Understanding Plagiarism

What is it and how to avoid it

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According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, to “plagiarize” means:

•to steal or pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own; use (another’s production) without crediting the source.

• to commit literary theft: present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source.

Most students know that to pass off another’s work as his or her own is considered intentional plagiarism. “Intentional” means that the writer has purposefully, with dishonest intent, taken the words of another and placed their name as the author of the sourced material. To those in academia, intentional plagiarism is the most flagrant abuse of plagiarism.

However, many instances of plagiarism in academic student writing would be considered unintentional, or not done with dishonest intent. Plagiarism that is unintentional (not done by intention or design) could fall under the umbrella of failing to cite properly, failing to use quotation marks, or paraphrasing incorrectly. It’s essential for students to understand exactly what constitutes both types of plagiarism, and how to avoid it.

Plagiarism Examples

Which scenarios below are considered plagiarism?

Scenario 1:

Your research essay assignment requires you to use five sources. You scan the internet and library databases and find a few articles that fit your needs. You cut and paste the quotes you want to use into your paper. Each source you’ve cut and pasted is listed in your Works Cited.  

Scenario 2:

You have found the perfect sources to use in support of your argument. After choosing the section you want to paraphrase, you carefully change a word or two in each sentence so it is not worded exactly the same as the source article. Since you’ve reworded the quotes, you don’t worry about listing in the Works Cited.

Scenario 3:

You have used several direct quotes in your research paper. While you have not included author or attributive tags, you have cited the sources in the text.

Each of the previous scenarios could be considered plagiarism, as each example lacks some key elements.

Unintentional Plagiarism

One type of unintentional plagiarism is when a student uses words or ideas of another and fails to give the original source credit. This lack of acknowledgment usually happens when students are learning how to integrate research into their papers. This can be remedied by simply learning how to cite properly. The following direct quote is from an essay by Roger Sipher. For our purposes, the examples are utilizing MLA citation style.

Incorrect Direct Quote:

“A decline in standardized test scores is but the most recent indicator that American education is in trouble.”

As you can see in this example, there is no in-text citation or parenthetical reference at the end of the quote and before the final period to identify the writer or source. Who said it? Where did it come from?

When incorporating direct quotes, always include some kind of introductory or author tag along with direct quotes, as direct quotes should never stand alone as a sentence. This means that a direct quote should always have other words in the sentence, either before the quote begins, in the middle (if breaking up quote), or at the end of the sentence.

Correct Direct Quote:

According to Sipher, “A decline in standardized test scores is but the most recent indicator that American education is in trouble” (25).

The second example has not only included the page reference (25) to the source, but also added a few words of introduction, called an author or attributive tag. Regardless of whether you directly quote, summarize, or paraphrase, the original source must always be cited in the text, as well as listed on the Works Cited or Reference page.

When you want to directly quote a source, take care to put quotation marks around all of the words that came from the source, whether it’s one word or fifty. Inserting exact wording from a source without using quotation marks is also a form of plagiarism, whether you cite the source or not.

Incorrect:

A decline in standardized test scores is but the most recent indicator that American education is in trouble (Sipher 25).

In this example, the writer has used the exact quote, which should have quotation marks around it to the reader identifies it as an exact quote.

Correct:

Roger Sipher, author of, “So That Nobody Has To Go To School If They Don’t Want To,” states that “A decline in standardized test scores is but the most recent indicator that American education is in trouble” (25).

Paraphrasing & Summarizing

Paraphrasing and summarizing are used in research papers when you don’t want to use a direct quote. When paraphrasing, you’ll take a passage from source material and put the language in your own words. A summary is much shorter, and usually takes a broad overview of the subject in your own words.

When you want to paraphrase or summarize, you must not only change the words of the original source, but the sentence structure as well. Simply replacing one word with a synonym is not enough to avoid plagiarism.

When paraphrasing or summarizing, always read over the source material several times. You should understand it so well you could potentially have a conversation about it with a peer and communicate all the major points. When you know it this well, you are ready to paraphrase or summarize.

Original Material:

Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition that affects children and adolescents. It occurs when a child is well above the normal weight for his or her age and height. Childhood obesity is particularly troubling because the extra pounds often start children on the path to health problems that were once confined to adults, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Poor Paraphrase:

Obesity in children is a serious condition that affects children and teens. It occurs when a child is above the normal weight for his or her age and height. Childhood obesity is particularly worrisome because the extra pounds often cause kids to have health problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Poor Summary:

Obesity in children is a serious condition.

Notice that in the poorly paraphrased example, a few words were omitted and a few were changed to a word with the same meaning. The sentence structure – the order of the words in the sentences – however, has not been altered. Avoid cutting and pasting, then simply omitting one word for a synonym.

In the summary example, the writer has simply cut and pasted most of the first sentence word for word. Again, read over a passage and put into your own words.

