This document provides instructions for writing a 10-12 page argumentative research paper for a business degree program. It outlines the requirements, including selecting a debatable business-related topic, supporting arguments with research from approved databases rather than general websites, and following an MLA format. The document explains how to develop a thesis statement, write an outline with topic sentences, incorporate facts and citations into each paragraph, and conclude with a summary. It also offers tips on structuring the paper and properly citing sources to avoid plagiarism.

2. NUTS AND BOLTS
In this class, you will write a 10-12 page argumentative research paper.
While you are free to select a topic of your own choice, because this is
a business degree program, you are encouraged to consider a
debatable topic related to an aspect of the business world. More details
will be given in the performance assessment.
You must write a persuasive paper that is based on facts, statistics, and
expert testimony. You are not writing an informative or merely an
opinion paper. All arguments must be backed up with research.
You may use some charts, graphs, or pictures as long as you aren’t using
them to “fill up” space to lengthen your paper to the required amount. A
few are acceptable. Many are not.
You must follow MLA formatting guidelines.
Do not use the first person “I”, “we”, “me” or “us” This is not acceptable
in academic writing unless approved by your professor as it is too
casual of language. On rare occasions, I will approve this, but it must be
discussed with me first.

3. YOUR RESEARCH
The bulk of your research should come from the databases in your
college’s online library. You can access the databases from the school
library website.
The databases that you should start with are EBSCOHOST/Academic
Search Search, CQ Researcher, and Proquest.
I do not want research from Google, Yahoo, Ask, Wikipedia, etc. This
course exists to teach more advanced researching skills which will
benefit you greatly as you continue on in your educational career.
Do not use dictionary definitions.

4. FURTHER DETAILS ON YOUR TOPIC
You need to select a topic that is debatable and able to be argued with
research--not just opinion. Your may select any topic for your first paper
as long as you get teacher approval prior to starting. You don’t have to
go for the big obvious topics (abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment,
etc). Truthfully, those types of topics are harder to prove with research
and facts. Some of the best topics are simpler--online education,
organic foods, uniforms in schools, etc. However, selecting a topic that
in some way addresses the world of business is highly encouraged.
Since you are enrolled in a business degree program, it is imperative
that you see the relevance of this course to your professional life. More
details will be provided in the performance assessment directions.

5. THE ROLE OF THE RESEARCH QUESTION
Once you have picked a topic and chosen a side to argue, turn it into a research
question. I will use a really simple and somewhat silly example for illustrative
purposes. If you want to argue that dogs make the best family pet, your
research question is, “Why do dogs make the best family pets?” (I apologize
to all you cat lovers out there. I just wanted to pick a super easy topic! Notice
though, that I picked something many people would argue over with me. That
means I did a good job of picking an argumentative topic.)
You then must come up with a long list of answers to that question. For example,
the following list answers the question “Why do dogs make the best family
pet?”:
1. Dogs are great protectors
2. Dogs are wonderful companions
3. Dogs can be taught tricks
4. Dogs love exercise and increase the likelihood that their owners will also
exercise
5. Dogs are very loyal

6. YOUR LIST OF ARGUMENTS
Your paper now has 5 solid reasons why dogs make the best family pets.
Those 5 reasons will become individual paragraphs in the main body of
your paper. A simple outline looks like this:
Paragraph 1 Intro
Paragraph 2 Dogs are good protectors
Paragraph 3 Dogs make great companions
Paragraph 4 Dogs can be taught tricks
Paragraph 5 Dogs love to exercise and increase the likelihood that their
owners will exercise as well
Paragraph 6 Dogs are very loyal
Paragraph 7 Conclusion

7. PARAGRAPH 1
Your introductory paragraph introduces your topic. It may provide a bit of background,
but it MUST be interesting. You want to grab the readers attention and draw them
in. Find a way to make it relate to people’s lives. It must end with a thesis (or
position) statement that tells exactly what you plan to argue in your paper. A
simple intro paragraph might look like this:
Throughout history, humans have enjoyed owning pets. We, ourselves, tend to be pack
animals, and many enjoy the company of a pet in the home. Some choose the
exotic reptiles viewed behind a glass tank. Others enjoy the quiet presence of cats
or fish. One of the most common pet choices is the dog. From the small Toy
Poodle to the enormous Great Dane, dogs have enriched the lives of millions.
Dogs are, without question, the best pet for any family.
That last sentence is debatable, so it is my thesis statement. Remember it must be the
final sentence in paragraph 1.
That intro paragraph was a shortened version of what yours will look like.

8. YOUR THESIS/POSITION STATEMENT
In the sentence, you must argue something. These are not thesis statements:
1. Many people have dogs for pets.
2. Organic food is becoming a common choice for many households.
3. School uniforms are becoming popular in public schools to combat bullying.
All of those statements are facts. Nothing can be argued.
Look at the difference:
1. Dogs are the best choice for a family pet.
2. Organic food offers many health benefits and all individuals should consider buying only this type of food.
3. All schools should require students to wear uniforms.
This second list is done correctly. Each of the three statements allows someone to say, ”I disagree!” Notice
two of them use the word “should.” If you are having a difficult time writing your thesis statement, try using
the word “should” in it. This will almost always guarantee an argumentative thesis statement.
Don’t forget--your thesis statement is the final sentence in paragraph 1

9. PARAGRAPH 2
Start with a topic sentence that tells what you are going to argue in that
paragraph:
“First, dogs are very good protectors.”
The rest of the paragraph proves how they are such great protectors. This is
done using facts, statistics, expert testimony etc.
To generate ideas for this topic, turn your topic sentence into a question and
then answer it. “In what way are dogs good protectors?”
1.
2.
3.
4.
All of those points would be the concrete ways dogs are good protectors. Do not
talk about anything else in the paragraph except how they are great
protectors.

