| Instructor: Dr. Jeff Webb |
Paper Three Assignment: An Argument Using Multiple Sources
Your assignment is, as in the second paper, to develop an
interesting problem suggested by two or more of the texts
we have studied this unit, and to offer a solution to it using
textual evidence, inferences from textual evidence, or--this
is where the third paper differs from the second paper --materials
from your own research. The length should be 5-6 pages.
For this paper you are required to locate at least two relevant
source materials from the library. We will be discussing in
class how to conduct research and evaluate sources. As for
the other papers, you should in this paper use evidence to
argue for your claims, evidence that for our purposes includes
not only the sources you will be discovering in the library
but also aspects of Singapore's built environment. (Orchard
Road, for instance, functions as Tan Kok Meng's primary text
in his essay "Orchard Road: The Hyper-'Longkang' of Consumption.")
You should, in other words, also consider using your own experience
as a resident of Singapore as evidence in your argument, provided
that your points are rooted in concretely describable phenomena.
If, for instance, you want to make a point about people's
behavior on the MRT as evidence for your essay on community
and public space, then you must not only work at vividly describing
your memorable (or forgettable) experiences on the MRT, you
must also schedule some time to observe people's behavior.
Take notes on the details of what you observe.
The early part of your draft should of course develop a question
or problem in your selected texts that provides a context
and a motive for your thesis statement. The body of your paper
should investigate precise evidence as you argue for your
thesis, and you should anticipate and respond to possible
objections. The conclusion should asess what you've been able
to establish in the paper. What exactly have you accomplished?
Do important questions or issues remain? What are they?
If you are scheduled to have your paper reviewed in class,
then you must send your draft via email to all class members
(including me) at least 36 hours before the review. (See Peer
Reviews for more information.) Everyone else should hand
in their first drafts on the due date specified in the schedule.
Sample Papers:
Yesterday Once More by Yeo Hwee
Pey
What is Authenticity? Singapore
as Potemkin Metropolis by Tang Weng Hong
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