Rough Draft of the Research Paper

Choosing a Topic
You may choose any subject as long as the essay is argumentative.

Checklist questions:
Am I finding too many sources, to the point in which I will have to narrow the geography, audience, subcategory, or the like? Am I finding so few sources that I have to broaden subcategory, audience, geographical scope, and so forth?

Choosing sources
Go to library.hccs.edu

Use books and databases as much as you can. Interviews are optional.

Checklist questions:
Have I looked up the credibility of the author or source? Have I used a variety of evidence (experience, specific examples, testimony from authorities, statistics, etc.)? Do I have recent sources or sources that are not outdated?

Rough Draft
The purpose of the rough draft is to get an idea of your overall argument, using correctly cited sources in both the in-text citations and the works-cited page. (Use signal phrases.) Every source in the writing should be named in the works-cited page, and vice versa to avoid plagiarism cite each sentence that has a summary, paraphrase, quotation, or information not commonly known. If the paper plagiarizes, it is in danger of receiving a failing grade; thus, double-check your paper. Additionally, you must balance your ethos, pathos, and logos. Use transitional sentences and phrases. Remember to use MLA. The essay should be at least 800 words, but the closer you get to a finalized essay, the better feedback youll receive.

Checklist questions:
Have I used a variety of evidence (experience, specific examples, testimony from authorities, statistics, etc.)? Do I have recent sources or sources that are not outdated?

Do I have an introduction that grabs the readers attention? Is my thesis toward the beginning of my paper? Does my thesis hint at the subtopics I will discuss? Does my introduction argue the relevance of my subject so that my reader is certain that my subject is important?

Have I enticed my audience with an anecdote, either from research or personal experience? Have I appealed to the emotions in any other way?

Have I argued between facts? Do I maintain an argumentative voice frequently?

Have I used refutations effectively? Are my solutions feasible?

Is my paper elaborate and detailed yet cohesive? Am I using enough transitional phrases and sentences between paragraphs, between abstract and concrete ideas, between shifts in tone or context, between subcategories or audiences, between fact and opinion, between examples, between theory and its practical application?