english 102 essay topics

English 102 Composition II / Research: Topic Selection

• English 102
• Topic Selection
• Library Catalog
• Library Databases
• Website Evaluation
• Is My Source Credible?
• Primary or Secondary ?
• Scholarly or Popular ?
• Peer-Reviewed?
• Refining Your Ideas
• APA Citations
• MLA Citations

Getting Started

• Your instructor may provide a "prompt", give you a list of suggestions, or some other guidelines to get you started on a topic. 
• Selection of a topic might start with a question such as "Does race make a difference in getting into college?" or "What are the impacts of daily use of TikTok on young adults?".
•  At this point, it's a good idea to try doing some "pre-research" to see if there is information on the topic.  If there is too much information, you may need to narrow your topic.  If there is too little, you may need to broaden your topic.  You may also discover you might take a different direction with your topic or change it altogether.

Explore Topics with SVC Databases

Login with your MYSVC/Canvas username and password

• Facts On File: Issues and Controversies Topic List List of Topics for Research
• ProCon: List of Topics ProCon is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, public charity that researches and publishes pro and con perspectives on critical issues of the day.
• Credo Reference Database This link opens in a new window Online encyclopedia source, including Encyclopedia of the United States in the 19th Century. Good source for images and graphics. Log in from home using MYSVC login & password.
• Encyclopedia Britannica This link opens in a new window Academic Wikipedia. Log in with full SVC email address and password.

Where to find Topics on the Internet

Allsides : Topics & Issues in the news

Pew Research Center : Topics

Tutorial Videos About Topics

1 minute tutorials from Credo Database:

• How to Select a Topic
• Using Pre-Research to Understand Your Topic
• What to do When Your Topic is Too Broad
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ENG 102 / ENG 108: Research Papers, Literary Criticism & Annotated Bibliographies

• Topic Selection
• Scholarly vs. Popular Sources
• Search Tips
• Finding Books & eBooks
• Web Resources
• Streaming Videos
• Literary Criticism
• Annotated Bibliography Tutorial
• In Class Evaluation Activity
• Writing and Citing
• ENG102 - Professor Carl This link opens in a new window
• ENG102 - Professor Chaffin This link opens in a new window
• ENG102 - Professor Hays This link opens in a new window
• ENG102 - Professor Herald
• ENG102 - Professor Vassett This link opens in a new window
• Your MCC Libraries

Chat With Us!

Choosing a topic resources.

Visit the following recommended sources to help you choose a topic:

MCC's Choosing a Topic Research Guide 

Schaum's Quick Guide to Writing Great Research Papers

Check out the following library databases  (You will be prompted for your MEID and password if accessing from off-campus):

• Click on 'Issues" for an extensive list of topics and issues
• Click on "Browse Issues" for an extensive list of topics and issues
• Check under "Browse Reports" for a list of topic ideas under "Topic" or "Date" 
• Look under "Find Topic Pages" for a list of topics or try "Concept Map" on a general subject to focus or narrow your topic
• Use the search box to enter keywords on any given topic to find connections, keywords, and ideas to identify or focus a topic.

The following open web sources are great places to browse for topic ideas:

National Public Radio (NPR): Includes  breaking national and world news and top stories from business, politics, health, science, technology, music, arts and culture.

Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) News Hour: Includes documentaries and programming on current national and world issues in addition to the latest news.

LiveScience: Get the latest science news or browse their articles including interesting, amazing, mysterious and 'strange' science regarding health, animals, planet earth, space and much more.

Yahoo! News: View the latest news and headlines including U.S. and world news, science, health and 'odd' news with videos, photos and in-depth coverage.

AZCentral: For an Arizona focus on news topics, visit The Arizona Republic's online partner AZCentral for local and late breaking news.

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• URL: https://mesacc.libguides.com/eng102

ENG 102/105/108, First-Year Composition

• Videos & Tutorials

Finding Topics Tutorial

Tools for exploring topics.

• Thesis Statements
• Background Research
• Finding Articles: Research Databases
• Research Databases by Discipline
• Citing Your Sources
• Instructor Materials
• ASU Online ENG 102: Local Issues and Solutions

Ask a Librarian Chat Widget

• Finding Topics Online Tutorial (2:40) Use the online tutorial to help you find and define a workable topic.

Having trouble deciding what to write about? Try looking at the links below to get some ideas:

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center

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• Last updated: Jun 27, 2024 10:54 AM
• URL: https://libguides.asu.edu/ENG102-105-108

The ASU Library acknowledges the twenty-three Native Nations that have inhabited this land for centuries. Arizona State University's four campuses are located in the Salt River Valley on ancestral territories of Indigenous peoples, including the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and Pee Posh (Maricopa) Indian Communities, whose care and keeping of these lands allows us to be here today. ASU Library acknowledges the sovereignty of these nations and seeks to foster an environment of success and possibility for Native American students and patrons. We are advocates for the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge systems and research methodologies within contemporary library practice. ASU Library welcomes members of the Akimel O’odham and Pee Posh, and all Native nations to the Library.

Basic Essay Structure

Essays written for an academic audience follow a structure with which you are likely familiar: Intro, Body, Conclusion.

Here is a general overview of what each of those sections “does” in the larger essay. Be aware, however, that certain assignments and certain professors may ask for additional content or require unusual formatting, so always be sure to read the assignment sheet as carefully as possible.

Introductory Section

• Compelling quote about your topic (signal phrase and citation are needed!)
• Interesting fact about your topic
• Brief story about your topic
• Context:  Provides basic information about your topic that leads into the thesis
• Thesis:  Ends with the statement that provides a focus for the entire essay: the thesis

Body of the Essay

• Paragraph order should follow the order of ideas that you laid out in the thesis
• All paragraphs should remain focused on the thesis
• Each paragraph discusses ONE idea; a topic sentence at the beginning of the paragraph will indicate that one idea
• A strong conclusion leaves the reader with a sense of why this paper – and its topic – matter, and to whom, and in what way.
• A strong conclusion could issue a call to further action, or a call for further research
• A strong conclusion could revisit the “Hook” from the intro and elaborate on it as a way to close the essay

English 102: Reading, Research, and Writing by Emilie Zickel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Composition II Research Guide for ENGL 102: Developing a Topic

• Developing a Topic
• Search Strategies
• Scholarly Journals and Articles
• Books and Media
• Finding Articles
• Local Topic Resources
• Evaluating Sources
• Ask-a-Librarian
• Book a Librarian This link opens in a new window

​Developing Your Topic

When you begin your research, you start with a broad topic. It is important that you focus your topic to make it manageable. For your assignment, you'll need to come up with a well-developed thesis statement.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Who  is affected by your topic? (people, culture, demographics)
• What  are the major issues and viewpoints to consider for your topic?
• Where  is your topic most important? (geographical regions- local, national, international)
• When  is/was your topic most important? Is it current, historical, ongoing?
• Why  did you choose this topic? Do you have an opinion on the issues surrounding your topic?

