Exercise 26: The Final Examination: An Analysis of Development and Argumentation in the Research Paper 
(Return to the Unit 4 Table of Contents)

---

The argumentative research paper has as its purpose the development of an argument supporting a position or a judgment. Your paper has been developed for that purpose. As a final response to the Research Paper Project, you are to analyze your paper for patterns and techniques of persuasion which we have studied in this course. 

Learning Objectives: 
As a result of this exercise, you should be able to: 
1) better understand the development of your own use of persuasive patterns and techniques that you have employed in your own paper, and 
2) reinforce your confidence as a writer of persuasive compositions. 

Instructions:
Use the final draft of your research paper to complete the following activities. If you have produced your paper on a computer or word processor, you may wish to print a new copy for use in this assignment. 

Part 1: Analysis of the Development of the Paper (worth 50 points) 
1) Number each paragraph of the paper. 
2) Underline the thesis and each topic sentence. 
3) Circle key words and phrases in each topic sentence that reflect main ideas in the thesis.

4) Identify the following elements (12) by placing beside each the number of the paragraph(s) in which the element is present. Yellow highlight the words in each designated paragraph that illustrate the element. 

_____1) initial statement of your position or judgment 
_____2) restatement of your position or judgment 
_____3) use of summary of secondary sources 
_____4) use of paraphrase of secondary sources (with citation) 
_____5) use of indirect quotation 
_____6) use of integrated direct quotation 
_____7) use of separated direct quotation 
_____8) refutation of a stated claim from a secondary source 
_____9) refutation of an implied (unstated) claim from a secondary source
_____10) support of your position by an appeal to (use of) secondary sources
_____11) support of your position by an anecdote 
_____12) support of your position through logic (stated and implied premises)

Part 2: Analysis of the Essential Argument of the Paper (worth 50 points)
5) Outline the essential argument of your paper in both standard form #3 and its numerical analysis. Then, write a one-sentence description of the conclusion, characterizing its a) structural type, b) evaluation, and c) its semantic type (40 points). 
6) Write a paragraph evaluating the argument (10 points).
.

Submission Assignments through Regular Mail
Mail papers to:

Submitting Essays as E-Mail Attachments
It is absolutely essential to the security of your work that you follow exactly these guidelines:

1) Heading on Assignments/Email Message Texts
Place a heading on the first page of your essay in the upper left-hand corner.  Place the same information in each email message window.  The text must include the following information:

First Name-Middle Initial-Last Name
DCCCD Student ID Number
Course-Course Number-Section Number
Month-Date-Year
Name of Assignment

Example:

John R. Pointer
ID 5555555
English 2326: 9543
February 20, 2001
Exercise 3

2) File Name
Save your file exactly according to this model:

JPointer-Ex3

3) Sending Me E-mail Messages
You must include your name and identify your message type in the subject line of each e-mail you send me.  For security reasons, if you fail to do so, I will delete your message without responding.

In the subject line, include your name and exercise number just as you saved your file above.
Example:

JPointer-Ex3

If you are sending me a message that needs immediate attention, then include one of the following formats in the subject line:

JPointer-Question
JPointer-Comment
JPointer-Urgent

Responding to Your E-mails
I always respond to your messages.  However, I always open "Question," "Comment," and "Urgent"  messages first and respond to them usually on the day I receive them. 

I will respond to your assignment messages within a day or two to let you know that I have received your work and files and whether or not I can open them.  To grade them, I open assignment messages in the order in which I received them.

Length of Time Required to Grade Your Work
It usually takes me from one to two weeks to grade essay-length papers and to return them.  Shorter papers I can grade much quicker.  I will return them as e-mail attachments to my response messages.
.

(Return to the Top)

This page was last modified on July 9, 2005,
and is maintained by Dr. Geoffrey A. Grimes.
.