Description

Essay #3: Research-Supported Causes or Effects

Summary of assignment

Task: Analyze causes or effects of a phenomenon in an essay supported by research. Choose

a topic related to your field of study or a field of study that interests you.

Length: 1500-2000 words

Format: APA

Sources: Minimum of 6. At least 3 of these must be from scholarly journals, and all sources

should be selected based on reliability, currency, and level of information/analysis.

The UMUC library will be very useful in helping you find appropriate sources.

Outcomes you should achieve by completing this assignment

As you complete the tasks required for this assignment, you will be working towards the various

course outcomes:

Use research to write an essay on causes or effects that will inform or persuade an

audience (Course outcome 1)

Form unified, coherent, and well-supported paragraphs in support of the thesis

statement (Course outcome 2)

 Select sources, use them to inform and support your writing and document them in

APA style (Course outcome 4)

 Demonstrate accurate grammar and mechanics in writing (Course outcome 3)

 Participate in the process of receiving feedback and revising your writing (Course

outcome 1)

Choosing a topic

This assignment asks you to write about either the causes or effects of a phenomenon. Do not try

to cover both the causes and effects of a phenomenon in your essay. This essay is not long enough

to cover both causes and effects in enough detail.

For example, a student could write about various causes of pipeline accidents. This essay’s

thesis statement and supporting paragraphs would focus only on the causes of the accidents. The

essay would not go into detail on the effects of the pipeline accidents, thought it might briefly

mention effects, perhaps in the conclusion.

Another possible topic is the effects of exposure to a particular chemical. This essay would

focus only on the effects. The introduction might briefly mention how exposure occurs, and the

a conclusion might briefly mention how to avoid exposure. However, the thesis statement and

the supporting paragraphs would focus on the effects of exposure.

At the end of these instructions is a list of possible topics to get you started.

Organizing and supporting your essay

As you write your essay, be sure to include the following:

an engaging introductory paragraph that includes an effective and clear thesis

statement

 any definition of terms or background information that your reader is likely to need to

understand your paper

 unified, supported, and coherent body paragraphs that defend the thesis

 an effective conclusion

Research is a key element of this paper. Take care to support your claims with research

throughout the paper. Include in-text citations whenever you use sources, whether through

quote, paraphrase, or summary. A reference list at the end of the paper should list all of the

sources cited in the text of the paper.