affirmative action in employment against racial discrimination.
Order Description
Expository essay in which you are advancing your thesis (argument, point of view, or opinion based on facts and logic) that states your reason to why you think the way
you do about your topic.
To narrow the affirmative action in employment against racial discrimination topic down a bit we can focus on specific category of affirmative action recipients, for
example, black American women, white American women, Latina American women, Asian American women, or Vietnam-era veterans?
to begin your preliminary research, start with searching certain databases at the Pattee-Paterno Library Databases by Title (A-Z)
https://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/databases.html. Many of these databases offer full-text of articles. You will find much information on outsourcing has been
produced. Be ready to use two or more search terms in your search string, for example, “affirmative action” and employment and (“racial disparities” or “racial
discrimination”) and hiring and (Pennsylvania or “New York”). Keep the quotation marks for multi-word terms and keep the parentheses for grouping terms, because if you
search for affirmative action and employment and racial disparities and racial discrimination and hiring and Pennsylvania or New York without the quotation marks and
without parentheses, you might retrieve thousands or tens of thousands of sources—many possibly useless entries—or perhaps nothing. For purposes of illustration, I
will show examples of search strategies in the following databases looking for something about affirmative action in employment and racial minorities. Of course, if
you have your own search terms, then please use them.
Select the database, Gale Virtual Reference Library, which will give you an overview of your topic. Select Advanced Search. On the top search line, type:
“affirmative action” and employment and racial
Remember to use quotation marks. Next, click Search.
Look at the retrieved entries to see what you got and to get an idea of the topic’s coverage and where you can narrow the scope of your research and expository essay,
as well as gathering additional information to continue your search.
After you finished with Gale Virtual Reference Library, you will return to the Databases by Title (A-Z) page and select the database, JSTOR. Choose advanced search. On
the first line type:
“affirmative action” and employment and racial
Remember to use quotation marks. Then select articles and books for item type.
Next, definitely select one or more of the following disciplines: Business, Business & Economics, History, Labor & Employment Relations, Management & Organizational
Behavior, and Sociology. You can select other databases. You may search one or more databases at a time.
Then click on Search, and then look at the retrieved entries. If you retrieved too many entries or too few entries, then you can enter fewer, additional, or different
search terms.
After you finished with JSTOR, return to the Databases by Title (A-Z) page and select the database, ABI/Inform Complete. Select Advanced Search. On the top line, type:
“affirmative action” and employment and racial and “United States”
Remember to use the parentheses and quotation marks. Next, make certain that you change Anywhere to Document text.
Now, click Search.
Look at the retrieved entries. Chances are that you have to enter fewer, additional, or different search terms.
After you finished with ABI/Inform Complete, return to the Databases by Title (A-Z) page and select Proquest (Multiple databases). Select Advanced Search. On the top
line type:
“affirmative action” and employment and racial and “United States”
Remember to use the parentheses and quotation marks. Next, make certain that you change Anywhere to Document text.
Now, click Search.
Look at the retrieved entries. Chances are that you have to enter fewer, additional, or different search terms.
This will be broken down into 3 parts separately and then combining them all together.
1st part
Instructions
Short Essay 01 must be a minimum of two and one-fourth (2 ¼) double-spaced pages of text. Cover page (optional), front matter (for example, your name, course title or
number, etc.), or endnotes do not count toward the minimum number of pages.
The objective of short essay 01 is to write on something that you would want to put into your expository essay.
Use Short Essay 01 to introduce your research topic and to write your impressions, thoughts, or understanding of the topic you selected or write what you believe are
the key issues, problems, or considerations relating to the topic you selected. Remember, to look at those viewpoints that oppose or reject your viewpoints on the
topic. What are the issues, problems, controversies, and/or debates associated with your topic?
Your instructor will read to see that you did not violate the following common writing style problems: #5, #6, #7, #11, #12, #26 through #31, #33 through #36, and #38
through #43.
The Common Writing Style Problems Guide is near the bottom of the Modules page.
In addition, short essay 01 will have endnotes consisting of a minimum of four separate titles of cited sources. Your instructor will see how you created and formatted
your endnotes according to the Chicago style of documentation, an authority for history and other disciplines. Examples of citations, according to the Chicago style,
are in the Endnotes Guide. Use Microsoft Word Help feature or contact your instructor to learn how to create endnotes.
NOTICE #1: College of the Liberal Arts states that students CANNOT use Wikipedia as a cited source.
NOTICE #2: You may cite entries from print and digital encyclopedias and dictionaries BUT these sources do not count toward the minimum number of cited sources.
The Expository Essay Guide, the Common Writing Style Problems Guide, and the Endnotes Guide are near the bottom of the Modules page.
You must submit the short essay as a Microsoft Word file attachment.
