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Assignment Prompt: Research Outline
Assignment Prompt: Research Outline
Overview
The research outline serves as a stepping-stone between the planning and drafting phases of writing. This assignment gives you a chance to frame your future project, and put Toumlin’s method of argument into action, without having to make every element of the essay concrete. The research outline allows you to more proactively plan for a strong and solid essay, but also gives you the flexibility to change any elements that might require revision, before they are fully formed.
Expectations
By providing a blueprint for your future essay, the research outline helps you to:
Build an organizational strategy for your essay
Reinforce connections between the central claim, reasons, warrants, counter argument, and evidence
Determine what elements of the essay may require revision
Make structural, content, and organizational changes, in a manageable format 
Requirements
Length/Development: 
The outline must be written in complete sentences. *There is a 300 word-minimum requirement for this assignment. If the word-minimum is not met, your assignment may be returned with no grade and a resubmission will be required.   
Organization:
The outline must include: a central claim, three reasons, warrants, and paired evidence. The outline should also include at least one counterargument and one rebuttal. Without all of these components included, your work may be returned with no grade and a resubmission will be required.
*You can add more categories, as you need them (but never less). For example, you may have 4 reasons, warrants, and supportive data for your claim, rather than the minimum of 3.
Component
Content
Conditions
Intro
Main Claim/Thesis Statement
Top Tip: Use these three Strategies for Thesis Structure: Simple, Straightforward, and Strong. 
Body
1. Reason 1
1.1 Warrant 1
1.1.1 Evidence 
1.1.2 Counterargument & Rebuttal (optional)
Top Tip:  Think about transitions and other stylistic elements, as you build each element. 
(Only one counterargument and rebuttal is needed. Writers may choose where to place this.)
Body
2. Reason 2
2.1 Warrant 2
2.1.1. Evidence
2.1.2. Counterargument & Rebuttal (optional)
Top Tip: Consider the order you will use for these reasons/warrants. Are you going to start with your strongest point (reason 1), or end with it (reason 3)?
(Only one counterargument and rebuttal is needed. Writers may choose where to place this.)
Body
3. Reason 3
3.1 Warrant 3
3.1.1. Evidence
3.1.2 Counterargument & Rebuttal (Required)
Top Tip: Don’t forget to directly address the counterargument with a rebuttal. This is an essential element of argument writing. 
(Only one counterargument and rebuttal is needed. Writers may choose where to place this. Note: The last “body” paragraph is a suggestion.)
Document Formatting: MLA formatting: Heading (name, assignment name, course name, date), original title, header (page numbers), line-spacing (single or double-spaced), 1”margins, and 12-point font size, Times New Roman or sans-serif font.
Genre/Style: Formal, numbered outline written using academic language. All ideas should be shared in complete sentences. See organization and example. 
Sources:  None formally needed for the purpose of documentation; however, you may want to note from “where” you found your evidence. See example.
Assignment Guide: Research Outline
Assignment Overview
What is an outline?
An outline presents a succinct way to organize your argument prior to actually drafting the essay. In many ways, an outline is as much an idea organizer as it is a way to fully process your argument as a whole. Outlining maps out all the details of your argument and points to areas where you may need to do a little more reading, or in other words, where gaps might exist. An outline is considered a working document; thus, as you craft it and then later as you draft the essay, the ideas or their order of presentation may evolve.
Is an outline a roadmap for drafting my Researched Argument?
Absolutely. In order for an argument to be convincing, all the evidence needs to be in place, but just as important is the order by which you share the evidence.  An outline helps you to see all the pieces of your argument so that later, when you draft the argument essay, you will have all your ideas and evidence ready to go.
How can I effectively prepare to present my argument?
The method you choose to organize and present your ideas is very important. There are three notable argumentative models: the Toulmin Method, the Rogerian Method and the Classical Method. In brief, the Toulmin method is built on logic, the Rogerian method is built on compromise and compassion, and the Classical Method is built on a common understanding of facts.  All methodologies are equally as effective when consideration is given to the rhetorical situation. The argumentative model that will be used for this course is the Toulmin model of argument.
