Argumentative Essay Plan/Drafting Guide

1. List some current events you’re aware of that involve media studies or sociology (this could involve the news media, communication technology, social media, arts and entertainment, etc.). Browse a few online news sites or blogs if you have difficulty coming up with items.
2. Name a few of your media and/or sociological interests: books, television shows, films, social media networks, news sources, communication technologies, cultural/identity issues, challenges facing certain demographics, etc.
3. List 3-4 potential claims of fact, value, and/or policy you could potentially make in your essay involving some of the items you listed in #1-2 (you won’t necessarily use all of these—focus on only one or two subjects at a time).

4. Which claim seems the most promising for your essay? Construct a working thesis statement that states this claim.
5. What are some points/secondary claims that seem related to the main claim—points you could develop in your essay?
6. What are some concessions you might need to make in this essay?
7. What counterarguments could be brought against the claim your essay makes, and how might your essay respond to them?

8. Describe any current event items, examples from media, art, history, or personal/acquaintance experiences that tie in with the subject of the essay.
9. Describe any additional ideas you have about media/culture or sociology that might be discussed in the essay.

10. Spend some time examining possible sources for this paper (try using the PPCC Databases—Academic Search Complete), then list the authors and titles of at least two of these sources.
11. List some of the major claims made in these sources, and any applicable pieces of evidence that might be helpful.