Some VERY important notes on your CBA.
Your paper is to be an ANALYSIS of an issue.
First, identify your position on the issue. Only by knowing your own bias can you truely avoid Bias Confirmation, perhaps the worst enemy of good analysis
Next, gather ALL the information. Do NOT go looking for only information which confirms your bias.
Adopt humility, your position is unlikely to be the only one which can be supported by logical, intelligent and educated people. Look at differing opinions with the expectation that they contain some truth.
Look at all of the data (see why we needed to narrow your topic?). Find the truth. Truth should not be a popularity contest (most people once thought the earth was flat). Truth should be supportable with logic and science. This is where your evidence will come in.
Weigh all of the data and come to a conclusion on what is Right, with a capital “R”.
Look for the explanations which are most likely, not just the ones that prove your point.
PLEASE, do not subject me to an editorial or an opinion piece. Don’t tell me what you think or what you believe: tell me what you know, what you can prove.
More important stuff
Chicago Style Citation w/ Footnotes
Go to Proquest or EBSCOHost for their citation page. If you got your evidence elsewhere, use Noodle Bib
If you need to cite a website or other type of source, I find that citefast is really easy
Minimum of five pages, double spaced
Minimum of 5 sources
At least 2 of these should come from EBSCO OR PROQUEST
Each source should be evaluated seamlessly within your paper using the CRAP system of document analysis
Sources should be footnoted using Chicago style citations. This sample is not a perfect paper, but the citations are correct
Your Paper should also include a works cited page with your sources listed in alphabetical order
Your Paper will consist of the following subsections:
1.) Introduction – Defining the issue:
Up to 1 page
Constitutional Issues?
Stakeholders?
This is the section in which you’ll define your issue. What specific questions about the issue are you trying to answer? Are there any variations of the issue they should be aware of? What’s at stake with this issue? STATE YOUR POSITION ON THE ISSUE. Outline the arguments you intend to make about the issue.
2.) Providing context:
Up to 1 page
Past solutions or approaches
Current Legal status
Social, political and economic Conditions which may impact the issue
This is the section in which you’ll provide a summary of the history of the issue. You should write clearly in order to place your issue in its appropriate context. Questions to consider might be, when and why did this issue first capture the nation’s attention? How have previous generations dealt with this issue? How has this issue changed and evolved over time? How have various states handled this issue? Which groups have traditionally been on which side of the issue and why? What Social Political and Economic conditions might impact potential solutions to the issue.
3.) The Body Paragraphs
At least 1 page
When creating an argument in support of a conditional claim, you will rely on several steps of logic. These steps can be considered sub-claims, and each will need its own evidence and warrants.. In order to prove your claim, there should be a minimum of THREE subclaims, and hence, three body paragraphs.
Remember that your arguments should take into account Social, Political and Economic issues
Here is an oversimplified example
4.) Fair treatment of an alternative position
Up to 1 page
Your research will have revealed other positions held by intelligent, educated people. Analyze these positions and compare them with your own. Simply dismissing them is NOT sufficient. You should eventually end with the conclusion that although these are viable positions, mine is better because: A)… and B) … and C) …
Finally, Write a conclusion in which you review all of the subclaims you have proven and show that by accepting these, the best logical position is your claim
CLAIM: West Valley is a better school than East Valley.
Subclaim I: The social conditions at WV are superior
Evidence 1
Evidence 2
Evidence 3
Subclaim II: WV has superior academics
Evidence 1
Evidence 2
Evidence 3
Subclaim III: WV Graduates are more successful
Evidence 1
Evidence 2
Evidence 3