Source: Mesa Community College.  Determining your research question. 

From Topic to Research Question

• From Topic to Research Question - Credo Tutorial Feeling overwhelmed by all of the information around you? This video will show you how to narrow your topic without losing your way.

Focusing Your Topic: The 5 W's

Once you have a broad topic, it is important to come up with a manageable, focused research question -- one that is neither too broad or too narrow.

The 5 W's, described in the video below, are a helpful tool for focusing your research question/topic.

Issues-Oriented Databases

These are great places to begin research on current issues. Opposing Viewpoints and Points of View Reference Center contain viewpoints on current and controversial issues, but also much more: a variety of articles from magazines or scholarly journals, government information and primary sources, depending on the database.

• Issuelab This link opens in a new window Free resource used to collect and share social sector knowledge.
• Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window Library of current event topics: Facts as well as the arguments of each topic's proponents and detractors.
• Points of View Reference Center This link opens in a new window Articles and essays on both sides of many major topics.
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English 102: Argumentative Essays

• Topic Starters
• Citation Help This link opens in a new window

Finding Topics

• CQ Researcher Online This link opens in a new window Presents controversial topics, with summary, overview, background, current situation, projections, charts or graphs, chronology, pro/con debate, and more.
• Points of View This link opens in a new window Contains many topics, each with an overview (objective background / description), point (argument) and counterpoint (opposing argument).
• Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window Viewpoint articles, contextual topic overviews, statistics, court cases, newspaper and magazine articles, and links to subject-indexed web sites.
• Encyclopedia Britannica Online This link opens in a new window Search articles, biographies, videos, images, and web sites. Also includes the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
• Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window This is a collection of electronic reference books for multidisciplinary research, mostly consisting of subject specific encyclopedias.
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• Last Updated: Jun 6, 2024 11:06 AM
• URL: https://library.hccc.edu/argumentative

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• Research Guides
• Citation Help
• Ask a Librarian
• Library Instruction
• Academic Liaisons
• Library Staff Login

Environmental Rhetoric

Christine Jones

Welcome to English 102 Open

This textbook is an English 102 text that includes a focus on contextualized topics while using rhetoric and approaches to research.

There are hundreds of wonderful, free writing resources available online, yet most college writing classes still use expensive textbooks. Students have been frustrated by textbook prices for longer than most instructors have noticed. Your instructor, like many others at the campus, has been actively working to lower that barrier to instruction and learning.

This course uses OER Materials.

OER stands for Open Educational Resources. OER materials are free or low-cost. This book focuses on freely available works under a Creative Commons license. All works here are adaptable; all works here are printable and downloadable for free.  This book CAN be printed if you feel the need for a physical textbook.  Speak to your instructor about how to make that possible or reach out to any  “print on demand” company.

Materials have been organized into “Chapters” which connect to the Modules of the course. They are NOT in the same order that the modules are. However, there are no extra chapters.  You should completely read the textbook by the end of the semester.  The materials include text, videos, and interactive activities that were developed under Creative Commons licensing.

You are expected to read the texts, watch the videos, and participate in interactive activities.  You should complete the reading before coming to class, as I will be teaching with the expectation that you have completed the reading. It is best if you complete your Cornell Notes before the classes so you will be familiar with the information and be able to use them in class.  Many of the in-class assignments are directly related to the information you will find in the book.  Some of the in-book activities will be requested in class!

You may work ahead at any time.

H5P Activities

The videos and activities that are in the book are graded automatically.  If you are reading the textbook for information, you can do that in any format you like, even printed.  If you want the credit for completing the activities, you need to access the textbook using the  “reading” page in Canvas.  This is only required for completing the graded activities.  Here is an example of a graded activity that should show up in Canvas.

Be sure to click “Submit” if there is a submit button.  If there is a print button available, be sure to save a copy to your Google Drive.  I recommend having a folder for the textbook activities in case of technical issues.  Mac, Ipad, and Phone access of the textbook does not always record the grades. Keep that in mind as you plan your study time.

Why, What, When, Where, How, Who?

 by Sybil Priebe

Why Do I Have to Take This Class? Why Do I Have to Improve My Writing?

Students ask me why they have to take my class. They ask me this a lot. A LOT.

Now, I could be a typical teacher and roll my eyes, but I usually try to connect these questions with the REAL WORLD. College instructors are supposed to prepare students for that big scary REAL WORLD, right? So, often, I’ll explain it like this:

“Do the people around you communicate well? Everyone always knows what the other one is saying, thinking, feeling at any given moment? Or, perhaps this is a better question: The people around you never fight or argue?”

Rarely can anyone say they haven’t seen people fight. Here’s a key to why English is important at all levels – communication is super tricky. We create slang on a daily basis, we text people with acronyms, and we still have people not understanding other people even when we don’t use slang or a text message! And don’t forget that if we can’t speak well, we probably aren’t writing well – what does that mean in our future jobs? For our future customers? What does that mean for us as people in relationships, friendships, etc.?

WHAT is Writing All About?

What is composition what is rhetoric what is literature what is linguistics.

These are terms you might only get quizzed on during Jeopardy, but if we start from the smallest level and work our way to the largest, it goes like this: Linguistics is the study of words, Composition is the study of arranging those words into sentences and paragraphs and essays, and then Literature is the study of fully composed pieces of work that may or may not be true (Nonfiction vs. Fiction). That weird word Rhetoric? Yeah, that’s the study of Argument.

At the heart of rhetoric is argument. At the heart of argument is persuasion. Truly understanding rhetoric presents the understanding that it is dependent on the individual judging the argument and finding themselves persuaded.  It is a process of internal deliberation that utilizes the rational, emotional, and deliberative faculties.   Understanding rhetoric also helps refine the mental pathways to recognize and renounce manipulation. It teaches us ethical ways of communicating and a process to improve judgment.  Rhetoric is directly tied to critical thinking, a necessary skill in ALL majors.

