For our second essay, you will write an argument of fact of approximately 800-1000 words (probably around 4-6 paragraphs), using the “surprising reversal strategy” as described in Ch. 9. You will need to use and cite at least THREE sources, including at least ONE scholarly source.
Choosing a Topic
For your topic, pick an issue of fact that you believe many people misunderstand/have wrong. Your goal is to correct those people, using scholarly and other credible sources to support your explanation.
Some good example arguments in the past have included:
Many people believe that people with OCD are just obsessed with cleanliness, but actually the symptoms of OCD are far more varied and complex.
Supporting points for this argument: A major symptom of OCD is compulsive negative thoughts; compulsions can take on many forms outside of washing/cleaning; obsessions with cleanliness and germaphobia are common but not universal symptoms of OCD.
Many people believe a vegan diet is healthier than other kinds of diets, but vegan diets can easily be unhealthy in various ways, while a diet that includes animal products can also be healthy.
Supporting points for this argument: Vegan diets can still contain high fat and high sugar content; vegan diets can also lead to deficiencies; several examples of diets including or even relying on animal products that seem to be healthy are a Mediterranean diet and the original diet of the Maasai tribe
Many people believe that the ACT and SAT are not very good predictors of college success, but actually they are – just not in the way one might imagine.
Supporting points for this argument: ACT and SAT scores are strongly correlated with students’ grades in their first year; students’ financial backgrounds predict both test scores and college success; therefore, socioeconomic status is a more meaningful predictor than test scores
You may not use any of the above arguments, so you ‘ll need to come up with your own! Remember, the goal is to correct people’s misunderstandings of a topic, not just to report facts on a topic, so pick something that’s actually arguable.
If you’re stuck, a couple of resources for ideas that are in this vein are the show Adam Ruins Everything (you can find it on YouTube) and the podcast Science Vs. Skim episode lists and descriptions for topic ideas.
As you pick a topic, keep in mind that the focus of this paper needs to be on persuading your audience to believe that your information is factual and that your interpretation of it is valid. Avoid topics where you may be tempted to stray off-topic and argue about whether something is good or bad, morally right or wrong, etc.
Finding Sources
For this essay, you will need to practice finding scholarly sources. Scholarly sources include (a) peer-reviewed journal articles (go here for more info) and (b) books that have been published by university presses or other academic publishers.
The easiest place to find these sources is through OSU-OKC’s library. The library has many books and articles available online. Scholarly articles are easy to find by limiting a database search to include only peer-reviewed materials. To identify a scholarly book, you’ll need to identify the publisher and determine if it is a university press or other academic publisher.
Choosing a Documentation Style
Considering the differences between MLA and APA style, decide which you’d prefer to use. I strongly recommend, but do not require, that you buy the handbook for whichever documentation system you prefer to use. The handbooks offer much more detailed guidance than you can find online. For MLA, the correct book is either MLA Handbook, 8th edition or MLA Handbook, 9th edition. (Citation guidelines have not changed between the 8th and 9th editions, but the 9th edition offers many more examples and more detailed guidance.) For APA, the correct book is Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition.
