Description
Touchstone 3.2: Draft an Argumentative Research Essay
ASSIGNMENT: Using your outline and annotated bibliography from Touchstones 1.2 and 2.2, draft a 6-8 page argumentative research essay on your chosen topic.
As this assignment builds on Touchstone 2.2: Create an Annotated Bibliography, that Touchstone must be graded before you can submit your research essay draft. Although unrelated by topic, Touchstone 3.1 must also be graded before you can submit your research essay draft.
Sample Touchstone 3.2
In order to foster learning and growth, all work you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any plagiarized or recycled work will result in a Plagiarism Detected alert. Review Touchstones: Academic Integrity Guidelines for more about plagiarism and the Plagiarism Detected alert. For guidance on the use of generative AI technology, review Ethical Standards and Appropriate Use of AI.
A. Assignment Guidelines
DIRECTIONS: Refer to the list below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines. Refer to the Sample Touchstone for additional guidance on structure, formatting, and citation.
1. ARGUMENTATIVE THESIS STATEMENT
❒ Have you included a thesis in your introduction that includes a clear, arguable stance and supporting reasons?
2. ARGUMENT DEVELOPMENT
❒ Are all of the details relevant to the purpose of your essay?
❒ Is the argument supported using persuasive rhetorical appeals and page/paragraph-numbered source material (i.e., direct quotations, paraphrasing, and summary)?
❒ Is your essay 6-8 pages (approximately 1500-2000 words, not including your references or reflection question responses)? If not, which details do you need to add or remove?
❒ Does the essay consist of at least seven paragraphs – an introduction, five body paragraphs (with at least one for the counterarguments and rebuttals), and a conclusion? Are the body paragraphs ordered logically to strengthen the argument, and do they all contain accurate evidence from credible sources?
❒ Do your topic sentences make original and supportable points? Do your topic sentences directly support your thesis statement?
3. RESEARCH
❒ Have you introduced, contextualized, and cited outside sources effectively using at least some direct quotation, summary, and paraphrase techniques and included page/paragraph-numbered parenthetical citations?
❒ Are the sources incorporated smoothly, providing the reader with signal phrases and context for the source information?
❒ Have you referenced a range of at least 7 credible sources, and does each source have at least one accurate in-text citation in the essay?
❒ Have you properly formatted your citations according to APA style guidelines?
❒ Have you included an APA style reference page below your essay and do the sources listed there match those cited in the essay?
4. REFLECTION
❒ Have you answered all reflection questions including specific and concrete examples that provide thoughtful insight in all responses?
❒ Are your answers included on a separate page below the main assignment?
B. Reflection
DIRECTIONS: Below your assignment, include answers to all of the following reflection questions.
Provide one example of a place where you have used rhetorical appeals or source material to support your argument. How does this enhance your essay? (2-3 sentences)
Touchstone 4 is a revision of this draft. What kind of feedback would be helpful for you as you revise? Are there parts of your draft that you’re uncertain of? (3-4 sentences)
C. Rubric
Advanced (100%) Proficient (85%) Acceptable (75%) Needs Improvement (50%) Non-Performance (0%)
Argument Development and Support (40 points)
Provide a clear argument with sufficient support. The argument is thoroughly developed with highly relevant details to support it, including the use of rhetorical appeals and accurately cited direct quotations and paraphrasing. The argument is well-developed with relevant details to support it, including the use of rhetorical appeals and accurately cited direct quotations and paraphrasing. The argument is not fully developed; while it is supported by some relevant details, including rhetorical appeals and accurately cited direct quotations and paraphrasing, some aspects of the argument are neglected. The argument is poorly developed with irrelevant details that frequently distract from the argument; there is little evidence of the use of rhetorical appeals and/or direct quotations and paraphrasing. Source material included might not be cited. The argument is not developed and/or the composition is not argumentative; details are irrelevant and distract from the argument OR are not supported with accurately cited source material.
Research (30 points)
Incorporate sources through effective quotations, paraphrases, and summaries.
