Any topic (writer’s choice)

For your argument essay, develop a three page typed research paper on one of the following topics:
Whether parents should spank their children or not
Whether animals should be used for scientific research or not
Whether the death penalty should be used or not
Whether students should take a gap year after high school or not
On whichever topic you choose, you are choosing a side and arguing that position. You are NOT telling me the pros and cons of both sides. For example, if you choose to write about animals used for scientific research, you will either write that animals should be used for scientific research OR that they should not be used for scientific research. You should not write about both reasons why they should and reasons why they shouldn’t. Pick one side and argue it. You also should not write an essay about HOW spanking, animal testing, the death penalty, or gap years should be used; you should be arguing either that it should or shouldnt be used rather than how it should be used.

Your thesis for this essay should state clearly which side of the argument you are taking. For example, your thesis could be “Animals should not be used for scientific research.” Then, I would suggest that you have three body paragraphs each with a different reason why you are taking that position. This is a research paper, so your essay should include research to support your claims. Use quotations from at least three different sources. You should use good, scholarly research to support your argument. Please see the course research guide here (http://libguides.tvcc.edu/c.php?g=392106) for more information about how to use the TVCC library resources to find your information. Using Google and finding random sources is not acceptable. You should use the EBSCO search tool on the research guide to find your sources. In the research guide, you will also find a powerpoint presentation with more information about using EBSCO. Be sure to appropriately cite all research used. Quotation marks and in-text citations should be used within the essay to identify the research, and you should also include a Works Cited page in MLA format; this Works Cited page should be on its own separate page (but not a separate document) and DOES NOT count as one of your three pages. You will also find more information about citing your sources in MLA format on the Purdue OWL website here: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/