Final Thoughts

Failing to use quotation marks, failing to cite properly, failing to add a Works Cited or Reference page, or failing to take care when paraphrasing and summarizing can all be troublesome and puts you at risk for plagiarism. Plagiarism comes in many forms, but once you understand how to correctly cite and quote research, as well as how to paraphrase and summarize, you can avoid most unintentional plagiarism errors.

The Argument Essay: Topic, Purpose, Claim, and Reasons

When writing the argument essay, you will be expected to argue a debatable topic, with a clear purpose, strong claim, and clear reasoning.

Huh?

Let’s begin at the beginning.

Picking an Argument Topic

How do you know if your topic will make a good argument? Many topics might be interesting, but not all interesting topics are arguable. When constructing an argument, your topic must be more than a statement of fact; it must be debatable.

How do you know if your argument topic is debatable? Do you offer a strong opinion? If an audience or reader might disagree with your opinion or premise, it’s debatable. You want someone to disagree. That’s what makes an argument.

This confuses students who might have been told to avoid opinion as they write argument essays. The support and research should not be based on opinion, but the topic itself will be opinionated — meaning, debatable.

What is your purpose?

When we think about arguments, we assume our purpose is to win, though there is no way to determine who really wins. A writer can present his or her position with the best reasoning and evidence available, and hope to successfully rebut opposing arguments.

A writer usually tries to convince a specific audience that his or her argument is compelling enough to change minds. In proposal arguments, the writer might want to enact a solution to a problem, and to do this, the writer will have to convince a carefully-considered audience to change their mind.

Another purpose of an argument is to simply explore an issue. A writer whose intention is to explore will examine an idea in hopes of convincing a reader that the ideas are important and beneficial.

Testing your Topic

To test whether or not a topic will work as an arguable thesis, consider if you can answer “yes” to the following criteria:

1. Does it present a position that an audience might have differing opinions on?
2. Does it attempt to change minds or urge a reader to take some sort of action?
3. Does it address a problem and offer a solution, or does it present a problem where no easy solutions exist?

The topic must pass the “so what” test. If a reader shrugs and says “so what?” the statement may not be interesting, or arguable, or both.

Examples of an Unarguable Statement:

Let’s test the statements below to see if they pass the so-what test:

Litter creates pollution of the environment.

Using our criteria, the statement isn’t trying to convince, present a problem (although technically, litter is a problem), nor is it a statement that others might disagree with. It’s merely an observation. So what?

Chickens make good pets.

Though we don’t often think of chickens as pets, so what about it? This is a statement of fact, and a reader couldn’t debate the statement, but we’re intrigued to learn more.

The number of women joining the military has been stagnant for over a decade.

Even though a reader may not know if this is an accurate statement or not, it is easily researchable and not an argument claim. It does raise some interesting questions that might lead to a solid argument. So what about the numbers of women in the military? Tell us more.

Examples of an Arguable Statement

As you read the following statements, ask yourself if you or others might disagree:

Recycling programs, though expensive at first, are ultimately an efficient, cost effective, and environmentally friendly way of reducing waste in our environment.

This statement meets our criteria, as it is presenting a problem and offering a solution. It can be argued, as many opponents believe the cost of implementing a recycling program is too expensive and actually not efficient.

Cities and other municipalities should allow residents to keep chickens as pets.

This is a statement that would illicit disagreement (good!), and is an attempt to change the readers’ minds of a widely held belief (chickens are farm animals, not pets!), so it definitely meets our criteria.

The military needs to focus more resources and create a long-term plan to recruit and retain women.

This statement is definitely arguable, as many would dispute that the military need more women in their ranks. Others would oppose focusing additional resources on building the ranks of women in the military. This statement addresses a problem that there may be several solutions to, making an arguable claim.

Formulating an Argument

Claim Supported by Reasons

Once an arguable topic is chosen, the next step is to formulate the claim with reasons. This will lay the groundwork for your essay, and will work like a roadmap for your reader.

The reasons, also called “because clauses” are the “why” behind the claim. Each reason will address one concern, and will act as one section of argument for the paper. Each of the reasons will be supported with its own research or support.

Claim: Military service should be compulsory for all graduating high school seniors.       

Reason 1: because it is a cost-effective way to address critical military needs of our country.

Reason 2: because it would diversify the military.

Reason 3: because it would help young people to mature and gain valuable life experience.

Reason 4: because it would reduce poverty by offering low-income students a path toward higher education and job training.

Once the claim and reasons are fully developed, you’ll then consider counter-arguments and evidence from research.

Spending time in the planning stages to identify your purpose, test your topic, and formulate an arguable claim with reasons is essential to constructing a successful argument.

Now You Try!

For the broad topics below, formulate an arguable statement and working thesis (claim with reason):

1. Requiring Covid vaccine for college admissions.
2. Mental health assistance in public universities.
3. The effect of texting on youth’s literacy.