What does the Toulmin method include?
The formula for the Toulmin method includes the following considerations (this has been slightly modified for this course):
Item Description
Main Claim
The main claim is the thesis of your argument–the overall stance your paper is taking. The claim is debatable, should be complex, and must be paired with ideas and evidence to support it. Essentially, it is both your main point and the reasons for arguing and what you hope your audience will see. The main claim addresses: what are you trying to demonstrate?
Reasons/Points   
The reasons, in many ways, are the second part of your claim. Developing and clearly articulating the “reasons” for your position is key to developing your argument. As you can imagine a well-articulated claim + reasons will drive your argument.
Warrant
(the Bridge)
A sentence or two that explains the reason. In other words, a general principle that explains why you think your evidence is relevant to your claim. The warrant addresses: why you think your evidence supports your claim. 
Evidence
The evidence (data or grounds) is evidence you’ve collected to support your claim and reasons. The evidence addresses: what proof do you have?
* The development of your argumentative essay (later in the course) can be organized by reasons with each reason having a warrant and evidence.
Counterclaim
This is where you illustrate that you’re familiar with what the opposition claims. (Be sure to explore each counterpoint, gathering source information to fully understand why people hold that position and to more fully evaluate the counterargument.)
Rebuttal
While you will always consider the opposition’s point of view, do not hesitate to reiterate the points that support your claim. The rebuttal functions as a reiteration of your evidence in support of your claim. Be sure to always make a clear connection between the rebuttal, your claim and the evidence that points in your direction.
*Counterclaims and rebuttals can appear anywhere in the essay you will develop later in the course.

Assignment Prompt
For this assignment, you will be writing a compare/contrast essay–an exploratory piece of writing in which you attempt to show readers how two topics are similar, different, or a combination of the two: both similar and different. Whether you focus exclusively on comparing, exclusively on contrasting, or a mix of both, is totally up to you. However, regardless of which approach you decide to take, you will want to include a strong thesis/claim statement, at least three effective supporting points, and a streamlined point-by-point organizational strategy. 
Assignment-Specific Requirements:
Length: This assignment should be at least 750 words. 
Thesis: Underline your thesis statement or the main claim of your essay.
Sources Needed: Two reliable and credible sources are required for this assignment. Be sure to use MLA guidelines for all in-text and Works Cited citations. 
While we encourage you to acquire sources from Gale’s Opposing Viewpoints, you may access credible, scholarly sources from other resources.  Tertiary sources, such as online encyclopedias, dictionaries and Wikipedia, are not scholarly sources, and should not be cited within your work; however, they may offer helpful foundational information as you develop your understanding of an issue. (For more information, please review Berkley University’s resource on scholarly and popular sources: “Evaluating Resources.”)
Page Formatting: See Appendix C – Formatting and Submitting Your Work
MLA Requirements: See Formatting your Essay: MLA 8th Edition
Rhetorical Mode
Compare/contrast essays are both creative and analytical in nature. They are typically more formal than a personal narrative in the sense that they are written from a third-person perspective, where a writer is not injecting their own opinion directly using “I” or “me” language. 
To prove points–compare/contrast essays rely on researched evidence, and not personal opinion or experience, per se. When you choose two topics, you will have numerous options for comparing and contrasting them–much more than you can actually use in a single paper. Therefore, you will need to decide what elements are worth comparing and contrasting, and why. This is the seek and discover part of the essay, but also the creative part. For example, another writer may choose the same two topics as you, but their essay may rest entirely on thesis and supporting points. When you limit your supporting points to those points you think you can prove most effectively, you are maximizing your creative and analytical writing abilities.  