WHEN Should We Write? WHERE Should We Write?

All the time and everywhere.

HOW Can You Get Started with Writing?

With this amazing book!

WHO Am I Writing This For?

Okay, so typically, you might only be composing an assignment for your teacher’s eyes only, but if you participate in Peer Review, or will be showing the final product to the public, your audience is more than one person.

Some Comparisons

The Keys to Success

Planning Strategies

Time management.

• Setting aside enough time
• Breaking Assignments into manageable chunks

Setting a purpose for reading

• How did my instructor frame the assignment?
• How deeply do I need to understand the reading?
• How does this assignment relate to other course readings or to concepts discussed in class?
• How might I use this text again in the future?

Comprehension Strategies

Reading for information.

• Magazines, newspapers, the latest book in our favorite series, a book about our favorite subject
• Reading is not challenging and can be done passively

Reading for Understanding

• College textbooks and assignments
• Reading is more challenging and requires more effort/deliberate action

Active Reading

• Reading for understanding cannot be done passively
• How much understanding you gain from a text depends on how much activity you put into it
• Active readers engage with a text: ask questions and demand answers
• Active readers can organize the reading and record answers to any questions
• Connect what you read to what you already know. Look for ways the reading supports, extends, or challenges concepts you have learned elsewhere.
• Relate the reading to your own life. What statements, people, or situations relate to your personal experiences?
• Visualize. For both fiction and nonfiction texts, try to picture what is described.
• Pay attention to graphics as well as text. Photographs, diagrams, flow charts, tables, and other graphics can help make abstract ideas more concrete and understandable.
• Understand the text in context. Understanding context means thinking about who wrote the text, when and where it was written, the author’s purpose for writing it, and what assumptions or agendas influenced the author’s ideas
• Plan to talk or write about what you read. Jot down a few questions or comments in your notebook so you can bring them up in class.

Annotate a Text

Develop a system and stick to it!

• I generally underline the Thesis and Topic Sentences
• I use vertical lines in the right margin of a paragraph for important supporting details–note the word, important; I do not highlight small details because annotations should be used for the main ideas and should point you toward what you need to read further.
• I circle unfamiliar words and write their definition above the word or next to it.
• I write notes in the margin if I want to connect the information to something else I have read or an essay I am writing.
• I use an asterisk or exclamation point for startling facts/ statistics or surprising information.

Continuously Monitor Your Comprehension

Summarize the main points

• Topic Sentences

Ask questions and then answer them

Prepare questions for class discussion

Use the SQ3R Strategy

• Survey the text in advance.
• Form questions before you start reading.
• Read the text.
• Recite and/or record important points during and after reading.
• Review and reflect on the text after you read it.

Key Takeaways

• College-level reading and writing assignments differ from high school assignments not only in quantity but also in quality.
• Managing college reading assignments successfully requires you to plan and manage your time, set a purpose for reading, practice effective comprehension strategies, and use active reading strategies to deepen your understanding of the text.
• College writing assignments place greater emphasis on learning to think critically about a particular discipline and less emphasis on personal and creative writing

This textbook was compiled by Mrs. Christine Jones for her English 102 course using multiple OER and Creative Commons licensed materials. A complete guide to the texts used can be found in the Appendix, with links to the Pressbooks and source materials pages. Specific citations and attributions can be found at the bottom of each chapter.

**The memes used in this book are NOT creative commons and are used in a “Fair Use” educational capacity only, intended for this edition of the online textbook.  If you are making a copy of this text, please remove the memes before use.

Media Attributions

• My desk, while writing a paper © Guðmundur D. Haraldsson

Introduction Copyright © 2021 by Christine Jones is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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21 English 102 Research Paper Topics: Examples and Outline

An English 102 research paper is an assignment that tasks students to study a certain subject linked to English, literature, or culture. College students often write it as a requirement for their English 102 class or related English coursework.

A typical English research paper will start with n introduction, then a thesis statement, and a clear research question that outlines the aim and parameters of the investigation. This is where a good topic comes into play.

In this blog, I will present to you 21 good topics to write for your English research paper. Read our guide if you want to learn more about the process and for guidance on the steps to write a good paper and the structure.

 21 Good Topics for English 102 Research Paper

• Obesity /Fast food 
• Effects of divorce
• Clean Energy
• Food insecurity 
• Poverty and homelessness 
• Child labor 
• Climate change 
• Guns violence and morality 
• Income inequity 
• Religion in public schools 
• Diet and moods
• Technology in education 
• Sleep deprivation. 
• Gaming and brain function. 
• Music and brain
• Animal rights 
• Child sexual abuse
• Food safety and regulation 
• Distance running
• Parenting styles

How to Write English 102 Essay Outline

One needs an outline because it acts as a plan for your academic paper. You must structure it by organizing the key points into the paragraphs to make it easy for the writer to capture the right details. 

It becomes hard for one to craft an essay without outlining it.   As an author, you should create it to organize your thoughts well.

Furthermore, the outline assists you to know the information how the information will flow and capture it accordingly. 

1. Figure out your Thesis In Advance 

Before you begin to craft a single word of your essay, it is great to know the type of thesis you will be handling.

Every statement within the research paper will be complimenting the thesis. 

2. Do a Great Research

It can be disappointing if you craft your essay paper and later discover that you skipped many facts due to a lack of enough research.

Even worse, if you write some points that can contradict what the reality could be. This calls for objectivity. This is the reason why in most cases, people avoid personal opinions in English papers and essays.

As such, it is better to perform extensive research before you start to write. After that, you can use the research in creating an outline of what you want the essay to cover. In this outline, you will highlight the key points that you will be writing about. 

You can follow the following formatting. 

1. introduction .

The thesis will carry the core idea of your essay. It will state what are trying to stand for or state the major focus of your paper.

Put the thesis statement within the introduction. This thesis statement is great as it helps you in giving the direction for your essay. Mention the main subtopics of the essay.  

You can indicate various subtopics that the thesis will be addressing. It will be sensible to number all subtopics. You can narrow down the topics that you want to address if the word count is large. 

Consider those subtopics that you can write concisely, critically, and convincingly to English 102 expectations. 