Simple Steps to Organize an Argument Essay

You’ve created a strong thesis statement, you’ve compiled your research, you may have even written your intro, but where do you go from here? Are you stumped about how exactly to put all of this information together?

Organizing a long research paper can be a daunting task, but fear not! Read on for a quick and easy way to lay out your argument essay. This organization method is only one option, and your instructor may have a preferred method, but if you are lost, this is a great road map to get you unstuck.

Start with Your Thesis

To begin, you’ll need to write down your thesis statement.

Thesis: The US should implement a cross-country high-speed rail system.

Now you have to answer the big question: Why should the US implement a cross-country high-speed rail system?

Reasoning out an Argument

Answering this question in a series of what we’ll refer to as “because clauses,” will fill out the body of your paper. These will be the reasons why your audience should support your position. Let’s pick three strong reasons, and list them here:

Thesis: The US should implement a cross-country high-speed rail system because. . .

Because Clause #1: because a rail system will greatly reduce highway congestion, resulting in lower automobile fatalities.

Because Clause #2: because a rail system will serve the poor population who cannot afford the cost of owning and maintaining a car.

Because Clause #3: because a national rail system will greatly reduce automobile emissions and be more environmentally friendly.

As you can see, each because clause smoothly follows the thesis statement. You should be able to combine the thesis with each because clause in one succinct, logical sentence. These three (or four) reasons or because clauses, as well as the information and research you include to support these reasons, will constitute the majority of your paper.

Once you decide on what your reasons will be and what research you’ll use to support each reason, you’ll simply begin to lay them out after your introduction. Organize your paper by following your reasons, keeping each “because” reason in its own paragraph/s. In other words, don’t talk about information related to because clause #1 in the paragraph for because clause #3.

Simple, right?

Think of the body of your essay as a train; each rail car is lined up one after the other, holding its own separate contents. Just as the engineer wouldn’t want to mix the rail car full of coal with a car full of apples, you don’t want to mix the information in your clauses.

Including Opposition and Rebuttal

After you have given all of your reasons, now you’ll need to include a section (one or more paragraphs) of opposition and rebuttal. Below, we have included two different oppositions.

Opposition #1 (followed by rebuttal): Many opponents against a high-speed rail system believe the monetary costs outweigh the benefits.

Opposition #2 (followed by rebuttal): The cost of high-speed rail tickets will be unaffordable for the low-income population it hopes to attract.

These opposition points are developed depending on the audience you’re hoping to persuade. The length of your paper will usually dictate how many different oppositional points (with accompanying rebuttal) you will need. For our purposes, we are placing the opposition after the reasons have all been argued, but it is also acceptable to place a direct opposition immediately after each reason, if the opposition directly argues against the specific reason. Above, Opposition #2 directly relates to Because Cause #2, and could be placed directly after.

It’s a good idea to outline your argument before you begin writing. If you’re not into numerical outlines, just draw a box for every paragraph or section, and label each box with what’s going inside, like this:

You can get as detailed as you want, including what research goes where.

To break down the body section, for instance, it might look something like this:

Once you’ve determined your reasoning, you can easily arrange and rearrange as needed. After outlining the Intro, Body, and Opposition, all that’s left is the concluding thoughts.

Easy, right?

Final Thoughts

Organizing a longer argument essay takes some time and forethought. Remember to keep the coal with the coal, and the apples with the apples! With a little work on the front end, you’ll be on track for focused and well-organized essay.

Research Required

When writing a research paper, the research process can be overwhelming and time consuming. Many writers often find themselves sucked into hour after hour of futile searching. Answering a few key questions in the beginning and creating a solid research plan will help focus your mission and guide you through the process efficiently.

Understand Assignment Guidelines

Forget starting research before you know two things: one — what are your guidelines? and two — what topic will fit those guidelines and requirements?

For instance, a topic such as the benefits of smartphone use for high school students, probably isn’t going to be found in peer-reviewed journals. If incorporating peer-reviewed or academic journal sources is a requirement of your assignment, then pick a topic accordingly. How?

Many topics based in the sciences, for instance, genetically modified food, endangered species, green energy, or organ transplantation, will likely have research in peer-reviewed or academic journals, as well as books and respected websites. Some topics that are considered current event issues will often be written about only in newspapers, magazines, or online. Your instructor may have strict guidelines that prohibit the use of these types of sources. Before you get too far into the research process, make certain your topic will work for the type of research your assignment requires. If peer-reviewed or academic research is required, debating the merits of a smartphone use or the pros and cons of a college playoff system might not work.

