In order to select a topic inspired by Like Water for Chocolate that matters to you, you have to understand two things:
1) WHY your topic matters to you (which you will explore in the beginning paragraphs of your essay) you can visit "Pick a Topic", to help you brainstorm
2) What an argumentative essay is Learn all about Argumentative Essays from Purdue OWL
One way to write an argumentative essay is to do so in 6 paragraphs:
1. Introduction, including thesis statement
2. First supporting argument, including evidence
3. Second supporting argument, including evidence
4. Third supporting argument, including evidence
5. Counterargument or opposing viewpoints
6. Conclusion, reinforces your thesis
When researching in library databases, SEARCH TERMS are crucial for getting good results. Notice that the topics suggested below are very broad and you will get thousands of results. What aspect of the topic are you interested in exploring?
Start with background reading on your broader topic inspired by "Like Water for Chocolate". In Gale eBooks, you can read overview articles on topics like:
Why search here? Use this database for preliminary reading as you start your research. You'll learn about your topic by reading authoritative topic overviews on a wide variety of subjects.
What's included: Gale eBooks is comprised of subject, specialized encyclopedias with articles written by scholars and experts.
Why search here? Use this database when you want to find comprehensive, unbiased reporting and analysis to get background information on issues in the news.
What's included: Overview reports of topics related to health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy in America.
Why search here? This is a great database to use when you want to explore different viewpoints on controversial or hot-button issues.
What's included: It includes pro/con articles, court cases, primary sources, videos, media, editorials, and news on more than 800 hot topics in business, politics, government, education, and popular culture. Use the search or browse topics by subject or A to Z.
Once you have some background information on your selected broad topic, you are ready to search in EBSCOhost and Gale Databases for articles tying the aspect of the topic of interest to you:
Why search here? Search 22 databases at the same time that cover almost any topic you need to research at MJC. This is a good resource to use when you want to delve deeper into your subject.
What's included: EBSCO databases include articles previously published in academic journals, magazines, newspapers, books, and other media outlets.
Why search here? When you want to find broad coverage on almost any topic you need to research at MJC, use Gale databases to search over 35 databases simultaneously.
What's included: Gale databases include articles previously published in journals, magazines, newspapers, books, and other media outlets.
For some topics, you will need expert help to find information in the library databases. Contact a librarian via chat, text, email, or appointment for this help.
Here is a link to help on all things MLA: formatting your paper, citing your sources in text, and creating your Works Cited page.
One of the advantages to using library databases is that they provide accurate citations for every article. Look for the Cite tool on the page that displays your article, and be sure to select MLA as the style for your citation. Here's an example of an MLA citation for an article from our EBSCOhost databases:
Google is a great resource for quickly finding background information to help you expand your knowledge and thinking on a topic. It is not always a quick way to find credible in-depth sources for an academic essay, however. Any source you find on the Web must be thorougly evaluated for credibility before you can cite it in an academic paper. The CRAAP test is a good way to evaluate sources.
Google is a good place to find statistics and very current information. Here's a video that shows you how to get more reliable results. Please note that the "Settings" link is now at the bottom of the Google Search page, not at the top as shown in this video, and that the Tools menu appears after you have started a search.
MLA tells us that, you should cite a source in an annotated bibliography just as you would in a list of works cited and then append an annotation to the end of the entry. Annotations describe and/or evaluate sources. Further, annotations should not rehash minor details, cite evidence, quote the author, or recount steps in an argument. Writing an effective annotation requires reading the work, understanding its aims, and clearly summarizing them.
You may also want to use the template below. Just type over the words in the template with your own information, citations, and annotations.