Purpose:

Your Major Paper for ENGL 102 is an argumentative research paper.This project will incorporate the skills you have developed throughout this course (i.e., creating a complex argument, using library databases for research, evaluating scholarly and popular sources, citing evidence in MLA format, and developing a line of inquiry in your writing) and help you develop new skills in research.

Task: To complete this assignment you should:

• Generate your own topic on some aspect of citizenship. You can choose to focus on an issue that arises from an aspect of citizenship that we have discussed in class (immigration and legal citizenship; linguistic citizenship; cultural citizenship; class and citizenship; consumer citizenship). Or, you can branch out into other aspects of citizenship that we have not covered in class.
• Make an argument about your topic. This argument must be clearly stated in a working thesis statement. All body paragraphs must be focused, organized, and clearly related back to your thesis. Your thesis should specifically address ALL 5 aspects of the Big Five (Claim, Evidence, Roadmap, Stakes, and Concessions/ Counterarguments).
• Research sources appropriate to your topic and effectively use those sources as evidence to support your arguments. Although you may use the texts from class, you must cite at least SIX outside sources. Of those six sources, at least FOUR of them must be books or scholarly journal articles. Your paper should have (as a minimum)
  • at least two actual books (essay collections count)
  • at least two articles from academic journals (which are not book or film reviews)
  • at least two articles from credible newspapers/news magazines
  • at least two visual texts (including films, photos, maps, charts, graphs, paintings, etc.)
• There are eight sources listed above (rather than the minimum of six) and this is because your visual texts may overlap with your written texts (i.e., a book could have a chart in it and satisfy both requirements). These are the number of sources cited in your paper, NOT the total number of sources used to research your paper.
• Cite all sources using MLA Format. Your paper must include proper parenthetical citations and a Works Cited page.

Remember that a well-researched paper will include a variety of reputable and reliable sources. Our final paper will include a Works Cited Page (rather than a bibliography), but that does not mean you should limit yourself to six total sources.

Length and Format:

5-7 pages, double-spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins, MLA formatting and Works Cited Page.

Criteria for success: Please see the attached rubric.

Rubric

Major Project Rubric (1)