Finding Quality Research

Think quality over quantity. If your assignment requires 8 sources, citing 16 isn’t going to double your chances of a better grade. Using too many sources often sends up a red flag that you’ve relied too heavily on source material and not your own ideas. Quality sources — books, peer-reviewed journals, scholarly articles, library databases, and some websites — are usually written and reviewed by experts in the field. Some instructors allow “.edu” or “.gov,” websites, but beware that even some “.org” websites can be misrepresentative.

Wikipedia is an often-cited source — but most likely not allowed for an academic writing assignment. Most instructors oppose its use as a source. In addition, using a dictionary or encyclopedia definition isn’t considered “research” so avoid using definitions in place of research.

The best way to locate quality research comes from other quality research. If you’ve found one good source, look at that source’s citation page at the end of the article. Who has your source referenced? These are often the best sources for your topic.

While you might not be able to use Wiki sources in your paper, it’s often not a bad starting point to find other research. Wikipedia’s reference pages are often quite long and a good place to find further research. The search “Smartphones in School” in Wikipedia had 40 reference sources at the end of the page.

Keywords are King

When searching library databases such as EBSCO or ERIC, vary your search terms. Avoid using the same keyword, for instance, simply the one or two word topic, as you’ll usually get poor results. Database searches are all about keywords, and your best results come from careful consideration of search terms.   

Searching keywords related to your topic, however, will most likely return results that are too broad — and too many. Try to focus in on the main points you want to make. Instead of “Smartphone Use in High School” try searching one main point, such as “Phone Apps used in Education.” Instead of “global warming” try “declining ice sheets” or “atmospheric carbon dioxide.”

Organizing Research

As you spend time sifting through research, it’s essential to keep careful records. You’ll save valuable time if you stay organized and maintain careful records so you don’t have to go back and try to find where all your sources came from. Keep research note cards, photocopy materials, or keep a detailed research journal.

Figure 1: Simple Research Notecard

It’s easy to use index cards for research. Simply jot down the identifying information, such as the article title, author, source, URL if web-based, and don’t forget to make a note of how you plan to use it.

Final Thoughts

Start early and schedule ample time for collecting research. This is often the most time consuming part of the essay process, but it’s also the most crucial, and will set you on course for a research paper you can be proud of.  

Once you’ve selected the best source material, it’s important that you understand the research and incorporate the information effectively. Avoid simply gathering data to dump in between paragraphs. You must incorporate the research, connect it to your main points, and contextualize the information.  

Research Note Cards

Compile your research on index cards
to simplify your research process —

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When writing a research paper, the final result depends on the effectiveness of your research. Many beginning writers search the internet and copy piles of articles, but fail to take notes as they read. Beginning writers might think they’ll be able to recall what they have read, but without taking careful notes, time is wasted that could be spent writing. When you sit down to write, you’ll have to thumb through pages and pages of articles and try to guess what the purpose of saving them was in the first place! Taking effective notes during the research process saves valuable time, as well as ensures a better research essay.

Many instructors require students to use note cards for research, as note cards are an excellent method to keep careful records of your research. Utilizing note cards makes it easier to keep track of sources, and simplifies the process of creating a Works Cited page if you’re following MLA guidelines, or a Reference page if you’re following APA.
Once you locate a source you think you would like to include in your paper, evaluate the source, thinking how you might utilize it in your paper. Once you have determined the source is reliable and credible, jot down a few bullet points that you might want to include in your paper.

Index cards are a great way to take and save research notes. In the example below, a “code” is used in the upper left corner to indicate the topic, “Cacao Tree”:

In the upper right corner of the example above, the source and any identifying information is listed, including page numbers.

In the center of the card, place the fact, thought, or quote you want to include in your paper. In the example above, the writer has used a bullet-point list to include the major details. You can also paraphrase or directly quote the information you want to use in your paper. Taking time to paraphrase now will save you time in the writing stage.

When complete, the index card should have all of the information you need to begin formatting your outline and begin to write your paper.

Below is another type of note card format. This example places the author and page number at the bottom right; the descriptive heading is at the top, and the source information centered:

Some writers find it useful to write the full bibliographic information on a separate card for use in compiling the Works Cited page. An alternative is to write the full bibliographic information on the back side of the note card. You might also find it useful to use color-coded cards to easily organize your paper. Below is another example that shows an alternative note taking strategy that includes a direct quote:

There are many different ways to utilize note cards, but one thing is certain: the more effective your note taking skills, the more effective your paper.

 

The Rhetorical Triangle: Identifying Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

The great philosopher, Aristotle, was fascinated with how rhetoric functions. How an individual says something, the emotion, tone, and sentiment used, conveys as much or more meaning than the actual content of the message. Aristotle defined the three key persuasive appeals of logos, ethos, and pathos, and the theory of rhetoric was born.

