Essay Instructions: Unit 2: Causal Argument
Scope
Ramage is correct when he states, "we encounter causal issues all the time." Think about how many times today you have heard a story on the news that leads us to ponder: what event led up to outcome X? Or what implication is X going to have on our future? NOTE: this is about causes, and is not a “casual” assignment! Notice the difference in spelling,
Objectives
The students will:
1. Recognize and interpret the definition of causal argument.
2. Determine a causal argument topic.
3. Demonstrate the ability to research a chosen topic; then plan, organize and write an essay based on that research.
Readings
Read Ramage Chapter 12.
Read Ramage Chapters 4, 5, and 16
Supplemental Readings
Skim read Part 4 of Ramage. Be willing to reference this information throughout the course.
Refer to this information for future units. You will need to know how to document papers in other courses.
In order to prepare you for documentation and citations in your paper, you need to become familiar with the MLA guide in your Pocket Style Manual. If you have any questions about documentation, you should be able find format and function mentioned in the guide. Of course, you can always come to me for additional information.
ANYTIME you do NOT include a reference (an author, page number, etc.) you are plagiarizing the information. It is possible to document sources too much, but better to be on the safe side. A rule of thumb is, if you learned information while conducting research, then you must give credit to the original author.
This is the way some people keep notes while conducting research:
Start with a blank sheet of paper (some like note cards) for each new source you review. A source can be a book, a periodical, or an Internet site, etc. Before you do anything, write down all the bibliographic information at the top of that page. Then take notes. Start with the page number for each item you write down. Usually, you can just copy directly from the text. When you review a new source, start all over again with a new piece of paper. Then, type all the information into the computer and frame the essay around some of the most important quotations. Nearly all of the quotations may become paraphrased, but you still have the page references to use in the final essay. Use the page number references in all drafts. Don't wait until the final draft to start listing them.
MLA Guide for Writers of Research Papers (from here on it will be referred to as the MLA Guide.) Read pages 101 through 154 in the Pocket Style Manual. A sample paper is included as a guide.
It is not only for this course that you will need to know how to document, but you will rely on these skills for the rest of your academic career. The only difference between this class and another may be the documentation style used. Other documentation styles include APA, Turabian's Handbook, and The Chicago Style Manual, to name only a few.
You will be given one opportunity to not document well. After this essay, you are expected to accurately and correctly document your sources in your paper. All papers in this course require some research to support your point. Thus, each paper must have textual citations and documentation.
Assignment
Your main writing assignment for this unit is found in Chapter 12 of Ramage. Write a 3-4 page paper that clearly conveys your main idea in an organized format.
With the final draft I want to see:
1. Cover letter
2. Correct pagination and essay format as mentioned in Unit 1.
3. Bibliography page
4. Annotated Bibliography mentioned in Unit 1
Revision
Most causal arguments lead to evaluative conclusions. They establish that person X or Y is guilty and should be punished or that substance A or B is responsible and should be deleted. Too often, student writers fail to create a framework for such an argument whereby the connection between causality and evaluation is clear. Too often, the causal argument is slighted and the writer leaps to evaluation of consequences, particularly if the consequences are negative. Use some of the suggestions below to revise your paper.
1. Does the causal argument presented here deal with a specific, one-time-only event or phenomenon or does it deal with a recurrent event or phenomenon?
2. If it deals with a one-time occurrence, do you establish a clear causal chain (or chains) with no crucial missing links? Do you make clear in the process of describing this chain just how the causal mechanism works?
3. If it deals with a recurrent phenomenon, do you show that the same or similar results repeatedly follow from the alleged cause(s)? Do you explain how the causal mechanism works? Can you think of any exceptions to the correlation established?
4. If you have established a clear correlation between two or more phenomena, have you also established clearly the direction of the cause? Have you ruled out the possibility that some unnamed factor might account for the correlation?
5. Do you offer evidence from scientific experimentation? If so, do the data appear to be accurate and representative? Can you think of any important variables that haven’t been controlled for? Who conducted the scientific study? Might they have an interest in the outcome of the study?
6. Have you used an analogy argument to establish a plausible causal linkage? What dis-analogies can you think of between the cited phenomenon/event and the one at issue?
7. Have you properly weighted the causal factors, or have you given too much weight to a causal factor that is simply one of many? What causal factors might be more important than the one(s) focused on in this paper?
This came directly from the syllabus. It must be spelling and grammar error free. This is a casual argument essay on "The Right Stuff" by Tom Wolfe. It must be in MLA format.
