Introduction
- Introduce the topic
- State your purpose (“the purpose of this report is to investigate ___________”)
- Provide background on the topic (cite several secondary sources to provide context)
- Why does this topic matter in your field?
- Who should care about it and why?
- What has been (or has not been) studied to date? [what is in the literature?]
- Identify Side A/Perspective 1 (briefly state and explain)
- Identify Side B/Perspective 2 (briefly state and explain)
Overview of Sides/Perspectives
- This section is the ‘heart’ of your paper. Here you should go into great detail explaining both sides/perspectives. This portion of the paper should be at least 4 pages in length.
- Side A/Perspective 1 – include at least 3 sources of evidence to explain (1 source must be scholarly)
- Side B/Perspective 2 – include at least 3 sources of evidence to explain (1 source must be scholarly)
Conclusion: Your Position
- After providing a thorough analysis of the two sides explained above, explain your position on the issue. In short, you are explaining ‘here is what I believe and why,’ and this is based on your comparison of the findings for each
- Include several citations as evidence for your
- Your conclusion should address not only your position but also the implications of what you found – what do these findings mean for your field at large?