Essay that synthesizes at least four sources about a debatable issue

Write an essay that synthesizes at least four sources about a debatable issue, an issue that you may later write about for your argumentative essay. The purpose of this paper is to show how different writers discuss ….

Essay that synthesizes at least four sources about a debatable issue

Write an essay that synthesizes at least four sources about a debatable issue, an issue that you may later write about for your argumentative essay. The purpose of this paper is to show how different writers discuss and provide evidence for their viewpoints on a highly debated subject. You also need to think about each writer’s reasons and assumptions in the debate. In sum, this paper’s purpose is to inform the reader about the different sides/issues of a debate by identifying major points by each author and creating a balanced presentation about the issue.

Special Notes: Only one “website” source is permitted, but you can obviously use web search engines (examples—EbscoHost, Infotrac, Lexis-Nexis) to find published articles. And since this is a research-based paper, your essay has to provide a separate Works Cited page that has accurate information about the articles in MLA format (see Chapter 8 of The Well-Crafted Argument). In this paper, you will not use 1st person point of view (“I” or “we”) or 2nd person point of view (“you”). You have to use 3rd person point of view.

Audience

Address your paper to peer-scholars who might be interested in your subject and could be interested in your analysis and/or findings. Your audience needs to be inform ed about the issue through sound summary, paraphrase, and quotations. And you need to show how each writer supports his or her argument.

Evaluation
Your essay needs to have a clear purpose with ample detail to support this purpose, and it should have a recognizable thesis or organizing idea that is a summation of the perspectives on this issue by the end of the third paragraph. The essay should have a beginning that generates interest, an ending that provides a sense of closure, and the parts in between should be arranged in a logical and rhetorically effective sequence. The essay should demonstrate stylistic maturity and mastery of editorial conventions (grammatical correctness).