5-6 pages, double spaced, 12 pt font, Times New Roman, 1-inch margins

-The purpose of the paper is to analyze and critique a sample of argumentative discourse. Choose an online discussion thread of at least 20 entries as your data for this assignment. The discussion thread should be fairly characterizable as an argumentative exchange. The number of participants in the thread is not important, so long as there are enough entries in the thread and the thread is an argument.

-Your paper should follow structural conventions (i.e., separate sections with supporting points, conclusion, etc.).

Follow the ‘4 act’ structure of qualitative communication research papers:
Act 1: rationale (review of relevant literature, concepts, background assumptions, etc.). This section serves the purpose of generally setting up the ‘problem’ or question that will be addressed. Make a thesis statement as a preview of what you will argue. Italicize the thesis statement.
2. data/methods (Give background information that creates a sense of what you have to work with. Where did you get your data? What is the nature of the site? What was the prompt for the thread? What was the topic? How many entries does it include? How many participants? Who were the most active/important participants? Also use this section to identify the theory/concept you will be using for analysis. Give a brief overview of the theory and how you will apply it. Cite relevant sources.)
3. analysis/critique (Explain your data through the lens of the theory you’ve chosen. Critique particular moves, or even the whole exchange, by pointing out what the theory leads you to see as good or bad in the data. This section of the paper should be the most thoroughly developed.).]

4. discussion/conclusions (Acknowledge limitations of your findings. Discuss implications of your findings. What have you found that can speak to argumentation theory? Or perhaps your findings can be helpful to people involved in a similar argument in the future…)

-Give the paper a title that reflects the content of the paper (and especially the thesis statement). Also give each sub-section a title that reflects the content of the section (i.e., don’t use generic titles like ‘Introduction’ and ‘Findings’).

-Use citations in APA style when you make reference to ideas or facts that are not yours. Italicize and explaintechnical concepts the first time you use them.

-Be sure to include a ‘References’ section at the end (consistent with APA style) for any references you made in-text.

-Papers will be assessed by the insightfulness of the claim, the quality of the support for the claim, general quality of writing (e.g., besides spelling/grammar/style, efficient use of space — avoiding use of ‘fluff’ to fill pages), etc.

I have already found a thread to use and I will upload a pdf of the powerpoint that has the theory on it.