At this point, you have read at least one article (Does profiling really work?) about the topic that you will be researching throughout this semester. Starting from that article, you will now have the opportunity to compare two author’s views on the same subject, and determine which author employs stronger argumentation.
Getting Started:
Find an article written by another author (THE CRIMINAL PROFILING ILLUSION – What’s Behind the Smoke and Mirrors?) that either supports or conflicts the opinion(s) of the author from the article you wrote about for our first assignment. If, for instance, your topic is embryonic stem cell research and the author of the article you read for our first assignment supports stem cell research, try and find another article—by a different author—that does not support the first article’s opinions. Or, you may want to find an article (again by a different author) that supports the first article’s author, but provides a different argument (by making different appeals, citing different types of evidence, etc.).
Requirements:
You must use specific quotes and paraphrases from the sources to draw your conclusions.
All borrowed material needs to be properly cited in MLA format (both within the text and on an accurate works cited page).
As with the first essay, the purpose of this assignment is not to fully explore your research topic. Instead, you will be focusing on the argumentation that the two authors employ, and you will be pointing out specific places where the two authors agree or disagree.
Your thesis statement should reflect the way the two authors argue their points, and you should craft a strong, opinionated response about which author provides the “better” argument and why.
In addition to a strong thesis statement, your essay should include an engaging introduction, several well-developed body paragraphs that support the thesis, and a powerful conclusion that reiterates your main ideas.
Think of this essay as building upon first assignment. Again, you are focusing on breaking down the authors’ arguments and explaining which author makes the better argument and why you believe one author successfully argues his or her points over the other. As mentioned above, the authors do not have to have conflicting viewpoints; however, it may help you better understand the argument surrounding your topic if you have exposure to multiple points of view.
You may use the article that you discussed in your first assignment as one of the articles for this assignment.
Keep the following questions in mind for evaluating sources & arguments:
Evaluating sources:
Who is the author & what are his or her credentials? Background? Expertise?
Who sponsors the publication & what is their purpose?
Why is the information provided? Is there an ulterior motive?
How many sources have been consulted? Are they trustworthy? Can you verify?
Evaluating arguments:
What is the author’s thesis or purpose?
How well is the main idea supported? Are there gaps in the author’s reasoning?
What appeals does the author make?
Logical, emotional, ethical? How effective are these appeals?
What evidence does the author use?
How thoroughly and professionally does the author address opposing views?
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