JOUR90027 Chap.12 The Research Essay: Arguing a Position
The Research Essay: Arguing a Position
Assignment 2, worth 50% and due on 1 November 2026, is a 2,500-word argumentative essay on one of nine prompts. This chapter explains what counts as evidence, the minimum of two required readings and six further scholarly sources, and how the essay differs from the media report.
It sets out the four criteria, the TEEL paragraph and introduction advice from the essay tips, the style habits that cost marks, the referencing rules, and the submission checklist, late-work rules and integrity requirements, with a model introduction for prompt 1. It also shows where each of the nine prompts is prepared elsewhere in the guide.
What this chapter covers
- 01
What counts as evidence in an argumentative essay
- 02
Minimum sources and the role of media examples
- 03
Report versus essay: purpose, structure and evidence
- 04
Introductions, TEEL paragraphs and conclusions
- 05
Style habits the essay tips warn against
- 06
Referencing, formatting and the submission checklist
Worked example · free
Writing an argument statement
- 1State a clear position with 'This essay will argue that', as the instructions ask.
- 1Qualify the position so it can be defended against an obvious objection.
- 1Outline the steps the essay will take, each tied to a reading or case.
Key terms
- TEEL paragraph
- A TEEL paragraph is the structure recommended in the essay tips: topic sentence, explanation, example or evidence, and a link back to the argument.
- Statement of argument
- A statement of argument is the explicit sentence in the introduction, such as 'This essay will argue that', that tells the reader your position.
- Secondary citation
- A secondary citation is a reference to a source you have not read yourself, marked with 'as cited in' under APA rules.
- Scholarly engagement
- Scholarly engagement, in the essay tips, means analysing, critiquing, extending or questioning the literature rather than merely mentioning it.
The Research Essay: Arguing a Position FAQ
How many sources does the essay need?
At least two from the required reading list and at least six scholarly sources from beyond it, which can include the further reading list. The instructions call this a minimum and expect high-performing essays to exceed it, and you also need examples of contemporary media coverage.
Can I write on my own topic?
The guidance says you may discuss a topic outside the nine set prompts with your tutor. Otherwise respond to your chosen prompt as written and address every part of it, since the final checklist asks whether all parts have been covered.
What happens if I submit late?
Without an extension, work loses 5% per day, and work more than two weeks late is marked only as pass or fail, if accepted. Before the due date you can request a short extension, three days at most, without documents.
Can I use 'I' in the essay?
Yes, as a scholarly 'I', for example 'I will argue that'. The essay tips warn that it is not a licence for unsupported personal opinion, and they ask for formal language throughout.
What do the essay criteria reward?
The guidance names understanding of ideas and theories, structure and argumentation including alternative arguments, research and scholarly engagement across a breadth and depth of literature, and writing and referencing. Description of readings without an argument meets few of them.
Assessment move
Pick your prompt early and write a one-sentence argument before reading widely, then search for the six further sources that test it, using the library databases the subject recommends. Plan paragraphs with TEEL and give each one a reading and a case.
Use the Week 10 and 11 workshops and Week 12 consultations for your argument and source questions, and run the submission checklist, including the Word format and double spacing, before you upload. Keep a running list of objections to your argument as you read; the strongest one belongs in the body of the essay, not its last line.
Read two high-quality journal articles from the reading list purely for their structure, noting how each states its argument and handles counter-arguments, before you plan your own essay.
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