Cites all outside sources appropriately; incorporates credible sources smoothly and effectively through some direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. Primarily cites outside sources appropriately; incorporates credible sources effectively through some direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. Generally cites outside sources appropriately; incorporates credible sources adequately through some direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. Cites outside sources, but most are cited improperly; incorporates sources through some direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary, but the integration is not smooth and/or the credibility of the sources is unclear. Does not cite or reference sources accurately, or citation is consistently inappropriate and/or inaccurate, and/or sources are not credible or appropriate.
Organization (15 points)
Exhibit competent organizational writing techniques.
Includes all of the required components of an argumentative research paper, including an introduction with relevant and engaging background information and an argumentative thesis, an adequate number of body paragraphs with topic sentences, a body paragraph addressing counterargument(s), and a conclusion with a concluding statement. Includes all of the required components of an argumentative research paper, including an introduction with background information, an argumentative thesis, an adequate number of body paragraphs with topic sentences, a body paragraph addressing counterargument(s), and a conclusion with a concluding statement. Includes nearly all of the required components of an argumentative research paper; however, one component is missing. Includes most of the required components of an argumentative research paper, but is lacking two components; sequences ideas and paragraphs such that the connections between ideas (within and between paragraphs) are sometimes unclear and the reader may have difficulty following the progression of the argument. Lacks several or all of the components of an argumentative research paper; sequences ideas and paragraphs such that the connections between ideas (within and between paragraphs) are often unclear and the reader has difficulty following the progression of the argument.
Style (5 points)
Establish a consistent, informative and argumentative tone and make thoughtful stylistic choices.
Demonstrates thoughtful and effective word choices, avoids redundancy and imprecise language, and uses a wide variety of sentence structures. Demonstrates effective word choices, primarily avoids redundancy and imprecise language, and uses a variety of sentence structures. Demonstrates generally effective style choices, but may include occasional redundancies, imprecise language, poor word choice, and/or repetitive sentence structures. Frequently includes poor word choices, redundancies, imprecise language, and/or repetitive sentence structures. Consistently demonstrates poor word choices, redundancies, imprecise language, and/or repetitive sentence structures.
Conventions (5 points)
Follow conventions for standard written English.
There are only a few, if any, negligible errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. There are occasional minor errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. There are some significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. There are frequent significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. There are consistent significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage.
Reflection (5 points)
Answer reflection questions thoroughly and thoughtfully.
Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; consistently includes specific and concrete examples that provide thoughtful insight, following or exceeding response length guidelines. Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; includes multiple specific and concrete examples that provide thoughtful insight, following response length guidelines. Primarily demonstrates thoughtful reflection, but some responses are lacking in detail or insight; primarily follows response length guidelines. Shows limited reflection; the majority of responses are lacking in detail or insight, with some questions left unanswered or falling short of response length guidelines. No reflection responses are present.
D. Requirements
The following requirements must be met for your submission to be graded:
Composition must be 6-8 pages (approximately 1500-2000 words, not including your references or reflection question responses).
Double-space the composition and use one-inch margins.
Use a readable 12-point font.
All writing must be appropriate for an academic context.
Composition must be original and written for this assignment.
Use of generative chatbot artificial intelligence tools (ChatGPT, Bing Chat, Bard) in place of original writing is strictly prohibited for this assignment.
Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.
Submission must include your name, the name of the course, the date, and the title of your composition.
Include all of the assignment components in a single file.
Acceptable file formats include .doc and .docx.
Your annotated bibliography must be graded before your research essay draft will be accepted.
E. Additional Resources
The following resources will be helpful to you as you work on this assignment:
Purdue Online Writing Lab’s APA Formatting and Style Guide
This site includes a comprehensive overview of APA style, as well as individual pages with guidelines for specific citation types.
Frequently Asked Questions About APA Style
This page on the official APA website addresses common questions related to APA formatting. The “References,” “Punctuation,” and “Grammar and Writing Style” sections will be the most useful to your work in this course.
APA Style: Quick Answers—References
This page on the official APA Style website provides numerous examples of reference list formatting for various source types.
Unformatted Attachment Preview
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Essay Outline
Alecia Kent
English Composition 2
December 29, 2023
Should the Minimum Age for Gun Ownership in the United States be Raised to 30 Years
Old?