The concept of the rhetorical triangle is often foreign to most beginning writers; however, the components that make up the rhetorical triangle— logos, ethos, and pathos—are crucial elements to most forms of academic writing. Most casual readers, however, do not always recognize these elements of persuasive argument. However, to be a critical reader and informed audience (as well as a successful writer), it’s essential a reader and writer keep a keen eye toward the elements of these persuasive techniques.

How do we come to understand these appeals as we, writers and readers, construct our own persuasive writing? Let’s break each down to its simplest form, and consider how each are used.

Logos

The Greek logos, means word or reason.  Logos is often referred to as the idea, message, reason, or text. Logos relates to the premise, or foundation, of an argument. When an appeal of logos is in the text of an argument, the writer is appealing to reason. As we deconstruct (or construct) an argument, consider if the writer or author has presented an argument with a strong claim (thesis), and reasoning (support).

For logos to be effective, an argument must contain the following:

• a clear and consistent claim
• logical reasons
• effective evidence

For a claim, or thesis, to be effective, it should be specific:

The U.S. should increase funding to prevent underage drinking, as youth are at higher risk of death due to excessive drinking, are more likely to binge drink, and related economic costs are skyrocketing.

In this example, the thesis is clearly stated, and the reasons are clear. But what kind of facts will back up this claim?

Including reliable facts, such as statistics, testimony, surveys, experiments, and even personal experience, is essential for a successful logical appeal (logos). Look at the following statistic. Would a reader interpret this as strong support for the previous claim?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), excessive drinking is responsible for more than 4,300 deaths among underage youth each year, and cost the U.S. $24 billion in economic costs in 2010.
(https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/underage-drinking.htm)

The audience, or reader, must determine if this stat is from a trustworthy source. The CDC is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, a government agency, and is highly respected. Most readers would probably consider the source quite trustworthy, and not question the data.

Are the facts clearly defined?

An inquisitive reader might wonder what exactly the data means by economic costs, and how they measure those costs. This would need clarification and explanation. But the data source that is used here would most likely be considered credible, as it comes from a government agency with a strong reputation for reliable research.

Ethos

Greek for “character,” ethos refers to the writer’s (or speaker’s) perspective and credibility. A writer can develop ethos by utilizing effective tone and style; incorporating strong evidence and support; and including fair treatment of opposing views.

When constructing an argument, consider how you, as the writer/speaker, are communicating your message. Questions to consider when determining if ethos is successful include

• Is the writer knowledgeable on the subject?
• What are his or her qualifications?
• Does the writer sound credible?
• Has the writer presented strong reasoning and support?
• Is the writer’s tone suitable for the purpose, such as the word choices?
• Has the writer demonstrated respect for the opposition, or merely declared it invalid?

Television personalities, politicians, and athletes are often used in advertising to promote a product. While the public often admires famous individuals, does that mean we should automatically believe what they say—or sell? Would you put all of your money in an investment solely because an Olympic athlete has promoted the product? Would you follow a trendy diet because a famous TV personality says it’s the best diet ever invented? The writer’s credibility and how he or she has presented the facts weighs heavily if an argument is to be successful.

Pathos

Pathos, Greek for “suffering” or “experience,” refers to an appeal based on emotions. Many (if not most) politicians use emotional appeals in their arguments: the story of a family who is struggling to make ends meet to push for tax cuts; the image of a glacier breaking away in the arctic to enact tougher environmental measures; the story of a homeless family to push for more affordable housing.

Another common situation pathos is used is fundraising campaigns. Direct mail solicitations almost always rely on pathos to play on the readers’ compassion, whether it be fundraising for polar bears, rain forests, or orphanages.

These types of emotional appeals have been highly criticized, as they are in many ways a form of manipulation, and are often used to mislead the audience. However, effective arguments almost always use appeals to emotions such as fear, sadness, fury, distress, or hope. It’s up to the audience to be well-informed and critical, taking an active approach to analyzing each part of an argument to confirm its validity.

For an effective emotional appeal, the writer must first understand exactly who their audience is and what motivates them. What are their values and beliefs?

Final Thoughts

Keep in mind that often one aspect of a text could include all of the rhetorical appeals. They work together, overlapping to strengthen the argument. Remember that as you analyze other writing or are building your own argument, each appeal in the rhetorical triangle—logos, ethos, and pathos—carries some responsibility for the success—or failure—of the argument.

 

 

Works Consulted

Lunsford, Andrea A. The Everyday Writer. Sixth ed., Boston, Bedford St. Martin’s, 2016.

“Underage Drinking.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Aug.  2018, Atlanta, GA., https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/underage-drinking.htm. Accessed 15, Apr., 2019.

Analysis Essay Thesis Statement

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The term, “analysis” comes from the word, “analyze,” which is the “the process of studying or examining something in an organized way to learn more about it, or a particular study of something” (Cambridge.org). In high school or college writing courses, you might be asked to write an analysis on anything from a long work of literary fiction, a poem, or even media like advertisements or music videos. Regardless of what type of analysis you plan to write, you’ll focus on breaking down the subject into specific components for a close inquiry.

