PWR

1 | The Rhetoric of Gaming | Fall 2017

THE RESEARCH-BASED ARGUMENT

Working Outline Assignment
Assignment Description: This assignment asks you to draft a working outline for your
research-based argument.

Due: Working Outline due: Thursday, November 9 by 5pm

Format: 1.5 spacing; page numbers; in-text citations and works cited in MLA form; 1”
LOGISTICS

margins.

Submission Format: Electronic posting of all materials to your Stanford Box RBA folder; no
pdfs. No print out needed.

Grading:
The RBA is worth 45% of the overall class grade. The outline does not receive an individual
grade, but failing to complete it to assignment specifications will affect your grade for the
RBA assignment as a whole.

Working Outline: Details

Due Thursday, November 9 by 5pm

The outline is your first step on beginning to assemble and arrange your research-based argument. This is a
PROCESS document, meaning that it is designed to help you think practically about what you need to do to
construct a successful argument – it is not a contract or a finished product. It is intended to draw your
attention to places you will need to do more research (primary or secondary) or to points that you need to
think more carefully about to create a nuanced and detailed argument. I’m not interested really in it being
spiffy and polished. I’m more interested in seeing how you’re starting to lay out your claim and how you
intend to integrate primary and secondary source material (even if you’re still finding it!) into your argument.

You might find it useful to think about what sort of “story” you’re telling about your claim or your research.
Even academic essays, like narratives, can have an underlying “arc” that leads the reader through the reading
experience. How do you want your reader to experience your claim and evidence? Draw on the invention
activities we’ve done as a class or your own brainstorming techniques to help you think through your initial
organizational choices.

While your outline should be at least 3 pages, it may be longer. In general, your outline must include:

• A draft of a title

• Your drafted introduction (see the introduction assignment sheet for more details on this component
of the assignment), which must include your “start thesis” or working thesis for your essay

• At least 3 pages of writing; avoid single-word notations in your outline. Use lengthy sentence
fragments or, even better, use complete sentences.

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 PWR 1 | The Rhetoric of Gaming | Fall 2017
• Please follow traditional outlining hierarchy for your outline (I, A, 1, a, i). See Envision Ch. 6, p. 217-
226 for an overview of outlines. (Re: the Envision example – please note that the content of the
sections is up to you – i.e., don’t include “background” just because the example does so; include it
only if it works for your argument or research.) Look at the sample outline (which I have annotated)
linked online through the class website (look under the Assignments link or on our homepage) for a
model.

Other tips:
• Encouraged: starting to think about where to use sources and even specific quotes in your argument.

• Leave yourself working in your outline.

Feedback, Evaluation, and Grading

The working draft is a process assignment, so you will receive some general feedback on it but no grade.
Please note that failure to submit it or complete it to the assignment specifications will result in a reduction of
your overall RBA grade by ½ a grade (from an A- to an A-/B+).