10. PARAGRAPH 3
Start with a topic sentence:
“Next, dogs are wonderful companions.”
Notice the transition word, “Next”
The rest of the paragraph proves how they are wonderful companions. This is
done using facts, statistics, expert testimony, etc.
To generate ideas for this topic, turn your topic sentence into a question and
then answer it. “In what way are dogs good companions?”
1.
2.
3.
4.
All of those points would be the proof that dogs are great companions. Do not
talk about anything else in the paragraph but how they are great
companions!

11. PARAGRAPH 4
Start this paragraph with a topic sentence:
“Furthermore, dogs can be taught many tricks.”
Notice the use of the transition word, “Furthermore”
The rest of the paragraph proves how they can be taught tricks. This is done using
facts, statistics, expert testimony, etc.
To generate ideas for this topic, turn your topic sentence into a question and then
answer it. “What kind of tricks can dogs be taught?”
1.
2.
3.
4.
All of these would be the proof that dogs can be taught tricks. Don’t talk about
anything else in this paragraph except the fact that dogs can be taught tricks.

12. PARAGRAPH 5
Start with a topic sentence:
“Additionally, dogs love to exercise and would increase the likelihood that
their owners will exercise more as well.”
Notice the use of the transition word “Additionally”
The rest of the paragraph shows how much they love to exercise and will increase the
likelihood that owners will also exercise. This is done using facts, statistics, expert
testimony, etc.
To generate ideas for this topic, turn your topic sentence into a question and then
answer it. “How much do dogs exercise and how much more will owners exercise
because they own a dog?”
1.
2.
3.
4.
All of these points will be proof that dogs exercise and that humans would then
exercise more. Don’t talk about any other idea in this paragraph.

13. PARAGRAPH 6
Start with a topic sentence:
“Finally, dogs are very loyal.”
Notice the use of the transition word “Finally” at the beginning of the sentence.
The rest of the paragraph proves how loyal they are. This is done using facts,
statistics, expert testimony, etc.
To generate ideas for this topic, turn your topic sentence into a question and
then answer it. “In what way are dogs loyal?”
1.
2.
3.
4.
Those points above show the many ways dogs are loyal. No other concept or
idea is discussed in this paragraph.

14. PARAGRAPH 7 THE CONCLUSION
Always finish with a paragraph that summarizes your topic. This is your
last chance to prove your point. DO NOT introduce new ideas or
arguments in this final paragraph.
Restate your thesis/position statement in this paragraph.

15. OTHER OPTIONS
If you are writing about a topic that might be somewhat unfamiliar to many,
you could insert a background paragraph directly after the first
paragraph. For example, you might want to argue that fracking should
be outlawed (or that it should be encouraged) but you are concerned
that many might not know what fracking even is. You can choose to
write an informational paragraph so that the reader understands the
topic.
You can also choose to write a counter-argument paragraph. All arguments
have two sides. There are many who do not think dogs make the best
pets-clearly cats do, right!?! You can opt to write a paragraph
acknowledging that many feel cats are the best pets because of certain
qualities they have (be specifics). Only do this if you can refute those
claims convincingly with facts, statistics, expert testimony, etc. A
counterargument should come directly before the conclusion
paragraph.

16. OTHER DO’S AND DON’TS
1. Do not use phrases such as:
“In this essay, it will be proven…” (or anything like that). Just prove it.
2. Use signal and non-signal phrase to introduce ALL direct quotes,
paraphrases, and summaries.
The following is a signal phrase because the author’s name is used to
introduce the quote or paraphrase.
Jones argues that, “Dogs will bark at intruders reducing break ins by 60%” (14).
The following is a non-signal phrase because the author’s name is used only
in parenthesis after the quote or paraphrase.
“Dogs will bark at intruders reducing break ins by 60%” (Jones 14).
3. Make sure each paragraph has multiple facts, statistics, and/or expert
testimony. See Daly’s paper in the chapter 2 discussion forum for a great
example of this. Otherwise, you are writing only an opinion paragraph with
nothing to back it up.

17. OTHER DO’S AND DON’TS CONTINUED
4. Proofread!
Check for grammar and sentence structure issues. Ask someone with strong
writing skills to read your paper and give you feedback. Read your paper out
loud to yourself--your ear will catch mistakes that your eyes overlook.
5. Do not turn in a paper shorter than the required length. Please understand that
you will not pass the performance assessment if you do not meet the length
requirement.
6. Be very careful about intentional and unintentional plagiarism. Absolutely no
copying/pasting (intentional plagiarism) or failure to cite your sources
properly (unintentional plagiarism)
The Argumentative Research Paper” by Anne Eidenmuller is licensed under CC
BY-NC-SA