At the most basic form, a literary and other analysis will lead the writer to look deeply into a text to focus on one or more elements. For example, you might decide to analyze the main characters in a work of fiction, or compare and contrast the protagonist with the antagonist. In a poetry analysis, you might focus on the use of imagery, the rhyme scheme or rhythm, or use of metaphor. In a media analysis of a print advertisement or video, you might study the use of design, including typeface or color, signs and symbols, facial expressions, clothing, or actions of the people or figures.

The Analysis Thesis

An analysis essay requires the writer to make a claim or argument. What is the central idea you want to communicate? Therefore, just like an argument essay, a carefully constructed thesis is essential, and will create a road map for the essay’s organization.

To develop an analysis thesis statement, the format will look something like this:

In (title of work), (author) (verb, such as illustrates, shows) (element of work).

So to fill in the blanks, a thesis could be. . .

In “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” Flannery O’Connor incorporates the literary technique of foreshadowing to build suspense throughout the narrative arc.

Another optional format might look like this:

(Author) (verb, shows, develops, illustrates) the theme of __________ in the (play, poem, story).

Edgar Allen Poe illustrates the theme of death and afterlife in “The Raven.”

As you can see, once you have a well-defined thesis, the essay organization will unfold as you lay out the components you’ll analyze.

Advertisement Analysis Thesis

For an advertisement analysis, there are numerous components that could be analyzed, from the way the ad is photographed, the action of characters, to the underlying message the ad conveys, so it’s important to narrow your focus.

As you consider your ad analysis thesis, ask yourself some questions as you brainstorm:

What values or beliefs does the ad communicate?

What are the underlying assumptions the ad is communicating?

Does the ad perpetuate sexual, gender or other stereotypes?

What does this ad tell us about American culture?

Once you choose your point of analysis, create a thesis that reflects the elements of the ad you will focus on, similar to the previous examples:

Ex. 1: In the Gillette razor ad, the images of handsome male athletes conveys the implicit message that consumers of the product will become more strong, attractive, and masculine.

Ex. 2: In the Hallmark commercial, pathos is used to convey a feeling of loneliness and isolation that creates an emotional response in the viewer.

Ex. 3: By using slender, white, and young models, the Cutie Lash ad perpetuates negative female stereotypes.

Other Tips

Once you have a strong thesis, you will organize the essay around your main point or points of analysis. An analysis is considered a formal paper, so keep your voice out of it, and offer well-supported facts and examples from the text or ads. An analysis essay is a great way to show off your critical thinking and reasoning skills. Spending some time developing a strong thesis statement will start you on the road to success.

Top 5 Research Databases for your Research Paper

When writing a paper that requires quality research, sifting through online databases offered by your college library can feel overwhelming. Depending on your topic, focus, and requirements, you’ll often need to sift through pages and pages of database lists for the information you need. This can often be the most time consuming part of writing a college-level research paper – and you haven’t even started writing yet!

Begin at the beginning. What is your topic? What is the specific focus of your topic? Knowing the answer to these very important questions can help you to narrow the focus of your database search.

Several of the most popular research databases are multi-disciplinary, meaning regardless of the area of your research, you should be able to find good, quality research on a variety of subjects. Multi-disciplinary databases are like the Wal-Mart of information: they offer lots of research from a diverse assortment of source material. Read on to learn more about the top 5 databases for college-level research and what sets them apart from the pack.

1. Academic Search Complete – EBSCOhost.

If you’ve ever written any kind of high school or college paper that requires scholarly research, you’ve likely been introduced to Academic Search Complete (formerly Academic Premier), better known as EBSCOhost. This multi-disciplinary database houses nearly 6600 full-text periodicals, including magazines, newspapers and journal articles from most all academic disciplines, as well as over 6000 peer-reviewed journals. EBSCOhost has several different versions that include Complete, Elite, Premier, and Alumni Edition. Subjects include everything from psychology to vet science; about any topic you need research for, you’ll most likely find it here.

The only drawback of EBSCOhost? Too much information. Use your search terms carefully, narrow your focus, or you’ll likely end up with hundreds, if not thousands of results. The search page allows you to do field searches to limit your results to full-text articles only, peer-reviewed only, specific academic journal titles, author, and dates, among others useful limits.

 2. Google Scholar

This online search engine allows you to find scholarly resources on the web. Once located on the web, you can often click a link that leads you to a specific database where you can find the article. Google Scholar is also multi-disciplinary, allowing users to search across many disciplines and sources that include articles, books, theses, and even court opinions. If you’re at a loss of where to begin, you can start with a wide focus with Google Scholar, and narrow down to specific databases from there.

