Length: This paper should be at least four typed pages in length (double-spaced) (not including the Works Cited page) and include at least four documented sources, properly cited and incorporated into your text.
This assignment requires you to write an argument (assisted by some outside sources), not simply describe or narrate.
Avoid choosing a large, controversial issue, such as captial punishment or abortion. These issues are too large for the scope of this essay and would require extensive research to handle effectively.
6) Narrow the subject, considering audience, purpose, context, ethos, pathos, and logos. You are looking for a topic that is debatable, one that you can reasonably argue at least two competing viewpoints. Something specific and personal is the best choice, such as “Should I keep my current job that I’ve had for four years as a legal secretary or take the one I’ve been offered at the new law firm downtown?” To work, one job could not be far superior to the other; there would need to be a convincing, reasonable case to be made for both sides. Your topic should be an issue that is personal to you, that you have plenty of specific details and arguments to offer on both sides of the issue, that you are truly undecided about, and that you can find a few sources to fill in information on.
