Refer to schedule for due dates
What is the RBA?
This final Research-Based Argument (RBA) will allow you to further explore your chosen topic by developing a specific argumentative position from which you can engage, extend, critique and/or apply (to a new cultural or disciplinary arena) the research conversation you have developed in the Texts in Conversation assignment.
The final product will be (roughly) 10-12 page paper with 6-8 strategically chosen sources. The RBA assignment will give you the opportunity to apply all the skills you’ve learned this semester as you (1) offer objective and critical summary, (2) engage your sources analytically, and (3) orchestrate a critical “conversation” amongst your sources. This assignment, of course, also asks you to take that next step as you devise your own unique argument in relation to that conversation. Separate assignment sheets and activities will address distinct aspects of this paper, from the introduction and what I will call “dueling” thesis statements, to developing your argument in relation to your sources and crafting a conclusion.
Any pointers?
You might find it helpful to keep the following tips in mind to guide you in your writing and research:
- Establishing a strong, unique, specific, manageable, arguable, and compelling thesis tales time. Although your thesis will definitely evolve as you move through the writing and drafting process, arriving at a specific and unified working thesis by the proposal stage will really help.
- Your RBA is not intended to be—and should not become—a narrative of your research process or a mere summary of sources. It is your unique argument, woven through a web of other voices all confronting the same set of issues. As in your TIC, parts of which might migrate over to your RBA, you must organize these voices and engage them by being fully present in the conversation.
- Source Integrity: in the TIC, I was mostly concerned with the fundamentals of the critical conversation. From this point forward, I will be paying more attention to the quality of your sources. Just having a source is no longer enough; you need to find the best possible source for your argument. Remember that 2-page source that was more of a summary of other research, or a journalistic gloss on a complex subject? It’s time to dig deep for what we might call “The Source Itself.”
- As always, document your sources as you go and format your paper according to MLA guidelines. You need to include the MLA works cited list in your RBA rough draft as well.