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I.
Gun violence has become a prevalent issue across all states in the United States.
a. As a result, the age limit for Gun ownership has become a controversial topic for the last
few years.
Thesis Statement: Raising the age for gun ownership to 30 could potentially mitigate the
prevalent cases of gun violence and improve public safety.
Increased Maturity and Responsibility
I.
The increase in age limit to 30 years promotes increased maturity and responsibly
among gun owners.
a. Research in cognitive development depicts that people making developed
decisions until the age of 25 and 30 (Botwinick,2013).
b. Psychological studies posit that individuals in their late twenties tend to exhibit
greater impulse control and judgement.
c. Increased life experiences and stability that is achieved by individuals in their
thirties contributes to more responsible handling of guns (Icenogle et al., 2019).
Impact on Reducing Gun-related Incident.
II.
Raising the age limit could potentially reduce the prevalence of gun related crimes
and incidences.
a. Comparative analysis with countries that have higher age limits for gun
ownership depicts lower rates of gun violence (Fowler et al., 2017).
b. Psychological theories support the idea that elderly individuals may be less prone
to impulsive or reckless behaviors that involve firearms.
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c. Statistical evidence illustrates a correlation between younger age groups and
higher rates of firearm accidents or misuse (Hirschfield et al., 2023).
Bill of rights and Defense
III.
The bill of warrants everyone the freedom to own firearms (Gottlieb, 1982).
a. Every individual should be allowed by the rule of law to own firearms as a means of selfdefense and personal security.
b. Legal gun ownership regardless of age of owner has helped in preventing and mitigating
violent crimes.
c. Gun ownership in USA is embedded in American culture and depicts the freedom and
liberty of Americans.
Conclusion
IV.
While the second amendment is essential in regulating the rights and privileges of
Americans, background checks depicts the need for regulating gun ownership and
increase in age limit for firearm issuance.
a. Studies depict correlation of lower age limits and increased prevalence of gun
violence and accidents.
b. Cognitive development studies shows the need for increasing age limit for gun
ownership because younger individuals can be impulsive.
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References
Botwinick, J. (2013). Cognitive processes in maturity and old age. Springer.
Fowler, K. A., Dahlberg, L. L., Haileyesus, T., Gutierrez, C., & Bacon, S. (2017). Childhood
firearm injuries in the United States. Pediatrics, 140(1).
Gottlieb, A. M. (1982). Gun ownership: A constitutional right. N. Ky. L. Rev., 10, 113.
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Hirschfield, P. J. (2023). Exceptionally lethal: American police killings in a comparative
perspective. Annual Review of Criminology, 6, 471-498.
Icenogle, G., Steinberg, L., Duell, N., Chein, J., Chang, L., Chaudhary, N., … & Bacchini, D.
(2019). Adolescents’ cognitive capacity reaches adult levels prior to their psychosocial
maturity: Evidence for a “maturity gap” in a multinational, cross-sectional sample. Law
and human behavior, 43(1), 69.
Reflection
1. Learning to conduct research is important because it is a skill you will use both in
academia and in your professional life. It improves critical thinking and empowers you to
find information for yourself. Consider the process of researching as a whole. What was
the most challenging aspect of the process for you? (2-3 sentences)
The most challenging aspect of this process is integrating information from several sources in
constructive a cohesive argument. Ensuring the collected data is aligned with the thesis statement
was also critical and required careful selection of sources.
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2. The working thesis statement is a proposed answer to your research question. It should
clearly identify an arguable topic and take a position on one side of that topic. Analyze
the effectiveness of your working thesis statement. (3-4 sentences)
The working statement has taken a clear position on the topic. It advocates for raising the
minimum age for gun ownership. It also outlines the benefits of increasing the age limit and links
it to enhancement of public safety.