2. Topic and Sentence Outline

You will encounter two types of outlines. It is a topic and sentence outline. A topic outline will list phrases or words. A sentence outline will list full sentences. 

A topic outline will be arranging your ideas hierarchically. In other words, it will show the key and sub-points. Such a sequence helps you to know how to make it flow well. 

A sentence outline will indicate what you will be saying in each subtopic. Every sentence will be like a mini-thesis statement concerning that mini-topic. It expresses the full idea that will cover the overall thesis. 

Before writing the sentences outline, you should write the thesis statement on the top page. In addition, make a list of points that you want to prove in your thesis. 

 3. Body Paragraph

You can indicate the number of paragraphs that you would want to have. You can create an outline for the paragraph.

For every paragraph, begin with a topic sentence and place an argument that will relate to your thesis. Remember, we avoid second-person language and anything related to it. Use third-person.

In the paragraph, the writer will be placing facts, examples, and any other evidence that you will be using to prove the topic sentences. 

One example is as follows;

Paragraph one 

• Thesis statement where you will include your main idea. 
• The first idea
• The second idea

Include some cons or refutations if you are dealing with an argumentative essay. It could be an opinion where you will be disagreeing with others who had talked about the same issue. If you are refuting them convincingly, you must clarify them clearly. 

Lastly, you conclude the paragraph. Repeat the same issue style with the preceding paragraphs until you are through with the main body. 

Last but not least is to end your paper with a conclusion. It is where you will be wrapping up your essay. It is so easy. Here, you should restate the essay thesis and summarize the paper’s goal. 

The typical essay outline will look like this:

Introduction

• Introduce your topic
• Put your thesis

Body Paragraph One 

• Put your topic sentence which is the argument of your thesis  
• Support the argument with facts, data, and examples 
• Give details of how they relate to the thesis.

Body Paragraph Two

Body paragraph three.

