Major Assignment Four: Researched Funding Proposal | Printer-Friendly Version

Objectives
In successfully completing this assignment, you will be able to:

• Research a topic in an in-depth manner
• Use several sources to support a persuasive argument in a way that is relevant, logical, and effective
• Explain and substantiate an extended written argument

Directions

1. To begin this paper, you must have already cleared your argumentative / persuasive essay topic with a 200-400 word explanation as to why the topic is an important one, due Oct. 25 . The topic must be geared towards persuading an entity to supply funding; it cannot just be an "informational" paper. It must be a persuasive paper. In this topic paper, you will:

a) Declare what project you want funding for.

b) Declare who you are going to ask for funding.

c) Declare what specifically this funding is going towards (continued research, supplies, awareness advertising, something else entirely, or all of the above)

2. Research your topic thoroughly. Find at least 8 sources to use in your paper, no more than 2 of which can be internet sources. Each source must be used at least once inside the paper; conversely, each source inside the paper must be listed in the Bibliography. Documentation is vital in a research paper; errors in documentation will severely affect your grade. As always, use ACS format when documenting.

Note: For this paper, you may use block quotes. However, you may not use more than two, and they should only be used when necessary.

 

3. This paper required an extended outline due by classtime Nov. 3. It will not be enough to put roman numerals; you must break these down not only into your reasons, but into subpoints as well. We will go over how to present this during class. Outlines that are not detailed enough will not get more that half the credit points for the outline portion of the grade. Of course the outline must contain the thesis statement as well. While the points of the outlines do not have to be in complete sentences, your thesis must be. It must be specific as to what you are arguing in order to get funding. There is no word minimum or maximum; it just must be developed sufficiently.

Also, you must also get more specific as to your introduction and conclusion strategies in the outline. Note: You may have more than one paragraph for your introduction and conclusion, but they still must not be overlong. Introductions and conclusions that take more than a page and a half will generally be considered too long.

I recommend you have at least three reasons, but no more than five. However, the decision is yours. The guideline is: enough reasons sufficient to prove the argument that you deserve funding and be developed within the constraints of the word limit of the final paper, which is 1900-2300 words.

 

4. You have a lot more freedom of structure in this essay; however, you still must write a paper that contains an introduction, a clear argumentative thesis statement, body paragraphs with support, and a conclusion. Don't forget to title it clearly.

 

5. As stated previously, use ACS format for the documentation and the Bibliography, as we have gone over in class. As always, BE CAREFUL NOT TO PLAGIARIZE. Also, for your print sources, you MUST make a photocopy of each page you have used and bring it physically to me (or scan it and send it to me) by classtime on the day it is due: Dec. 6.

Additional Requirements: Highlight, underline, or otherwise indicate the passages you have used in your paper. Bring the sources in a folder with your name on it. Each of these will be worth technical points.

 

6. A Rough Draft will be required by classtime Nov. 22. This draft should contain all the required elements, including source and length requirements. I will be pre-checking these before peer reviews, and rough drafts that do not meet requirements will not get peer-reviewed. We will peer edit them in class on the next that week. I will allow you to do extra peer reviews for extra credit.

Helpful Hints

• Make clear from the start exactly what you want funded and why.
• Keep your audience in mind. Is it the government? A private group?
• When you are developing your argument, do not only give thought to what your reasons can be, but how far they need to be developed. The amount of development for each reason will determine the number of reasons you use.
• BE SPECIFIC as to funding details. How much will things cost and what will we spend the money on?
• When developing your reasons, be careful not to be repetitive. The additional length is for more thorough arguments, not for more of the same.
• Do not continually use the same source over and over again. If you find three or four paragraphs whose supports are all gleaned from the same source, you are relying too heavily on it. This is especially true if they are in a row. You have eight sources; make good use of all of them.
• Remember that you may not use more source material than your own explanation, and that all thesis statements and topic sentences must be your own. We've discussed proper use of quotation and paraphrase before, so I won't get into that.
• Use transitions not only to divide reasons, but to subdivide them, so that we know clearly when you are moving to the next main point and not just continuing with another subdivision of the previous point
• The title should not only make your topic clear, but your point of view on that topic
• Don't forget to put your name in a heading!
• This never changes: Remember that everything must be connected with logical reasoning and explanation, from support to reason to argument/thesis.
• If you've had troubles with accidental plagiarism, check over your paraphrases very carefully. If you're not sure, it probably needs to go in quotation marks. Do not attempt to do sentence-by-sentence "paraphrasing." That never works.
• Make sure your block quotes, if you use them, are not too long. A block quote that is more than half a page long is a block quote that is too long.
• Large graphics should be put in an appendix and not inserted into the paper itself.

Assignment Requirements
How well you meet these requirements determines your grade. A good persuasive research paper will:

• Have a clearly stated, argumentative thesis statement in the introduction and at least two clearly stated and fully developed reasons
• Have 1900-2300 words
• Have direct explanations of why those reasons prove that your argument makes sense
• Have at least 8 well-chosen, relevant academic sources, no more than 2 of which are internet.
• Have explanation for every quotation, and have more explanation than quotation.
• Have all sources documented in the paper, right after they are used!
• Have exact words in quotation marks!
• Have clear, logical organization and transitioning
• Be focused - everything must go towards proving your thesis!
• Have a separate Bibliography page that lists every source used in the paper - papers without this will not be accepted
• Have a photocopy/printout of the pages you got your quotes/paraphrases off of (you don't need to copy the whole thing, but you can't just do the title page)- papers without this will not be accepted
• Have sources that are highlighted with the passages you've used and that are brought in a folder

Maximum Total Score: 275 pts.

Final Due Date: Dec. 6 by classtime