3. A detailed outline is an effective tool for laying out the progression of an argument. It
allows you to consider the arrangement and organization of your ideas, as well as choose
places to incorporate outside source materials. Review your detailed outline and
summarize the argument you’ve presented. (3-4 sentences)
The outline presents three primary arguments. It argues that higher age has increased maturity,
has an impact on reducing gun related accidents. It also considers the second amendment rights
and the freedom to gun ownership. All arguments are supported by relevant sources and research
evidence.
4. You will use the same topic on three of the remaining Touchstones in this course. What
kind of feedback would be helpful for you? What are specific questions you might have
as you go deeper into the research process? (2-3 sentences)
Feedback that is embedded on various perspectives on gun ownership and its relation to safety
would be helpful. Some of the questions I may have include what practical challenges may be
experiences in implementing such change and its potential long-term effects.
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Alecia Kent
English Composition 2
December 30, 2023
Annotated Bibliography
Fowler, K. A., Dahlberg, L. L., Haileyesus, T., Gutierrez, C., & Bacon, S. (2017). Childhood
firearm injuries in the United States. Pediatrics, 140(1).
Fowler et al. (2017) article is a comprehensive study investigating fatal and nonfatal
firearm injuries among Children aged 0 to 17 years in the USA (p.2). The article focuses
on intent, trends, demographic attributes, state-level patterns and circumstances. The
article revealed alarming statistics, which highlight that around 1300 children succumb to
gun-related accidents annually while about 5790 require treatment for gunshot wounds.
Moreover, the research sheds light on the disparities, noting that boys and older children,
as well as minorities, are disproportionately affected (p.4). The article illuminates the
shifting trends in various firearm-related deaths among children over the years, putting an
emphasis on the varying circumstances that surround these incidents, ranging from
unintentional firearm deaths to more complex scenarios such as intimate or family
conflict, crime or violence. The article can be used in the essay to support the arguments
as it underscores the need for recognizing firearm injuries as a public health problem and
targeted legislation.
Gottlieb, A. M. (1982). Gun ownership: A constitutional right. N. Ky. L. Rev., 10, 113.
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The article by Gottlieb (1982), which was published in Northern Kentucky Law Review,
tends to embed itself in constitutional aspects that surround gun ownership. The article
delves into the legal intricacies and interpretation linked with the Second Amendment of
the US Constitution, assessing the right to bear arms within a historical and legal realm
(p.2). The article provides various interpretations and debates that surround gun
ownership as a fundamental right supported by the US Constitution. Through a
comprehensive review of historical perspectives as well as legal precedents, the author
provides valuable insights into the complexities of constitutional rights linked with gun
ownership. As such, the article will be used in the research essay to support the
counterargument that the age limit for gun ownership should not be raised because gun
ownership is a right protected by the Second Amendment of the USA.
Hirschfield, P. J. (2023). Exceptionally lethal: American police killings in a comparative
perspective. Annual Review of Criminology, 6, 471-498.
The article by Hirschfield (2023) seeks to identify the distinctiveness of legal police
encounters in the USA compared to other developed and developing nations. The
research involved analyzing factors that contribute to high rates of fatal police violence
and the impact of gun violence, decentralized policing structures and ethnoracial
inequality on fatal police violence (p.). While seeking to uncover these insights, the
article found a relationship between firearm prevalence and homicide that involves law
enforcement officers showing the impact of gun access on encounters with armed
suspects. Also, the research showed a correlation between gun ownership and fatal police
encounters while attempting to provide a global perspective on global lethality. Based on
the insights in this article can be used in the research essay to support the argument that
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the age limit for gun ownership should be increased, as the article highlighted the role of
gun ownership in shaping encounters with law enforcement.
Icenogle, G., Steinberg, L., Duell, N., Chein, J., Chang, L., Chaudhary, N., … & Bacchini, D.
(2019). Adolescents’ cognitive capacity reaches adult levels before their psychosocial
maturity: Evidence for a “maturity gap” in a multinational, cross-sectional sample. Law
and human behavior, 43(1), 69.