One of the best features of Google Scholar is the search feature that allows you to locate the complete document through your library or on the web. In the right margin, a link will appear if the full-text is available as a PDF, or in your library’s database.

Though you might get an overwhelming amount of results with Google Scholar, you can also limit the results with a few key features. As you can see in the example above, the search terms, “underage drinking” hit with 38,700 results. By narrowing the years of publication, “Since 2018,” the results narrowed to just over 2000. Those results were then cut in half again by narrowing the search to “How to reduce underage drinking.”

3. Opposing Viewpoints in Context

One of the best databases to research both sides of an issue, Opposing Viewpoints provides the pros and cons of controversial contemporary issues. The database Includes full-text magazine and newspaper articles, as well as summary overviews of topics, statistics, and even links to relevant websites.

A quick browse of the issues covered in OV includes anything from police brutality, affordable housing, health care issues and reality television. Literally any topic you can think of, OV offers both sides of the debate. This is a great place to begin if you’re unsure of the position you want to take on an issue.

4. SIRS Issues Researcher

Like Opposing Viewpoints, SIRS Issues Researcher offers opinions on the pros and cons on current debated social issues. Thousands of full-text magazine and newspaper articles are available exploring current events that include social, scientific, health, historic, economic, business, political and global issues.

Publications in SIRS include books, magazines, newspapers, websites, as well as government documents and many other resources. SIRS offers “Essential Questions,” or a key question on a current topic. For instance, a quick search on the subject of college environments turns up “How should college administrators respond when free speech on their campuses could lead to protests and violence?”

You’ll see 2 viewpoints, with links to full-text articles of the results. Also on the results pages you’ll see a “Research Guide” PDF link. This cool feature offers a 6-page questionnaire to help guide you through the entire research paper process, a valuable tool.

5. Statista

Need statistics to round out your research? Statista probably has what you need.

The database boasts immediate access to over one million stats or facts, including consumer survey results and industry studies from more than 18,000 sources on over 60,000 topics.

• Need to know the total population of the US? 329.85 million.
• The country with the highest cell-phone subscription? China, followed by India and Indonesia (US is 4^th).
• State with the highest cancer rate in the US? Kentucky.
• Leading US sales (in dollars) of chocolate? M&Ms.
• Country with the highest drunk driving rate? South Africa, followed by Canada and the US.

While stats and facts won’t necessarily meet your minimum research paper requirements, including shocking statistics can often make your argument compelling and convincing.

Final Thoughts

When beginning research on an academic paper, don’t fall into the rabbit hole of over-researching your topic. Pick a few key databases that offer peer-reviewed and highly reputable research. Focus your search on key topics or specific points you hope to make. It’s not necessary, and often a waste of valuable time and energy, to endlessly browse online research. If you’re not sure where to begin, start with Google Scholar, and narrow your focus from there. Choosing a few key databases will give you what you need from the mountains of online content to write a well-researched paper.

Lasting Impression: Concluding your Argument Essay

 

Introductions and conclusions in persuasive papers often cause the most difficulty and angst for beginning writers. If you’ve spent your essay arguing passionately on a topic, you don’t want to fall flat in the end. The conclusion is your final chance to appeal to your audience and make a strong final impression.

A great conclusion will not only close the essay, but close the sale on your argument. Throughout the paper, you have been selling your audience on your position, and a successful conclusion will tie it all together, leaving your reader at least considering the merits of your argument. Unfortunately, by the time you get to your conclusion, most writers are either exhausted from writing the paper and end it too quickly, or can’t stop arguing their position and backload it with too much new information at the end.

Strategies for Great Conclusions

Generally, conclusions do three things:

• Reiterates the main idea, re-emphasizing your position

• Summarizes your argument

• Provides a warning, explains consequences, poses questions for further study, or delivers a call-to-action – sometimes all of the above.

 

Note, however, that restating, re-emphasizing, and summarizing does not mean repeating word-for-word your thesis statement or other major points. The purpose of the conclusion is to remind the reader of the importance of your argument, synthesizing the information you’ve provided in the body, and show how the points you’ve made throughout your argument all fit together.

Framing Your Argument

If you’ve begun your paper with a scenario or framed it with a story, return to the theme you introduced in the introduction. This frame serves as a thread that ties the two ends (intro & conclusion) together.

An example of a frame for an argument on creating harsher penalties for texting while driving might be beginning the introduction retelling a true story of a car crash caused by texting while driving. The conclusion will come back to that scenario, perhaps completing the story you began telling in the intro, explaining the outcome or consequences. This complete story “frames” the narrative.

Project Outcomes

Another strategy for a successful conclusion might be to ask the reader to consider a future where your proposal has succeeded or your position is the norm. For instance, if your argument was to create more educational funding for job training outside of college, you might project a scenario where previously unemployed and uneducated men and women were now working in occupations with job security and stable wages with benefits.

What’s the “Take-Away”?

