Multiple Perspectives Essay Guidelines
Objective/Learning Outcomes:
Effectively summarize, analyze, and evaluate college-level texts.
Employ rhetorical and persuasive strategies to support an argument.
Evaluate arguments on the basis of validity (sufficiently supported claims, solid logic)
Effectively introduce and integrate source material according to an academic style.
Properly cite sources according to a style standard to avoid plagiarism.
Employ rhetorical and persuasive strategies to support an argument.
What Is and How to Write Multiple Perspectives Essay?
The Multiple Perspectives Essay is dedicated to looking at a broad problem through multiple perspectives. Students will summarize and respond to at least two different perspectives and add something new to the conversation.
Multiple Perspectives essays are quite different from your typical argumentative essay. Multiple Perspectives are, in essence, different from every other type of essay you have written. Rather than writing with the intent of convincing your readers that your thesis is sound and valid, you are instead writing to learn more about a problem and to, ideally, arrive at some form of initial conclusion as to how that problem might be solved.
That being said, there is another particularly important element of the exploratory genre. These types of essays are reflective of your cognitive and writing ability as your work your way through a specific problem. They describe when, how and why you conducted certain types of research. This type of exploratory writing focuses on how you are able to work through problems requiring research and writing skill. You will need to be contemplative and think about your thought process in order for you essay to be successful.
Similar to all other essays, the exploratory essay should follow the pattern of:
An introduction
Body paragraphs
A conclusion
The introduction is your chance to clearly outline the problem that you have explored and why it is relevant. Furthermore, you will need to concisely demonstrate a few of the possible causes of the problem, the institutions and the people who might be involved with the problem and, some of the potential solutions for the problem.
The body paragraphs should explain the research or inquiry process you followed when researching the topic.
The paragraphs will consist of the following:
A brief introduction of the source material and why you selected it for your research.
Relevant or important information that you’ve uncovered relating to your problem.
Why the information that you’ve uncovered is important and relatable.
A few personal introspects on how the source assisted you, or enables you to think differently about the problem, or even how it fell short on what you had expected and pointed you in a new direction.
The conclusion is where you will restate the problem that you researched, you should also outline a few of its possible causes and highlight some potential solutions. You might even briefly review some of the people or institutions involved. If you find that you still have questions about the problem (and don’t worry if you do), now is your opportunity to discuss them further. Remember to speak about why you believe those questions exist, where you feel you should look for answers, and what (if any) additional research you might need to do.
Assignment Guidelines
Audience: Your paper should be understood by a broader audience than scholars in your field – for example, your classmates. You will have to explain concepts and not expect your audience to understand in-house jargon. Have a target audience in mind. Who would be interested in and benefit from your treatment of the subject? By anticipating your audience, you can anticipate the kinds of questions that may arise.
Format: MLA (Modern Language Association) style, 8th edition or APA 6th or 7th edition.
Length: The finished submitted draft should be 4-6 double spaced pages of text (not including graphics, cover page, appendices, or the Works Cited page). Ten “rambling” pages is not better than 7 clear, fully developed pages.
Source Requirements for the Essay: Use a minimum of FIVE ACADEMIC sources. Your sources must include at least 2 database articles. The other 3 sources are your choice – as long as they are academically sound. You may have more than 5 sources if you so choose. No Wikipedia allowed. Your sources need to be current (at least three from the past two years). Encyclopedia and similar sources should be in addition to the 5 minimum sources.
Check the source of all information for reliability. Is the Internet site sanctioned by a reputable institution or organization? Does the person you interview have credentials and experienced with your subject? Does the person you are interviewing have a built-in bias you need to address in your paper? What biases of your own may you have to be aware of to produce a scholarly look at this subject?
Sample Multiple Perspectives Essay Outline
Introduction
These are the three things that need to be achieved in the introduction:
You need to grab (and hold) the reader’s attention and garner interest in the problem.
You need to make certain that the reader understands the problem and why it is important.
You need to introduce the question – typically at the end of the introduction.
Ideas for an introduction:
Share a real scenario.
Disclose statistics.
Make up a story – but, let the audience know it is fictional.
Describe a situation or scene.
Explain a standard situation.
Talk about why the argument is important.
Give a brief history of the concept.
List out problems.
Offer several examples of this issue.
Ask multiple questions.
Use interview questions and relevant answers.
Body
The body two parts. The first is normally only a single paragraph explaining the problem or issue. The second is three or more paragraphs that are used to explain the various positions on the problem or topic.
Conclusion
In your conclusion, you will share your own personal views on the issue you’ve explored. You might also choose to explain why you’ve taken an interest in this specific topic. Your viewpoint may be one that you’ve described in the body of your essay, or it could be something that you’ve come up with on your own. Remember to use some of the techniques or methods that you used in the introduction. Here are a few suggestions:
Finish the story.
Add any additional or last-minute evidence that you believe is the most compelling.
Share your conclusions and point of view with your audience.
If you are not certain what you think, then say that and go on to explain which points you think are the most important.
Encourage the reader to make their own decision.
Outline the main elements that should be considered when making any decisions about the question; What is important? What isn’t?
