You are writing an argumentative/research essay that articulates a strong thesis on a self-generated topic, offers informed reasons, and analyzes both your
own thinking and sources that engages with our course mini theme of looted art. You will present an argument. You will interpret, modify, and discuss the
points of agreement you share with your sources. You will explain why you agree with those parts of your research sources. It is not enough that you simply
state you agree with a source; rather, you must state why and how you agree with your source.
This assignment is not to be merely a survey of or report on your research sources dealing with museums and looted art. These sources are to advance your
own thinking, and not to cover up your own thinking. In other words, this assignment asks you to consider the fact that writing does not take place in a
vacuum but is always executed in response to a unique set of conditions, motivations, and questions. As a result, you will place your position in perspective
to those research sources. Your own position and opinions are to be the centers of attention in this essay assignment, not your sources. You must explain in
detail why you agree with the ideas you have found in your research sources.
Essay Three must be at least 7 full pages. The required secondary texts, which are your research sources, can vary. You are to use at least three sources: for
example, one book chapter, newspaper article, magazine article, such as The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Review of Books, Harper’s Magazine, The New
Yorker. You may use their blogs as a substitute for an actual “article.” You are to avoid using Time, Newsweek, and other mainstream news magazines. Also,
you are permitted to use a library database article. This assignment is not meant to be an Internet-based research assignment; you will refrain from using
non-academic websites, such as Wikipedia. Wikipedia is not a credible source, and therefore, do not use it. However, you may use legitimate, scholarly, news
service, and government websites, but do so sparingly.
Things to consider:
n Your researched paper shouldn’t just be filled with quotes. You must do “something” with them—you are arguing for a certain point, point of view, a way of
understanding the issue. It is an essay filled with your thinking, occasionally seasoned with the thoughts of others.
n Ultimately, the research paper is your thoughts, supported by the research. The voice in the paper should be yours. The research is the “back-up singers.”
n You must use the information from your research to support an arguable claim. You can consider this as your position.
n You must use your research wisely, effectively. It will reveal your own ethos and knowledge of the issue/subject. It will show how well you know how to use
the resources of libraries, databases, and internet. It will demonstrate your abilities to evaluate sources, to summarize, quote, or paraphrase sources, and to
avoid plagiarism.
n The paper will reveal what you want to say, and what your opinion is on an issue.
Paper Two must be typed, double-spaced, 12-points font, MLA style margins.
You must have a cover page listing your name, course information, and a title for your paper; this information will be placed in the upper-left-hand corner. This
cover page is not to be considered as page one. Page one begins with your written work. You must begin at the very top of the page.