Rhetorical Considerations
Purpose:
Remember that this is an exploratory paper: The piece of writing should show readers, through the inclusion of careful detail and specifics, and strong supporting points, how your two topics are similar, different, or a combination of the two: similar and different. 
Audience:
The compare/contrast essay is written for someone else–either a single reader or a community of readers. When choosing the points you want to use to show readers that your topics are similar, different, or a combination of the two, you should keep this audience in mind, making sure that you are choosing the most effective points possible to show how your two topics are similar or different.     
In this instance, you are writing to show readers that your two topics are similar, different, or a combination of the two (similar and different). Keep this audience in mind by emphasizing the compare/contrast claims throughout the essay. 
Form:
This is a formal writing project, written in third-person, relying on strong organizational strategies, integrating researched evidence, and following MLA formatting guidelines. 
Six Features of a Compare and Contrast Essay
Compare/Contrast Thesis: Contains a strong and succinct thesis/claim statement that outlines whether the two topics are similar, different, or a combination of the two, and at least three supporting points that can boost that claim. A sample compare/contrast thesis might look like this:
Although curriculum A and curriculum B are similar in their student success goals, they are very different when it comes to their structure, topics, and scoring. 
Transitions: Utilizes transitional words and phrases that help the audience (or reader) move more easily from idea to idea, sentence to sentence, and paragraph to paragraph.  
*Note–transitions do not only occur in topic sentences but throughout the essay. When you are moving from one idea to the next, whether between two sentences or between two paragraphs, you will want to include language that can help bridge your ideas (and sentences/paragraphs). Some examples might be “in addition to,” “next.”  
Compare/Contrast Signals: In addition to more typical transitional words and phrases, this essay should also include compare/contrast specific signals, emphasizing for readers how and why your topics are alike or different. Here are some example: 
similar: in addition, by comparison, similarly
different: however, in contrast, differing from
Point-by-Point Organizational Strategy: The essay should follow the point-by-point approach to showcase the use of transitions, synthesize your own supporting points with researched evidence, and build a fully developed essay with an introduction, several body paragraphs, and a conclusion. For this kind of organization, you will create a topic sentence for each body paragraph that outlines a compare/contrast point regarding both topics and use the body paragraph to show readers how your two topics are similar, different, or similar and different. 
Reliable and Credible Sources: The essay should integrate at least two reliable and credible sources (also known as “scholarly sources”) to help prove the compare/contrast claims to readers and to boost or substantiate the supporting points that you have created for your two topics. 
Proofreading and Revising: As with any writing project, the final draft of this essay should be carefully reviewed for clarity and correctness. This includes checking word choice, sentence structure, organization, transitions/coherence, and MLA formatting.
Choosing a Topic for Your Compare/Contrast Essay
Selecting the right topic is an important step in ensuring your success in writing a Compare/Contrast essay. You’ll want to choose a topic that has the following features:
Of interest to you
Relevant
Current
Debatable 
Well-researched
Narrow in scope
Academic or “scholarly” in nature
Topics to avoid, as they are either too complex to compare and/or contrast in a single essay, or not considered appropriate for an academic or scholarly argument, are as follows:
For/against . . .
The death penalty
Euthanasia or self-assisted death
Abortion 
The (il)legalization of drugs (e.g. marijuana) 
Religion or religious readings (e.g. existence of a higher order/being, or life after death)
Gun rights/rules
Global warming 
Please do not select one of the above topics, as your essay may be returned without grading, and you will be asked to rewrite it.

What are the goals of a patient interview?
Name and described each component of the Patient History (Chief Complaint, History of Present Illness, etc.).
Describe an incident where you had used improper technique on measuring blood pressure, what did you learn from that incident?
What are the goals of a patient interview?
Name and described each component of the Patient History (Chief Complaint, History of Present Illness, etc.).
Describe a barrier when you had assess a patient from a different culture. 
Submission Instructions:
Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted and cited in proper current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources. Your initial post is worth 8 points.