When drafting the conclusion, go big and broad. As focused and narrow as the intro should be, the conclusion can provide a larger framework to conclude your essay. Consider the broader implications related to your argument. Elaborate on the consequences of failing to follow through with your proposal or supporting your argument. Leave the audience with a question to ponder or something to think about. This is referred to as a “take-away.” Just as an intro requires a great “hook” to immediately pique the interest of the reader, the conclusion has to leave the audience with something tangible that sticks in their minds, an idea to consider or consequences of failing to act. What’s the take-away for the audience?

Things to Avoid in a Conclusion

In conclusion

I’ve listed this first, as it’s not only the most common, but also the most obnoxious. The most common words used to begin conclusions – that you should never use – are “in conclusion.” This is like putting up a big road sign that we are now reading your conclusion. Although it might be necessary to say the words in a speech, it’s totally unnecessary and almost cliché to use them in an essay. If it isn’t abundantly clear to the audience that we are now reading the conclusion, go back and revise it.

Repeating

You’ve stated your thesis succinctly in the introduction, so avoid repeating it verbatim in the conclusion. This comes across as not only repetitive, but clumsy and awkward.

Research

Hopefully, you’ve laid out your argument in the body of the essay, including strong support with outside sources. Avoid adding more new facts, statistics or quotes in the conclusion. This isn’t the place for more research. If you feel you have more to add to your points, put it in the body of the paper, not the conclusion.

Old Information & Nothing New

I’ll paraphrase an example: “In this paper I argued yada-yada, because of reason 1, 2 and 3. So I hope you’ll agree that you should agree with me. Thank you.”

This type of conclusion is simply repeating everything you’ve just said in your entire paper, adding nothing new. It’s painfully boring and just a bit condescending, as you are  telling the reader what they have just read, as if they don’t know what they’ve just read. Or you’re not confidant you communicated your argument effectively, and if that’s the case, go back and revise.

 

 

 

 

Conclusions can be tricky, and by the time we’re done writing a long research paper, they are usually the last thing we want to spend time writing. By considering what impression you most want to leave the audience with, these decisions will guide you to compose a great lasting impression.

Keeping Unbiased Language in your Argument Essay

 

When choosing a topic for your argument essay, it’s always best to choose an issue that you’re interested in and passionate about. There’s nothing worse than spending an entire term researching and writing about something that you have little interest in. But it’s also just as important to be fair and unbiased as you write your essay. The language you choose to communicate your points can work to either persuade – or alienate – your audience.

While it’s okay to feel excited or even enraged about a topic, your audience requires careful respect and consideration. Too much wrath and fury, or on the other side, too much praise and approval, will cause your reader to doubt your reliability, and could turn your audience against you.

Avoid Moralistic Language

A fine line exists between persuasive and opinionated, and it all comes down to word choice. In order for readers to feel sympathetic toward your position, a balance must be struck. In the example below, consider how your reader will react:

An added tax should be placed on all surgery drinks, including sodas, and is the only way to encourage healthy alternatives.

At first glance, many health-conscious readers might think this is a good idea. Added federal and state taxes are placed on another unhealthy – though popular – product, cigarettes, so why not sugary drinks?

But this statement implies that all surgery drinks harm our health. Most fruit juices, however, have as much, if not more, sugar than a can of Coke! But some fruit juices have no sugar added; the sugar content comes naturally from the fruit. Are fruit juices high in sugar? Yes. Is fruit juice as harmful as soda? Many would heartily disagree, and juice-drinking readers might feel targeted.

Avoid Superlatives and Exaggerations

Note the use of “only way” in the above example. The phrase, “is the only way to encourage healthy alternatives” implies that higher taxation will automatically push consumers to choose healthier options. The language of “the only way. . .” is a superlative that might turn off a reader by the moralistic tone. It could be one way, but not necessarily the only way.

Superlatives are terms that suggest the highest degree of something, such as
the best way
the worst way
should always
should never

Using superlatives paints the writer into an absolute corner and has no room for compromise.

Alternative: An added tax should be placed on all surgery drinks, including sodas, and could be one way to encourage healthy alternatives.

Example: Legalizing marijuana is the best way to decrease prison overcrowding.

Alternative: Legalizing marijuana might be one way to decrease prison overcrowding.

Example: Embryonic cell research is the perfect solution for finding a cure for Alzheimer’s.

Alternative:  Embryonic cell research is one of the best options to find a cure for Alzheimer’s.

Notice the difference in tone? Superlatives and exaggerations come off as dramatic and often biased and opinionated. By simply changing the language, your reader will be more apt to consider your points and consider your position as credible, whether or not they agree with you in the end.

When constructing an argument, consider how your language might be interpreted by varying audiences. While those who agree might not be offended, neutral or opposing audiences might be turned off by the language and opinionated tone.