The article by Icenogle et al. (2019) is a comprehensive study exploring the development
differences between cognitive capacity and psychosocial maturity among adolescents and
young adults. The investigation involved identifying age patterns related to cognitive
reasoning abilities and self-restraint in the face of emotionally arousing stimuli. The
research suggests a maturity gap where cognitive abilities mature around the age of 16
and a contrasting psychosocial maturity reaching levels beyond age 18 (p.3). The study
underscored the implications of the findings for legal contexts and argued for various age
boundaries in the law to align with distinct psychological development stages. Through
these findings, it is possible to support the argument in the essay by delving into the need
to raise the age limit for gun ownership because most gun owners at the age of 18 are not
fully developed in terms of cognitive and psychosocial development.
Knopov, A., Sherman, R. J., Raifman, J. R., Larson, E., & Siegel, M. B. (2019). Household gun
ownership and youth suicide rates at the state level, 2005–2015. American journal of
preventive medicine, 56(3), 335-342.
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The article by Knopov et al. (2019) investigates the relationship between household gun
ownership rates and the rate of youth suicide rates in the USA. The article provides
valuable insights into the implications of ownership of guns on the mental health of
youths. Through thorough research, the author found a positive association between
household gun ownership and overall youth suicide rates. These findings show the
alarming correlations that exist between household gun ownership rates as well as the
increased rates of youth suicide, warranting the need for targeted implementation of
policies or programs in states with elevated gun ownership as a strategy for mitigating
this risk. This article will be useful in supporting the argument that there is a need to raise
the age limit for gun ownership, as the articles suggest the need for effective public
policies limiting youth access to firearms.
Prickett, K. C., Gutierrez, C., & Deb, S. (2019). Family firearm ownership and firearm-related
mortality among young children: 1976–2016. Pediatrics, 143(2).
The article by Prickett et al. (2019) focuses on the evolving landscape of firearm
ownership in households with youth children in the USAA from 1976 to 2016. The
research paper seeks to comprehend the relationship between firearm-related mortalities
and forearm ownership trends among young children aged 1 to 5 years (p.4). Through an
analysis of individual-level data from the National Vital Statistics system integrated with
data from the General Social Survey, the authors depict critical trends in the ownership of
firearms. The research showed that white families owned more guns, constituting 72
percent of firearm-owning families, leading to higher forearm-related mortality rates
among young white children; these statistics underscore the need for regulated firearm
access, especially among the youth (p.5). As such, the article will be utilized in the
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research essay to support the argument for raising the age limit for gun ownership to 30
since most people at 30 are mature and can make sound decisions.
Sokol, R., Zimmerman, M., & Carter, P. (2023, October 16). Gun deaths among children and
teens have soared—but there are ways to reverse the trend.
The website post by Sokolet al (2023) presents factual information about how gun deaths
among children and teens have soared in the USA> the article discusses the concerning
increase in firearm-related fatalities among children and teens in the United States. It also
draws from recent studies analyzing data from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, where the authors reveal an 87 per cent increase in firearm-involved deaths
among individuals under 18 from 2011 to 2021. The authors have emphasized the need
for evidence-based interventions that involve elected officials, educators, healthcare
professionals, parents and community leaders. The author advocates for a multifaceted
approach to prevent gun-related accidents, which can be used to support the arguments in
the research essay.
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Reflection Questions
1. Accurately recording bibliographic information is essential and saves you time, as you
can transfer this information to the References page of your drafted essay. Each source
entry should include a brief summary of the source as well as 3-4 sentences describing
how you intend to use that source to build or support your argument. Discuss how your
annotated bibliography meets these criteria. (2-3 sentences)
The annotated bibliography is strong as it summarizes each source and outlines its
relevance to the arguments in the essay. The summary encapsulates the key points of the
sources and follow-up sentences outlining how each source contributes to my arguments.
2. Which strategies were most helpful for you when searching for credible sources? (2-3
sentences)
While searching for credible sources, one of the strategies that was most helpful was utilizing
academic databases and Google Scholar. It also used key terms and filters like publication
dates or academic journals to help narrow down the relevant sources.
3. What difficulties did you face while searching for credible sources? How did you
overcome these difficulties? (2-3 sentences)
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I experienced difficulties in locating specific and recent information. However, I
overcame these challenges by broadening my search parameters, exploring
several databases, and being flexible with my criteria.
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