Just as there are trends in fashion, there are also trends in the types of assignments that professors like to assign. It seems we have reached peak argumentative essay season around here so let me be your sherpa to the mountain of good essay research and writing!
Let’s take a look at one of my favorite databases fist, Points of View Reference Center. This database was built for argumentative essays. The databases is full of articles that explain the basic facts of a hot topic like “Working Remotely“, “The Big Bang Theory“, or “The Indian Child Welfare Act“. Within each article, there is an overview of the topic, an article arguing one side, and argument for the other side, and a guide to critical analysis. These are all amazing resources for figuring out how you want to present your argument.
Depending on your topic, there are any number of other databases I could recommend, so instead, let me point you to our amazing Topic Guides. There are several dozen guides covering a wide range. Based on your chosen topic, pick a guide that works for you. Each guide has been put together by one of the Reference Librarians with books, databases, and other materials that will help you complete your research.
Three guides in particular will be of great help to all students because the tips work pretty much universally, no matter what subject you are writing on.
Finally, here are some books that will lead you on your way to crafting the perfect argumentative essay.
- What is Rhetoric? by Michel Meyer
- Writing from Start to Finish: A Six Step Guide by Kate Grenville
- Write to the Point, and Feel Better About Your Writing by Bill Stott
- The Nuts & Bolts of College Writing by Michael Harvey
- Keys to Great Writing by Stephen Wilbers
- MLA Handbook by the Modern Language Association of America
- Concise Guide to APA Style: The Official APA Style Guide for Students by the American Psychological Association