ENG 111: College Composition I - Argumentative Research (Loudoun)

What is an argumentative research paper? 

An argumentative research paper consists of an introduction in which the writer clearly introduces the topic and informs the audience or reader on exactly which stance they intends to take; this stance is often identified as the thesis statement. An important goal of the argumentative research paper is persuasion, which means the topic chosen should be debatable or controversial.

Argumentative topics can be found within a variety of sources including online library databases, within a book's table of contents, news sites, social media and more. The New York Times provides a listing of 300 Questions and Images to Inspire Argument Writing (with links) and 401 Prompts for Argumentative Writing that may be helpful.

For more information on how to find a topic, please consult our How to...Find a Topic Research Guide.

There are many sources of information -- websites, books, magazines, journals, newspapers, friends -- and which sources you use depends on your needs.

For your college research needs, your sources need to be credible; meaning reliable/authoritative, accurate, trustworthy, unbiased and backed up with evidence.  

For more information on how to evaluate a source for credibility, please consult our How to...Identify Scholarly Information Research Guide.

"Evaluating Sources for Credibility." YouTube, uploaded by libncsu NC State University Libraries, 9 June 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLTOVoHbH5c.