• Summarize the main points 

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image: ernest hemingway   English 102: Essay #1 Literary analysis, also known as literary criticism, can be defined, at least for the purposes of the first essay, as a close reading and interpretation of a literary text. In other words, a literary analysis carefully examines the constituent elements of a literary text for both meaning and significance. Generally speaking, these elements include , , , , (narrative perspective), , , , and (social, cultural, and historical). Of course, whether you choose to focus on one or a number of these elements, the purpose of a literary analysis is to persuade a reader that your interpretation of a literary text is both valid and significant. One of the ways in which a literary analysis achieves these ends is through the articulation, support, and development of a specific idea or claim. To put this in simple terms, your essay should contain a clearly stated (claim), a coherent , and an abundance of relevant (textual and otherwise). For a more involved discussion of these terms, please see the section in our text entitled "The Elements of the Essay" (1849-1857). In addition, you may also find it helpful to read the section in our text entitled "The Writing Process" (1858-1869). All of that being said, you have four (4) options for the first essay: 1.) A symbol is defined as "something that represents something else." As you might guess, symbols are used in literature for a variety of reasons. Regardless, the use of symbols in literature is both specific and deliberate; in addition, if a story is well written, symbols will help the reader better understand the characters, the setting, the situation, the context, and the theme(s) of a story. Focusing on either Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" Jhumpa Lahiri's "Interpreter of Maladies," write an essay in which you discuss how the symbols relate to and enhance various aspects of the story. 2.) Focusing on James Joyce's "Araby," write an essay in which you discuss how the notion of paralysis is central to the story. 3.) Focusing on James Joyce's "Eveline," write an essay in which you explain why Eveline stays in Ireland. 4.) Write an essay in which you discuss and develop an argument about the meaning and significance of the notion of contradiction in Sherman Alexie's "Flight Patterns." The requirements for the essay are as follows: In addition, here are a few things you should keep in mind as you are writing your essay: All final drafts of essays must adhere to the MLA standards and guidelines outlined below. These standards and guidelines can be found in the . In addition, I you to take a look at a sample literature essay written in MLA format by clicking . Keep in mind that the sample essay analyzes a poem, as opposed to a short story, but the same general principles apply. In other words, given the short page requirement, I would strongly urge you to write a five-paragraph essay. Your first paragraph, then, will establish the context for your argument and end with your thesis statement. The body paragraphs will work to prove that thesis statement through the use of examples. And the conclusion will restate the argument based on the evidence presented in the body. Finally, keep in mind that the sample essay includes a copy of the text it analyzes; please do this when you turn in the final draft of your essay. MLA in-text citations are made with a combination of signal phrases and parenthetical references. A signal phrase indicates that something taken from a source (a quotation, summary, paraphrase, or fact) is about to be used; usually the signal phrase includes the author's name. The parenthetical reference, which comes after the cited material, normally includes at least a page number. Below is an example of how to properly integrate a quotation into your paper. Notice how this example introduces the quotation, provides the page number for the quotation, and then goes on to explain how the quotation fits into the essay as a whole: For instance, Gray's position on the Nixon-Kissinger secret bombings--in some senses the political focus of the text--gets reduced to a cliched and mediated conception of American militarism: "But, as Roland reminded me, we're not living in democracy. Nixon kept saying 'Bomb, bomb, bomb,' and the bombs kept falling" (19). To be sure, Gray's adoption of a postmodern aesthetic in his presentation of historical fact is symptomatic, an obvious and nearly hysterical manifestation of a culture addicted to images, stereotypes, pseudoevents, and spectacles. An alphabetized list of works cited, which appears at the end of your paper (on its own page), gives publication information for each of the sources you have cited in the paper. The following models illustrate the form that the Modern Language Association (MLA) recommends for works cited. Alphabetize entries in the list of works cited by authors' last names (if a work has no author, alphabetize it by its title). The author's name is important because citations in the text of the paper refer to it and readers will be looking for it at the beginning of an entry in the alphabetized list. Also, (despite how the entries appear below). Below is the format for a few common entries. Though not reflected in the formatting of the examples, be sure to note that a hanging indent should be used for all citations that run for more than one line. In other words, all lines other than the first for a single entry should be indented: Tan, Amy. . Putnam, 2001. Hemingway, Ernest. "Hills Like White Elephants." , edited by Alison Booth, J. Paul Hunter, and Kelly J. Mays, Shorter 9th ed., Norton, 2005, pp. 128-132. Bagchi, Alaknanda. "Conflicting Nationalisms: The Voice of the Subaltern in Mahasweta Devi's ." , vol. 15, no. 1, 1996, pp. 41-50. For the first essay, you will be required to read and make comments on the rough drafts of your classmates' essays. To do so, you will need to access the discussion forum and post your comments in the conference folder entitled "Essay One Drafts." English 102: Choosing a Topic Choosing a Topic Finding Background Information and Articles Bias in Publications Annotated Bibliographies Citing Your Sources Formatting MS Word 10 Morrison Resources Organizing Your Thoughts A mind map (a diagram to organize information) can help you organize the different angles of your topic.  Try using one if you feel overwhelmed by the number of ideas or resources. Starting Out You will start your paper by doing some background research about your topic. Your textbook states, "Becoming familiar with some existing research on your topic can provide valuable background informaiton and give you an overview of the topic . . . [and] help you discover issues that have not been researched -- or perhaps even identified" (450). Below are some places to find background on your issue. Some questions to think of while researching your topic are: When did this first become an issue? Why is it an issue? Who does it affect? What's been said about it in the past? What else do I need to know about it? Argument Prompts Over 1,000 Writing Prompts for Students Published by the New York Times , this list is divided into topics. All prompts link to articles, videos, and images from the New York Times. Topic Index: Where to find articles MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new window Provides indexing of over 4,000 journals and series. Also indexes books, essay collections, working papers, proceedings, dissertations, and bibliographies. Includes links to full text of selected journal articles. Project MUSE is a leading provider of digital humanities and social science content for the scholarly community. Since 1995 the MUSE journal collections have supported a wide array of research needs at academic, public, special, and school libraries worldwide. MUSE is the trusted source of complete, full-text versions of scholarly journals from many of the world's leading university presses and scholarly societies, with over 120 publishers currently participating. UPCC Book Collections on Project MUSE, launched in January 2012, offer top quality book-length scholarship, fully integrated with MUSE's scholarly journal content JSTOR This link opens in a new window Electronic archive of core journals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Includes complete runs of journals with full-text of all articles published prior to the most current five years. Pro/Con Databases CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window CQ Researcher provides award winning in-depth coverage of the most important issues of the day. Our reports are written by experienced journalists, footnoted and professionally fact-checked. Full-length articles include an overview, historical background, chronology, pro/con feature, plus resources for additional research. Graphics, photos and short "sidebar" features round out the reports. Shorter "Hot Topics" articles provide a solid introduction to subjects most in demand by students. << Previous: Home Next: Finding Background Information and Articles >> Last Updated: Aug 24, 2023 4:14 PM URL: https://library.morgan.edu/engcomp2 English 102 (Roth) Finding Articles Outline & Thesis Statement Avoiding Plagiarism What's the Point? This unit is intended to refresh your memory of how to work through the research process and begin work on your paper. Start by clicking through the Prezi about how the research process works. Watch the video on how to use brainstorming to bring focus to your topic . An outline can be a useful tool in keeping your paper focused, and many instructors ask to see one before you begin writing. The tab explains how to set