ARGUMENT ESSAY and BASIC RESEARCH STEPS

Comp 212, Dr M. Rostron
PREPARATION FOR ARGUMENT ESSAY and BASIC RESEARCH STEPS
In any given research, there are simple steps. They can be coordinated with argument essay
drafting.
1. Choosing your broad area – in this project, it is “Global Perspectives on Women”.
2. Reading around it, becoming familiar with a wide range of issues facing women, such as
inequality in many areas of life, violence, bias, etc., through a variety of articles (uploaded on
GC) and other sources (interviewing experts; own experience; examples)
3. Narrowing the topic down to something more focused, "smaller", in other words, a specific
issue or challenge confronting women, for example: unequal access to education
4. Formulating your research question:
Either:
a) Why is this issue still facing women?
Or:
b) How can this issue be addressed?
5. Answering the RQ and making it your thesis statement or claim (claim of value for the WHY
question; claim of policy for the HOW question).
For example: The reason why many women in the world are still struggling with unequal access
to education lies in patriarchal thinking of women as homemakers and caregivers, still prevalent
in patriarchal societies.
6. Articulating well-documented support for your claim, based on readings and research (basic
research steps below).
Database search for relevant articles (QNL Online Resources website; Google Scholar).
a) In the search box type in keywords: inequality, women, education.
b) See what comes up. Skim the titles and abstracts.
c) Choose a few articles that seem relevant.
d) Read their abstracts carefully.
e) Now select one that is the most relevant to you, reflecting your views, suggesting reasons
for or ways of dealing with the issue.

f) Read and annotate the article, highlighting passages that fit into your line of reasoning and
support your argument.
7. Recognising alternative views / counterargument through acknowledgement,
accommodation, or refutation.

8. Concluding your essay by restating your claim (check for logic and cohesiveness)

9. Compiling a Works Cited page: an alphabetical list of 2-3 sources used in the essay.

10. Revising your essay before submission for formatting, grammar, and spelling errors.
As I have already said in the STREAM on GC: Please remember, that in any Google Document,
what's UNDERLINED must be corrected by you before submission. The more lines I see, the lower
your grade.