Theme of literary, virtual, and physical “journey”

In your final writing assignment for this term, you will compose a thoroughly-researched 2500-3000-word argument essay that integrates 7-10 sources, at least 2 of which should be from peer-reviewed, scholarly sources, and demonstrates deep thinking and writing about a specific chosen topic.
As you have explored the theme of literary, virtual, and physical “journey” in this class, you have encountered a number of lessons you have learned in your metaphorical travels. But like every trip, you must return home, and with the new perspective(s) you have collected from your journeys, you may find that your literal, personal, professional, or figurative home would benefit from the insights you have to offer. In this same vein, your topic for this essay should make an argument about a cultural or social issue in your hometown (Nashville or where you’re from) or somewhere else you consider home (a major, minor, or career choice). The paper should have a debatable thesis supported by clear evidence gained both from your “journey” in this class and from additional research that you do. You may draw on your earlier writing to help inform and inspire this essay, but you may not re-use more than 1 ½ pages of previous material. The goal here should be to expand and deepen your thought, not reproduce it.
Topics for this essay are wide-ranging, and may include a more in-depth and well-researched version of one of the two shorter projects. For instance, you might investigate a social issue in more depth or explore the implications of an international issue within your own hometown. You may also explore or analyze the history or culture of a specific site you would like to visit one day in contrast with implications this might have for your “home.”
While the topic choice for this assignment is fairly open-ended, you will turn in an argumentative essay topic summary that will help you conduct some early research and identify any potential challenges of the topic. If you’re having trouble coming up with topics, please email me—I’m happy to help you parse through some options. In addition, the Argumentative Essay Topic Summary will give me a chance to weigh in on your topic and help sharpen it.
Requirements
• Word count requirement: 2500-3000 words
• Source requirement: 7-10 sources (two of which must be peer-reviewed scholarly sources)
Grading/What you should focus on
Your thesis, research, paper organization, paragraph organization, level of detail, and style are key for this and all writing assignments for this class. “Thesis” and “research” contain new or revised grading elements for this assignment, so pay special attention to them.
Thesis
Because this is an argumentative paper, it should have a debatable thesis that is the last sentence or two of the introduction (the rest of the introduction should introduce and explain your topic). The thesis should fully, specifically, and accurately summarize the argument and main points of the paper. After reading the thesis, your reader should be able to outline the paper accurately. Do not leave any “surprise ideas” in the paper for the reader to discover later.
Research
Sources must be reliable. For this assignment, the university also requires at least 2 peer-reviewed, scholarly sources. Peer-reviewed sources come from a university press or a journal associated with a university. Be aware that library databases and Google Scholar archive both peer-reviewed AND non-peer-reviewed resources, so always check to see who the publisher is. Peer-reviewed sources go through a strict review process before they are published, and always contain the most accurate and thorough information.
Paper Organization (including introducing quotations)
Give some thought to what organization would most help a reader through your argument. Your paper will develop differently depending on your topic, so I strongly encourage you to send me an outline or draft ahead of time.
Paragraph Organization
All paragraphs for critical writing have a fairly standard format:
Topic sentence: first sentence of the paragraph. Should be debatable/require evidence for support.Evidence: In the form of quotations, personal anecdotes, statistics, etc. If a quotation, it MUST be introduced. NEVER begin a sentence with a quotation.Discussion: should explain the relevance of the essay for the argument. Do not merely re-state the evidence; tell the reader why it matters. DO NOT use the last sentence to “transition” to the next paragraph. This is confusing for readers, who are conditioned to expect a new idea at the beginning of a paragraph, not at the end.