one up. Finally, thesis statements can be a struggle for many students. The overview presented provides pointers on how to structure a thesis for your paper (It looks like a lot of text! But we promise it only takes a few minutes to read through). Research and Writing The Research and Writing Process Focusing Your Topic How to Create an Outline Thesis Statements Creating an Outline An outline helps you plan out how the main body paragraphs of your paper will be used to support your thesis. Microsoft Office Word has easy to use tools to create outlines. I like to start my outline with an introduction section. I can add lines ot my outline by hitting enter for additional numbered lines and hitting tab to create supporting points. I'll use the numbered lines to outline my body paragraphs. Each body paragraph focuses on one main point which is presented and then supported. There are many ways to arrange the body paragraphs of your paper to best support your argument and it's worth checking out guides for ideas on how to best construct yours. Once the main body paragraphs have been outlined, I'm going to start adding supporting evidence points. I like adding the direct quotes I've discovered during my research because they remind me of the exact point I was hoping to emphasize and speed up my writing process. By keeping everything aligned this way, I can clearly see what parts of my outline are main body paragraphs and what points, or evidence, I will use to support them. If I mess something up, I can either hit the backspace button or I can use the decrease/increase indent buttons. Outlines are only a guide -- they should be flexible . If you see holes in your research or argument, you should do additional work to address those issues. If the flow of your paper isn't right, feel free to move around paragraphs or sections until it sounds right and your argument is fully supported. Finally, if something simply doesn't fit, you shouldn't be afraid to delete it from your outline/paper entirely. Thesis Statments You need a good thesis statement for your essay but are having trouble getting started. You may have heard that your thesis needs to be specific and arguable, but still wonder what this really means. Let's look at some examples. Imagine you're writing about John Hughes's film Sixteen Candles (1984). You take a first pass at writing a thesis:        Sixteen Candles is a romantic comedy about high school cliques. Is this a strong thesis statement? Not yet, but it's a good start. You've focused on a topic - high school cliques - which is a smart move because you've settled on one of many possible angles. But the claim is weak because it's not yet arguable. Intelligent people would generally agree with this statement - so there's no real "news" for your reader. You want your thesis to say something surprising and debatable. If your thesis doesn't go beyond summarizing your source, it's descriptive and not yet argumentative. The key words in the thesis statement are "romantic comedy" and "high school cliques." One way to sharpen the claim is to start asking questions . For example, how does the film represent high school cliques in a surprising or complex way? how does the film reinforce stereotypes about high school groups and how does it undermine them? Or why does teh flim challenge our expectations about romantic comedies by focusing on high school cliques? If you can answer one of those questions (or others of your own), you'll have a strong thesis. Tip: Asking "how" or "why" questions will help you refine your thesis, making it more arguable and interesting to your readers. Take 2. You revise the thesis. Is it strong now?        Sixteen Candles is a romantic comedy criticizing the divisiveness created by high school cliques. You're getting closer. You're starting to take a stance by arguing that the film identifies "divisiveness" as a problem and criticizes it, but your readers will want to know how this plays out and why it's important. Right now, the thesis still sounds bland - not risky enough to be genuinely contentious. Tip:  Keep raising questions that test your ideas. And ask yourself the "so what" question. Why is your thesis interesting or important? Take 3. Let's try again. How about this version?         Although the film  Sixteen Candles  appears to reinforce stereotypes about high school cliques, it undermines them in important          ways, questioning its viewers' assumptions about what's normal.  Bingo! This thesis statement is pretty strong. It challenges an obvious interpretation of the movie (that it just reinforces stereotypes), offering a new and more complex reading in its place. We also have a sense of why this argument is important. The film's larger goal, we learn, is to question what we think we understand about normalcy.  What's a Strong Thesis? As we've just seen, a strong thesis statement crystallizes your paper's argument and, most importantly, it's  arguable .  This means two things. It goes beyond merely summarizing or describing to stake out an interpretation or position that's not obvious, and others could challenge for good reasons. It's also arguable in the literal sense that it can be argued , or supported through a thoughtful analysis of your sources. If your argument lacks evidence, readers will think your thesis statement is an opinion or belief as opposed to an argument.  Exercises for Drafting an Arguable Thesis   A good thesis will be  focused  on your object of study (as opposed to making a big claim about the world) and will introduce the key words  guiding your analysis. To get started, you might experiment with some of these "mad libs." They're thinking exercises that will help propel you toward an arguable thesis.  By examining ___________________[topic/approach], we can see ____________________[thesis- the claim that's surprising, which is important because _____________________.[1] " By examining   Sixteen Candles  through the lens of Georg Simmel's writing on fashion, we can see that the protagonist's interest in fashion as an expression of her conflicted desire to be seen as both unique and accepted by the group. This is important because  the film offers its viewers a glimpse into the ambivalent yearnings of middle class youth in the 1980s.  Although readers might assume __________ [the commonplace idea you're challenging], I argue that _____________[your surprising claim].  Example:  Although viewers might assume the romantic comedy  Sixteen Candles  is merely entertaining, I believe its message is political. The film uses the romance between Samantha, a middle class sophomore and Jake, an affluent senior, to reinforce the fantasy that anyone can become wealthy and successful with enough cunning and persistence.  Still Having Trouble? Let's Back Up...  It helps to understand why readers value the arguable thesis. What larger purpose does it serve? Your readers will bring a set of expectations to your essay. The better you can anticipate the expectations of your readers, the better you'll be able to persuade them to entertain seeing things your way.  Academic readers (and readers more generally) read to learn something new. They want to see the writer challenge commonplaces - either everyday assumptions about your object of study or truisms in the scholarly literature. In other words, academic readers want to be surprised so that their thinking shifts or at least becomes more complex by the time they finish reading your essay. Good essays problematize what we think we know and offer an alternative explanation in its place. They leave their reader with a fresh perspective on a problem.  We all bring important past experiences and beliefs to our interpretations of texts, objects, and problems. You can harness these observational powers to engage critically with what you are studying. The key is to be alert to what strikes you as strange, problematic, paradoxical, or puzzling about your object of study. If you can articulate this and a claim in response, you're well on your way to formulating an arguable thesis in your introduction.  How do I set up a "problem" and an arguable thesis in response?  All good writing has a purpose or motive for existing. Your thesis is your surprising response to this problem or motive. This is why it seldom makes sense to start a writing project by articulating the thesis. The first step is to articulate the question or problem your paper addresses.  Here are some possible ways to introduce a conceptual problem in your paper's introduction.  1. Challenge a commonplace interpretation (or your own first impressions).  How are readers likely to interpret this source or issue? What might intelligent readers think at first glance? (Or, if you've been given secondary sources or have been asked to conduct research to locate secondary sources, what do other writers or scholars assume is true or important about your primary source or issue?).  What does this commonplace interpretation leave out, overlook, or under-emphasize?  2. Help your reader see the complexity of your topic.  Identify and describe for your reader a paradox, puzzle, or contradiction in your primary source(s).  What larger questions does this paradox or contradiction raise for you and your readers?  3. If your assignment asks you to do research, piggyback off another scholar's research.  Summarize for your reader another scholar's argument about your topic, primary source, or case study and tell your reader why this claim is interesting.  Now, explain how you will extend this scholar's argument to explore an issue or case study that the scholar doesn't address fully.  4. If your assignment asks you to do research, identify a gap in another scholar's or a group of scholars' research.  