ABC 123 Version X 1 Topic Selection Worksheet ENG 200 Versio
ABC/123 Version X 1 Topic Selection Worksheet ENG/200 Version Univ
Select a topic for your Week 4 Persuasive Essay using the following steps: Review the College Specific Resources for Rhetoric and Research Learning Activity in Week 1. Click on any College/School that interests you. Each college page has a description of the importance of rhetoric and research to degree programs and professional careers within that College/School. The topics for you to choose from are below the “Importance of Rhetoric and Research” paragraph. Each topic has a link to an associated resource from the University Library to learn more about the topic.
For example, the College of Humanities and Sciences has the topics “Synthetic Life”, “Large Hadron Collider will Destroy Earth”, “Climate Change”, and many other topics to choose from. Choose a controversial topic. Your topic must be selected from the list of topics under one of the Colleges/Schools. Please note that the “Accessibility” area on the right is not one of the topics. Complete the worksheet below using your chosen topic. What is your topic? <Enter your topic here.> Relate the key points of an effective research topic for the topic you chose for your Week 4 Persuasive Essay.
Identify how your topic addresses the key points of an effective research paper topic. Refer to the “Evaluating Possible Topics” section on p. 339 of Ch. 11 in Elements of Argument. Your response to each question should be at least 50 words (for a total of at least 200 words).
Paper For Above instruction
The topic selection process for a persuasive essay necessitates careful consideration of relevancy, debatable value, scope, and appropriateness within academic discourse. For the purpose of this assignment, I have chosen the controversial topic of “Climate Change,” a subject with significant societal implications, scientific debates, and policy discussions. Addressing how this topic aligns with the key points of an effective research paper involves examining its interest level, debatable nature, scope, and conventionality.
Firstly, climate change is inherently interesting because it impacts global ecosystems, human health, economies, and future generations. Its multifaceted nature invites examination from scientific, political, and ethical perspectives, making it an engaging and timely issue. People are increasingly concerned about the environmental crises, and debates over policy responses heighten its relevance, thus capturing the audience’s attention and fostering engagement.
Secondly, the topic is highly debatable because various stakeholders hold differing opinions regarding the causes, severity, and solutions to climate change. While scientific consensus supports its reality and anthropogenic causes, there are counterarguments questioning the extent of human influence or the efficacy of proposed measures. This controversy provides a fertile ground for persuasive argumentation, central to effective research.
Thirdly, the scope of climate change is neither too broad nor too narrow. It allows for focused research on specific aspects such as renewable energy policies, governmental action, or economic impacts. At the same time, it retains enough breadth to incorporate diverse evidence and viewpoints, making it manageable for an in-depth persuasive essay without losing its complexity.
Finally, climate change is not too unconventional as a research topic because it is widely recognized as a critical global issue. While novel approaches and perspectives are encouraged, addressing climate change aligns with common academic and social discourses, ensuring its appropriateness and receptivity within scholarly contexts.
References
- Gardiner, S. M. (2011). A Perfect Moral Storm: The Ethical Tragedy of Climate Change. Oxford University Press.
- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2021). Sixth Assessment Report. Retrieved from https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/
- McKibben, B. (2019). Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out? Henry Holt and Company.
- Oreskes, N., & Conway, E. M. (2010). Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming. Bloomsbury Publishing.
- Sheffield, P. E., & Landrigan, P. J. (2011). Global climate change and children’s health: threats and challenges. Journal of the American Medical Association, 306(12), 1286–1287.
- Stott, P. (2016). Climate Change and Its Discontents. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 6(1), 1-8.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2022). Climate Change Impacts. https://www.epa.gov/climate-change/science/climate-change-impacts
- Van der Linden, S., Leiserowitz, A., & Maibach, E. (2017). The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change. Climate Change Communication, 11(3), 366-378.
- World Resources Institute (WRI). (2020). Climate Change: Impacts and Opportunities. Retrieved from https://www.wri.org/climate
- Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. (2023). Climate Change in the American Mind. Yale University. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/