your username and password (the same one you use to log on to Canvas) to search the databases.

Formulate an arguable thesis that develops a current, critical response to the research question. Make sure your thesis is arguable, narrow in scope, has public resonance, and reveals a fresh perspective in response to the research question. Do not simply re-hash or summarize source material. The essay must respond to the research question.

Your commentary should explain, clarify, and argue for the validity of your perspective. Support your ideas with the strategies explained on pages 255-257. Make sure the support is sufficient, reliable, typical, accurate, and relevant. Also make sure that your essay is not simply multiple paragraphs summarizing your sources. Your voice and ideas should dominate the essay; it should not be dominated by summaries of source material.

Address at least one alternative perspective. Include a counterargument that anticipates and refutes claims that oppose your thesis. You may need to concede a point or qualify your own claim. Review Counterargument, concessions, and qualifiers in Mauk on pages 258-26, 524-526. See a handout onCounterargument by clicking here.

Use Chapter 17 on Organizing Ideas to develop an attention-getting introduction and a satisfying conclusion along with appropriate organization. A 5 paragraph test format essay will not satisfy this essay assignment.

Use an appropriate voice (perhaps a blend of academic and colloquial language) to assert your position. Avoid 1st person (I, me, us, we) and 2nd person (you, your) perspectives. Maintain 3rd person perspective.

Use MLA format for your paper. Properly document information from all sources.Use MLA format in-text citations including signal phrases to introduce source material. Quotations must be properly framed, explained, cited, and formatted. Review “Coherence Strategies” on pages 474-476 to smoothly integrate source material.

NOTICE: Failure to properly document source material with in-text citations (signal phrases and/or parenthetical citations) constitutes plagiarism and will result in a zero on the essay.

Include your works cited in MLA format at the end of your essay (if you have space on your third page, you may put it there rather than starting a new page. DO NOT SEND YOUR WORKS CITED AS A SEPARATE DOCUMENT. See the sample essay on pages 490-495 to see how yours should be formatted.

Organize your essay appropriately and include an attention-getting introduction and a satisfying conclusion.

Apply the thinking and writing strategies you have learned in the course textbook and handouts. Model your essay after the sample essays in Chapter 8.

Use active verbs and specific nouns (replace be verbs with active verbs) (pages 566-567).

This essay requires you to apply all the information you learned in the course, so make good use of the textbook and handouts.

Name your document lastnamefirstinitialE1. For example, if your name is Harry Styles, your file will be named styleshE1. Essays must be in MS Word format (doc or docx files) .

Late work will not be accepted.

Excessive and distracting basic grammar and punctuation errors can result in a failing grade.

Odd bits

Your document will automatically be submitted to TurnItIn.com to check for plagiarism. You may upload your draft to check your originality report and then re-upload your revised essay file.
The 5 paragraph test essay format is not appropriate for this essay.
An essay on the topic that does not respond to the research question does not meet the requirements for the assignment.
Give your essay an original title that reflects the subject matter (not Argument Essay).
Save your essay in MSWord format. If your essay is submitted in an electronic format which is unreadable on my computer, the essay is not “turned in.”
If your essay mysteriously disappears into cyberspace, the essay is not turned in.
Don’t wait until the last minute when you’re tired and your frustration level is high, for that is invariably when computer glitches happen.
Remember that the information you’ve been reading in the textbooks, handout attachments, and notes should be reflected in your response to this assignment.