Summarize for your reader another scholar's argument about your topic, primary source, or case study and tell your reader why this claim is interesting. Or, summarize how scholars in the field tend to approach your topic.  Next, explain what important aspect this scholarly representation misses or distorts. Introduce your particular approach to your topic and its value.  5. If your assignment asks you to do research, bring in a new lens for investigating your case study or problem.  Summarize for your reader how a scholar or group of scholars has approached your topic.  Introduce a theoretical source (possibly from another discipline) and explain how it helps you address this issue from a new and productive angle.  Testing Your Thesis  You can test your thesis statement's arguability by asking the following questions:           Does my thesis only or mostly summarize my source?                   If so, try some of the exercises above to articulate your paper's conceptual problem or question.            Is my thesis arguable - can it be supported by evidence in my source, and is it surprising and contentious?                  If not, return to your sources and practice the exercises above.             Is my thesis about my primary source or case study, or is it about the world?                  If it's about the world, revise it so that it focuses on your primary source or case study. Remember you need solid evidence to support your thesis.  "Formulating a Thesis" was written by Andrea Scott, Princeton University . CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 [1] Adapted from Erik Simpson’s “Five Ways of Looking at a Thesis” at http://www.math.grinnell.edu/~simpsone/Teaching/fiveways.html Attribution Information Literacy Tutorial  by  Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System  is licensed under a   Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License . Based on a work at  guides.library.uwm.edu Last Updated: Dec 2, 2022 6:03 PM URL: https://mohave.libguides.com/roth102 ENG 102 - English Composition 2 Summary and Argumentative Writing Research Basics and Planning Finding Articles Formatting and Citing Writing Help Helpful Print Book from Our Collection Writing a Summary Writing a summary. The purpose of a summary is to give the reader a clear, objective picture of the original text. Most importantly, the summary restates only the main points of a text or a lecture without giving examples or details, such as dates, numbers or statistics. Guidelines for writing a summary of an article: • State the main ideas of the article. • Identify the most important details that support the main ideas. • Write your summary in your own words; avoid copying phrases and sentences from the article unless they’re direct quotations. • Express the underlying meaning of the article, not just the superficial details. • Your summary should be about one third of the length of the original article. Your summary should include: Introduction • Start with a summary or overview of the article which includes the author’s name and the title of the article. • Finish with a thesis statement that states the main idea of the article. Body Paragraphs • The number of paragraphs in your summary depends on the length of the original article. • Your summary should be about one third the length of the original article. For a  one-paragraph summary , discuss each supporting point in a separate sentence. Give 1-2 explanations for each supporting point. For a  multi-paragraph summary , discuss each supporting point in a separate paragraph. • Start each body paragraph with a topic sentence. • Each paragraph focuses on a separate main idea and just the most important details from the article. • Put the ideas from the essay into your own words. Avoid copying phrases and sentences from the article. • Use transitional words and phrases to connect ideas. Concluding Paragraph • Summarize the main idea and the underlying meaning of the article. Writing Article Summaries The information in this guide was adapted from Trent University. Argumentative Writing Writing an argument. Argumentative essay assignments generally call for extensive research of literature or previously published material. Argumentative assignments may also require empirical research where the student collects data through interviews, surveys, observations, or experiments. Detailed research allows the student to learn about the topic and to understand different points of view regarding the topic so that she/he may choose a position and support it with the evidence collected during research. Regardless of the amount or type of research involved, argumentative essays must establish a clear thesis and follow sound reasoning. The structure of the argumentative essay is held together by the following. A clear, concise, and defined thesis statement that occurs in the first paragraph of the essay. In the first paragraph of an argument essay, students should set the context by reviewing the topic in a general way. Next the author should explain why the topic is important ( exigence ) or why readers should care about the issue. Lastly, students should present the thesis statement. It is essential that this thesis statement be appropriately narrowed to follow the guidelines set forth in the assignment. If the student does not master this portion of the essay, it will be quite difficult to compose an effective or persuasive essay. Clear and logical transitions between the introduction, body, and conclusion. Transitions are the mortar that holds the foundation of the essay together. Without logical progression of thought, the reader is unable to follow the essay’s argument, and the structure will collapse. Transitions should wrap up the idea from the previous section and introduce the idea that is to follow in the next section. Body paragraphs that include evidential support. Each paragraph should be limited to the discussion of one general idea. This will allow for clarity and direction throughout the essay. In addition, such conciseness creates an ease of readability for one’s audience. It is important to note that each paragraph in the body of the essay must have some logical connection to the thesis statement in the opening paragraph. Some paragraphs will directly support the thesis statement with evidence collected during research. It is also important to explain how and why the evidence supports the thesis ( warrant ). However, argumentative essays should also consider and explain differing points of view regarding the topic. Depending on the length of the assignment, students should dedicate one or two paragraphs of an argumentative essay to discussing conflicting opinions on the topic. Rather than explaining how these differing opinions are wrong outright, students should note how opinions that do not align with their thesis might not be well informed or how they might be out of date. Evidential support (whether factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal). The argumentative essay requires well-researched, accurate, detailed, and current information to support the thesis statement and consider other points of view. Some factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal evidence should support the thesis. However, students must consider multiple points of view when collecting evidence. As noted in the paragraph above, a successful and well-rounded argumentative essay will also discuss opinions not aligning with the thesis. It is unethical to exclude evidence that may not support the thesis. It is not the student’s job to point out how other positions are wrong outright, but rather to explain how other positions may not be well informed or up to date on the topic. A conclusion that does not simply restate the thesis, but readdresses it in light of the evidence provided. It is at this point of the essay that students may begin to struggle. This is the portion of the essay that will leave the most immediate impression on the mind of the reader. Therefore, it must be effective and logical. Do not introduce any new information into the conclusion; rather, synthesize the information presented in the body of the essay. Restate why the topic is important, review the main points, and review your thesis. You may also want to include a short discussion of more research that should be completed in light of your work. Purdue OWL The information about argumentative writing was taken from Purdue OWL. Please visit their site for information above. << Previous: Selecting a Topic Next: Research Basics and Planning >> Last Updated: Jan 31, 2024 11:13 AM URL: https://egcc.libguides.com/eng102 ENGL 102 - Research Papers Planning Your Research Library Database Search Primo Search Credible Web Sources Cite Your Sources Chat with a Librarian Have deeper questions book a research appointment, class handouts. ENGL 102 Class Handout Download/print a blank keyword table here. Diverse Perspectives Checklist (Example 1) Diverse Perspectives Checklist (Example 2) Diverse Perspectives Checklist (Fillable) Research Tip: Know your requirements! Read your instructor's assignment. Make a mental note of certain requirements, such as: Number of required sources Variety of sources (peer-reviewed, scholarly, popular, personal interview, etc.) Number of written pages Citation style Research Tip: What should I research? Choosing a research topic is often challenging!  