Compose a persuasive paper 11 to 13 full pages in length (not counting the title page and References page).
Do not use AI tools, such as ChatGPT, for the paper or other assignments. Do not copy AI text into your work or change words to paraphrase from an AI answer. Use of AI will be considered academic dishonesty.
Topic and Sources
Choose an ethical dilemma that arises in a profession related to your major or career plans. In the paper, present background information about the dilemma, apply two ethical theories and a professional code of ethics to it, defend your own solution to the dilemma, and respond to possible objections to your view.
Use 6 outside sources (at least 4 peer-reviewed from the year 2000 or later), 1 professional code of ethics, and 2 other course readings. (The Annotated Bibliography Instructions cover what counts as a peer-reviewed source and how to find them.)
List of Sections
Use the following sections in this order:
- Introduction (half a page): Draw in the reader in an engaging way. Introduce and contextualize your topic. Make the last sentence a thesis clearly stating the solution you will defend.
- Background information (3 to 4 pages): Present background details about your ethical dilemma, including how it arises in a profession, relevant facts, history, laws, and current events, and some responses to the dilemma that have been considered. Give a general overview, while also focusing on facts that will feed into your persuasive arguments later in the paper. Draw on reliable sources, noting any relevant areas of bias.
Cite from 6 outside research sources as part of the background section. 4 should be peer-reviewed sources (scholarly journal articles or books published by university presses) from the year 2000 or later. Other sources can include news reports, essays, interviews, or videos from reputable and unbiased authorities. - Theory Application (1 to 2 pages): Choose two ethical theories covered in the course—(a) Benedict, (b) Kant, (c) Regan, (d) Mill, or (e) Noddings. For each of the two, take a paragraph to summarize the view and explain in detail what it might recommend regarding your dilemma. Cite details from the relevant course reading for each theory.
- Professional Code Application (1 page): Choose a professional code of ethics that relates to your dilemma and explain in detail what it would recommend about your topic, citing from the code of ethics.
- Persuasive Arguments (3 to 4 pages): Defend a specific solution to your dilemma, using logically compelling arguments. Do not just survey different sides of the debate or summarize views you found in your research. Instead, defend a specific thesis with your own creative arguments. Include details about what your proposed solution involves, reasons it should be adopted, and ethical concepts that support it. Bring in facts from your research sources as needed to support your main claims.
- Objections and Response (2 pages): After giving your own arguments, address two or three possible objections to your thesis. An objection is an argument or concern that might be raised against your view. For each objection, first describe what it involves and then show why it is mistaken and does not undermine your main claims. Be sure to respond to each objection and show that your thesis is in fact correct.
- Conclusion (half a page): Signal the end of the paper, review your thesis and main ideas, and discuss the wider significance of your research beyond merely summarizing it. End with a memorable closing.
Grading
Your grade will be calculated using the rubric attached to the assignment. Content Area is 50% of the grade with the remaining part divided among the other rows. Content Area concerns detailed information from 6 reputable outside sources (including 4 peer-reviewed from the year 2000 or later), thorough and correct application of 1 professional code of ethics and 2 ethical theories from the course, as well as compelling persuasive arguments and replies to objections following the instructions above and the correct length for each paper section.
To receive full credit for the research paper, you must also complete the paper engagement questions, which will be answered in a closed testing environment using LockDown Browser + Webcam. These cover basic aspects of the paper and how you wrote it to show your personal knowledge of the project and monitor against the inappropriate use of AI writing. If the paper engagement questions are not submitted or receive a failing grade below 60%, your research paper grade will be lowered by 50 points.
Layout, Documentation, and TurnItIn
Use APA style 7th edition for the paper format, citations, and References page. A Canvas post on Citing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism has general citation rules as well as example citations for the course readings. Another Canvas post on APA Style Paper Template covers how to format your paper in APA style.
TurnItIn will scan your paper to look for certain types of plagiarism. A report should appear within a few minutes of your submission. To view the report, go to the Grades tab, find the assignment, and select the colored TurnItIn flag. Open the report and check any highlighted text to make sure there are no plagiarism issues. If you notice problems, you can resubmit the assignment up to the due date. While TurnItIn is now checking for AI generated text, that appears in a separate report that is only visible to faculty. At this time, you will not see it marked on the traditional TurnItIn report.