psy assignemnt 1 1
Argument Paper (50 points possible on this paper, but the paper is worth 26% of your final grade. Your paper should be 6-7 pages long, including cover sheet and reference page).
The argument paper should begin with a one- to three-sentence statement of the main thesis. Writing a thesis involves taking a position concerning an issue. It clearly states the author’s perception, but uses other people’s work to articulate that perception. Your paper should present your beliefs or conclusions related to the topic, without you directly stating your personal beliefs (e.g., Do not say “I think or I believe. Instead, say “In his book, John Doe states….”). Your research paper should ideally include references from the readings available in this course. The paper should also include material from other sources (please see rubric for guidance on this and use UMGC’s available library resources). The argument paper is worth 26 percent of your overall grade, so it is important that you do well on it.
A Crash Course on Research (Argument) Papers
Select an issue or dilemma of interest.
Review the pertinent literature.
Decide on your perception; take a stance.
Articulate your perception in a thesis statement.
Summarize the issues; demonstrate an understanding of the controversy.
Defend/argue in favor of your perception using all resources available.
Finish with a strong summary statement that reinforces your thesis.
Proofread your work; use grammar/spellcheck functions.
Revise; submit final draft.
Argument Paper Grading Rubric
| Exceptional 5 points |
Exceeds Expectations 4 points | Meets Expectations 3 points | Meets Some Expectations 2 points | Meets Minimal Expectations 1 point | Not Done 0 points | |
| All topics were discussed in clear detail | ||||||
| Assertions supported correctly | ||||||
| Ideas were interrelated coherently and logically | ||||||
| Author creatively enhances topic | ||||||
|
An introduction previews main points of reflection |
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| Body of paper develops and elaborates main ideas | ||||||
| A conclusion summarizes main points | ||||||
| Paper free of mechanical errors (e.g., misspellings, typos, etc.) | ||||||
| Paper grammatically sound (proper sentence structure) | ||||||
| Citations and references in proper APA style |
Resubmission of coursework from other courses or other instances of this course, partial or entire assignments, is not permitted in this course. If your paper is not related to the course topic, you will be given a grade of 0%. This class is focused on gender, so you should NOT write about sexual orientation. Students who write about sexual orientation will receive a grade of 0% and be provided the opportunity to resubmit the assignment with a different topic.