Here are some ideas for picking a topic. Explore a topic from a personal experience. Watch a TED Talk video for cutting edge research ideas. Browse through the library's e-magazines on Flipster  for a story and topic that interest you. Assistant Professor, Public Services Librarian Picking your topic is research! Choosing a topic is the first and most important step of any research paper. This video from North Carolina State University helps outline this process. Concept Mapping: What are the Advantages? Allows flexibility and creativity Free flowing, visual representation of your ideas Can help narrow down your topic by focusing and developing a single branch from the broad topic Can be adapted and revised as you do more research Concept Mapping: What Does It Look Like? The video below was created by Penn State University Libraries to explain the process of concept mapping for a research paper. Research Tip: Start with simple sources. At times, it may be challenging to come up with keywords or avoid our own biases. Reading an overview article about the topic can help guide your research. Below are some Molstead Library subscription databases to help you find background information on your subject. Next: Library Database Search >> Last Updated: Jun 24, 2024 3:33 PM URL: https://nic.libguides.com/engl102 431 IMAGES ENGL 102 Research Question Assignment How to write an English 102 Research Paper that rocks (DOC) English 102 (Rhetoric and Composition) ENGLISH 102 RESEARCH ESSAY ASSIGNMENT PROMPT You ENG 102 Essay Assignment 1 102-020 Research Paper-Fall 2019 VIDEO | 10 lines in City life in English Lemon, ain't real. (seriously) English Conversation For Beginners 🌧️ Weather English 102 Essay 1 ENGL 102 ESSAY #1 EXPLANATION COMMENTS Library: ENG 102 Research Topics: Research topics Keywords. "How stereotypes impair women's careers in science." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, "Gender stereotypes and workplace bias." Research in Organizational Behavior, "Measuring Stereotypes of Female Politicians." Political Psychology. English 102 Composition II / Research: Topic Selection At this point, it's a good idea to try doing some "pre-research" to see if there is information on the topic. If there is too much information, you may need to narrow your topic. If there is too little, you may need to broaden your topic. You may also discover you might take a different direction with your topic or change it altogether. English 102 Topics Jump to list of English 102 Topics. This list is current as of 11/14/2022. If the description of a 102 section in the Timetable of Classes is not listed below, please contact the English Department at 865/974-5401 to get it. ... While not all topics will work for all essays, you can absolutely incorporate your interests or hobbies into the ... Choosing a Topic Choosing a Topic. "I write out of ignorance. I write about the things I don't have any resolutions for, and when I'm finished, I think I know a little bit more about it. I don't write out of what I know. It's what I don't know that stimulates me .". - Toni Morrison, author and Northeast Ohio native. PDF English 102: Reading, Research, and Writing Compelling quote about your topic (signal phrase and citation are needed!) Interesting fact about your topic Brief story about your topic • Context: Provides basic information about your topic that leads into the thesis • Thesis: Ends with the statement that provides a focus for the entire essay: the thesis. Body of the Essay Topic Selection This guide has been designed for MCC students taking English 102. It serves as a starting point for the research paper assignment. Use the tabs at the top of the guide to get started finding, using and evaluating information for your assignments. ... Look under "Find Topic Pages" for a list of topics or try "Concept Map" on a general subject to ... Finding Topics Lots of topics to explore. Provides topic summaries and pro and con arguments. Pew Research Center. Very thorough and substantial research reports on all kinds of issues. The reports can also be used as sources in your papers. Very reputable and reliable. Look for the "Topics" link in the top toolbar. Brookings Institution. Basic Essay Structure Basic Essay Structure. Essays written for an academic audience follow a structure with which you are likely familiar: Intro, Body, Conclusion. Here is a general overview of what each of those sections "does" in the larger essay. Be aware, however, that certain assignments and certain professors may ask for additional content or require ... Composition II Research Guide for ENGL 102: Developing a Topic Composition II Research Guide for ENGL 102: Developing a Topic. Home; Developing a Topic; Search Strategies; Scholarly Journals and Articles ... Articles and essays on both sides of many major topics. << Previous: Home; Next: Search ... Tags: composition, Composition II, ENGL 102, ENGL U102, English 102, English. USC Upstate Library. 800 ... Argument/ Persuasion Resources for success in English 102, First-Year Composition. About this Guide; ... An argument or persuasive essay allows you to i nvestigate a topic that is open to discussion and debate. 1. Collect, generate, and evaluate evidence. 2. Establish a position on the topic ... Sub-topic A3 - The government ... PDF EN 102: English Composition II 1 Introduction Module Course Schedule. Introduction Module. Read and watch the material assigned in the module. 01:28 minute video provides an overview of the concepts students will learn in EN 102, including identifying and joining a research conversation. All videos are created in Powtoons, with narrations by professional voice actors. Topic Starters Presents controversial topics, with summary, overview, background, current situation, projections, charts or graphs, chronology, pro/con debate, and more. Points of View This link opens in a new window Introduction Welcome to English 102 Open. This textbook is an English 102 text that includes a focus on contextualized topics while using rhetoric and approaches to research. There are hundreds of wonderful, free writing resources available online, yet most college writing classes still use expensive textbooks. Students have been frustrated by textbook ... English 102 Inquiry Topics All English 102 sections teach historical, qualitative, and secondary-source research and writing, yet each instructor's course investigates a distinctive topic. A complete list of the topics can be found by clicking the link below and selecting "English 102 Inquiry Topics." That link contains a pdf file that lists all the English 102 inquiry topics for a semester, sorted by instructor ... English 102 Topics English 102 Topics — Spring 2024. Jump to list of English 102 Topics. Each instructor's section of English 102 is organized around a distinctive topic; please choose one that appeals to you and your interests. All English 102 sections teach archival, qualitative, and secondary source research and writing. All English 102 sections require 2 ... 21 English 102 Research Paper Topics: Examples and Outline Furthermore, the outline assists you to know the information how the information will flow and capture it accordingly. 1. Figure out your Thesis In Advance. Before you begin to craft a single word of your essay, it is great to know the type of thesis you will be handling. Every statement within the research paper will be complimenting the thesis. English 102 Online: Essay One English 102: Essay #1. Literary analysis, also known as literary criticism, can be defined, at least for the purposes of the first essay, as a close reading and interpretation of a literary text. In other words, a literary analysis carefully examines the constituent elements of a literary text for both meaning and significance. English 102: Choosing a Topic You will start your paper by doing some background research about your topic. Your textbook states, "Becoming familiar with some existing research on your topic can provide valuable background informaiton and give you an overview of the topic . . . [and] help you discover issues that have not been researched -- or perhaps even identified" (450). Sample essay English 102 Sample Student Essays English 102 - Short Interpretative Essay on a Short Story using a Primary Source Setting the Mood In "The Red Convertible," Louise Erdrich uses the setting in order to reveal the emotional states of the characters. PDF ENGLISH 102 RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION researched argumentative and persuasive essays. SAMPLE COURSE OVERVIEW English 102 builds on English 101 to prepare you for the writing you will do in future college courses and beyond. While English 101 honed your ability to critically read and closely analyze particular texts, English 102 emphasizes helping you to write well-reasoned ... LibGuides: English 102 (Roth): Outline & Thesis Statement Watch the video on how to use brainstorming to bring focus to your topic. An outline can be a useful tool in keeping your paper focused, and many instructors ask to see one before you begin writing. The tab explains how to set one up. Finally, thesis statements can be a struggle for many students. The overview presented provides pointers on how ... Summary and Argumentative Writing A clear, concise, and defined thesis statement that occurs in the first paragraph of the essay. In the first paragraph of an argument essay, students should set the context by reviewing the topic in a general way. Next the author should explain why the topic is important (exigence) or why readers should care about the issue. Lastly, students ... LibGuides: ENGL 102 Points of View is designed to assist researchers in understanding the full scope of controversial subjects. High school and undergraduate students can use Points of View as a guide to debating, developing arguments, writing position papers, and developing critical thinking skills. Each Points of View Essay includes a series of questions and ... essay homework paper phd project resume review study thesis