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Ticket_In_Workshop3_BUS100W_S19.docx

BUS100W - ENG007 (001) Attebery/Laforce S19

Workshop 3: Ticket-In

Please complete this Ticket-In before your workshop. You may type or handwrite your responses, but a completed hardcopy is required to attend Workshop 3 or you may be turned away. It will then be your responsibility to sign up for another workshop (if available).

A. Thesis Statement (C-S-C Model)

Your thesis statement for this assignment is your proposal to benefit the company. Draft the components of your thesis (proposal) below.

1. What is your CONTEXT? (i.e., How do you want to frame the subject of this essay? What background information would be relevant for the reader to know about the subject?)

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2. What is your SUBJECT? (i.e., This is the central topic of your report: the problem or strength you have identified with your company, which you will be analyzing and addressing.)

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3. What is your CLAIM and why? (i.e., This is the analysis of your subject: How do you propose to improve on the strength or fix the problem? What are you proposing and why?)

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4. Draft Thesis/Proposal: In 1-3 well-constructed sentences, write out your full thesis based on your answers above. Note: You will be peer-reviewing each other’s draft theses in workshop.

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B. Introducing “Burdens of Proof”: Required, Annotated Reading.

Read and annotate (underline, highlight, make notes in margins) the text below on “burdens of proof.” We will discuss and employ burdens of proof in Workshop 3.

In chapter 1 we defined the thesis statement as a statement of an issue that “sets down” the argument a writer will make. It may help to think of the thesis statement as the claim in the academic essay that is much like a lawyer’s claim in a court of law. The writer of
an effective essay, like the lawyer, presents a central argument that has certain burdens that require support. For instance, a lawyer may use several different lines of reasoning to frame or arrange evidence to show that his client is innocent. The claim of innocence is meaningful only when it is fully supported with clear evidence and logical reasoning.

Similarly, the burdens of proof in the thesis statement must be unpacked and logically fulfilled for the essay to be compelling. Because it sets down the argument of a persuasive paper, the thesis statement can be said to be the reason the paper exists. The thesis drives the paper forward because it contains the claim—the assertion that gives the paper its meaning.

However, a thesis statement does not stand alone; it is interdependent with the rest of
the paper. It might help to see this interdependence in terms of an analogy … The thesis statement, like the engine of the car, drives the paper. And the supporting details of a paper, like the frame of a car, are necessary to carry the reader to a meaningful place. Unpacking the burdens of proof from the thesis statement will show you the direction to take your paper; it will guide your drafting ….

We have said that the thesis statement provides a prescription for the paper in the sense that it contains what we call the burdens of proof, but what, exactly, does this mean? Burdens of proof are the arguments or points that must be made in a paper to fully prove the thesis statement, that is, to convince a reader of a thesis statement’s validity. In other words, they are the requirements that logically follow from the claim made in any thesis statement. If each burden of the thesis is not adequately discussed, the claim will be less credible, and the paper will be unsatisfying.

Example 1:

The use of steroids in college sports should be more tightly regulated.

· show the reasons for, and dangers of, steroid use

· establish how steroid use is currently being monitored


· show why steroid use in college should be more tightly regulated ….

You might think of burdens of proof as the links in the chain of logic that a writer must create to convince the reader to accept the conclusion proposed in the thesis statement. Because the burdens of proof suggest the chain of reasoning the paper must take, they also work as a structuring device for the paper— a skeleton on which the supporting paragraphs of the paper are built. In short, the burdens of proof are what you write about in the paper….

You should be aware that each burden of proof will require a different amount of time to cover it. In other words, even though each burden is stated in a single line, some might take pages to explain while others may require only a paragraph. What is important to recognize is that all of the burdens of proof in a thesis statement must be discussed to prove the paper’s thesis and to have a compelling and therefore successful essay.

FOUR TASKS TO MANAGE YOUR BURDENS OF PROOF

1. Identify the context, subject, and claim of the thesis statement. 


2. Identify key terms or phrases that help define the context, subject, or claim, such as:

· adjectives or adverbs 


· superlatives (i.e., most, worst, best, always) 


· specialized terms that require explanation 


· terms or phrases that require background information 


· introductory clauses or other key terms that limit the parameters of the argument (i.e., today, twentieth century, regarding children, in my house)

· If you are unsure whether a term is “key” or not, remove the term or phrase and see if it changes the demands of the thesis statement or the direction or the boundaries of the argument. If so, then it is a key term and probably carries a burden of proof.

3. Examine the logical relationships within the thesis statement and identify whether there are any dependent points (or arguments) that must be made in advance of other points (or arguments). 


4. Decide on the most effective order for covering the burdens of proof.

These tasks represent general techniques that, with some practice, you should be able to adopt, customize, and incorporate into your writing process. They will help you to analyze your thesis statement and identify the logical chain of reasoning necessary to offer a compelling argument.

Applying the Four Tasks

Now we will examine three examples using this four-step process.

EXAMPLE 1:
Music file sharing through the Internet should be legal.

1. Identify C-S-C.

Context: music industry’s copyright laws Subject: music file sharing through the Internet Claim: should be legal

2. Identify key phrases. Examine C-S-C and the key phrases and articulate the burden of proof suggested by each.

Not everyone is familiar with the controversial practice of “music file sharing through the Internet” and its alleged infringement on the “music industry’s copyright laws,” so both the context and subject of this thesis statement will need to be discussed. The burdens of proof are as follows.

· establish what is meant by “music file sharing”


· explain the objections some have to this practice

· show why music file sharing should be legal

3. Identify whether there are any dependent points (or arguments) that must be made in advance of other points (or arguments).

To argue that file sharing should be legal, it will be important to establish what it is, so the first burden listed must precede the third. The second burden could be covered along with the first as background material, or it could be discussed after the third bur- den as a counterargument. These are some strategic choices a writer will have to make in responding to this prompt.

4. Decide on the most effective order for covering the burdens of proof.

Think carefully about where you would like to cover the second burden … Whatever your writing process, this step should be reexamined during the revision stage to be sure the essay is as convincing as possible.

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C. Preliminary Research & Outline Burdens of Proof:

1. One burden of proof in this assignment is to prove that the problem or strength you identified in the company exists. Find two reliable sources providing evidence of this problem or strength. List and summarize them below:

Source 1:

Source 2:

2. Another burden of proof in this assignment is to prove that the solution or improvement you are proposing is the most reasonable, actionable, and practical. Find two reliable sources providing evidence supporting your proposal effectiveness. List and summarize them below:

Source 1:

Source 2:

3. You will also need to address at least one counterargument in this assignment, which is also a burden of proof. Find at least one reliable source that in some way disagrees with your proposal or argues for an alternative course of action. Cite and summarize this source below:

Source:

Note: You may change your proposal when you conduct more research on the burdens of proof. This research is only preliminary and the recommendation is an initial hypothesis.

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