RUBRICS FOR SHORT ESSAY 1
Graded Elements for Short Essay 01
Maximum 10 points earned
Maximum 5 point earned
Maximum 1 point earned
Timeliness (see course schedule)
Points earned x 3 =__
Submitted before 11:55 pm of short essay 01 due date
Submitted after 11:55 pm of short essay 01 due date but before 11:55 pm of short essay 02 due date
Submitted after 11:55 pm of short essay 02 due date
Endnotes
Points earned x 2 =__
Minimum of 4 cited titles of sources; clear & well-formatted of note numbers & citations
Fewer than 4 cited titles of sources
No endnotes
Pagination
Points earned x 1 =__
Paginated: minimum of 2 1/4 pages (cover page, front matter, or endnotes excluded)
Paginated: less than 2 1/4 pages of text
No pagination
Common writing style problems by category: #5, #6, #7, #11, #12, #31, #33, #38, #39
Points earned x 1.5 =__
No problems present, or any 2 or fewer problems by category present
Any 3 to 5 problems by category present
More than any 5 problems by category present
Common writing style problems by category: #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #34, #35, #36, #40, #41, #42, #43
Points earned x 0.5 =__
No problems present, or any 4 or fewer problems by category present
Any 5 to 9 problems by category present
More than any 10 problems by category present
Intellectual contents
Points earned x 2 =__
Presentation of the topic, with analysis of the strengths & weaknesses of the topic & your thoughts or impressions of the topic
Presentation of the topic with your thoughts or impressions on the topic
Presentation of the topic without your thoughts or impressions on the topic
2nd Part –
Short essay 02 must be a minimum of two and one-fourth (2 ¼) double-spaced pages of text. Cover page (optional), front matter (for example, your name, course title or
number, etc.), or endnotes do not count toward the minimum number of pages.
The objective of short essay 02 is to write on something that you would want to put into your expository essay. Short essay 02 explores the same or another angle to
the subject that you presented in Short Essay 01.
Use short essay 02 to highlight the history of your topic.
For this essay, your instructor is reading to see that you did not violate Common Writing Style Problems #5 through #23 and #26 through #45. Consult the Common Writing
Style Problems Guide.
In addition, Short Essay 02 will have endnotes consisting of a minimum of eight separate titles of cited sources. You can use the cited titles that you used in Short
Essay 02. See how to create endnotes in the Endnotes Guide. Your instructor will see how you created and formatted your endnotes according to the Chicago style of
documentation, an authority for history and other disciplines. Examples of citations, according to the Chicago style, are in the Endnotes Guide. Use Microsoft Word
Help feature to learn how to create endnotes if you do not understand the instructions on creating endnotes in the Endnotes Guide or contact your instructor if you
have questions or comments about the endnotes.
Always consult the Expository Essay Guide, the Common Writing Style Problems Guide, and the Endnotes Guide
Part 3-
The objective of short essay 03 is to write on something that you would want to put into your expository essay. Short essay 03 explores the same or another angle to
the subject that you presented in short essay 01 or 02.
Use short essay 03 to discuss your opponents’ viewpoints on your topic in a fair, open, favorable, and honest presentation. In other words, write about the reasons for
your opponents thinking the way they do about your topic, and the possible things your opponents would say to tear apart your thoughts on the topic. In addition, use
short essay 03 to write a thesis statement and a thesis statement paragraph.
For this essay, your instructor is reading to see that you did not violate Common Writing Style Problems #1 through #23 and #26 through #45. Consult the Common Writing
Style Problems Guide.
In addition, short essay 03 will have endnotes consisting of a minimum of twelve separate titles of cited sources. You can use the cited titles that you used in Short
Essay 01 and/or 02. See how to create endnotes in the Endnotes Guide. Your instructor will see how you created and formatted your endnotes according to the Chicago
style of documentation, an authority for history and other disciplines. Examples of citations, according to the Chicago style, are in the Endnotes Guide. Use Microsoft
Word Help feature to learn how to create endnotes if you do not understand the instructions on creating endnotes in the Endnotes Guide or contact your instructor if
you have questions or comments about the endnotes.
Always consult the Expository Essay Guide, the Common Writing Style Problems Guide, and the Endnotes Guide.
Part 4 putting it all together –
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Overview
II. Objectives
Thesis Statement and Thesis Statement Paragraph
Writing Style authority
Authorized Dictionaries
Inclusion of Opposing Viewpoints
Endnotes
Research
III. Basic Guidelines
IV. Rubrics/Grading
I. OVERVIEW
A scholarly expository essay is a structured, informative, logical argument (thesis) of your viewpoints and your opponents’ thoughts on a given topic. The scholarly
expository essay is about arguing your ideas, presenting your AND your opponents’ ideas, and offering a critical analysis of points of view. It is not about
overwhelming the reader with facts or regurgitating what you have read. The expository essay is about your interpretation of the arguments found in various sources
about your topic.
An expository essay is a logical argument, not a violent or negative disagreement, but a reasonable statement supported by logic and evidence. It is your thoughtful,
reasoned, relatively balanced, analytically argumentative interpretation of your topic. You use logic and evidence to prove your thesis, which is an elegant or
sophisticated statement of your opinion or viewpoint. Construct a clear, succinct, unmistakable thesis statement that forces you to answer within the statement itself
the “why?” or the “how come?” to the way you think about your topic.
If you have no idea on how to write an expository essay, especially on how to construct the thesis statement, then contact the instructor. Contact the instructor
and/or a reference librarian if you need to know the background to your topic.
The expository essay assignments involve the following.
Write three short essays (each a draft of a different portion or section of the expository essay. See also details in each short essay guide.
Write the thesis statement and the thesis statement paragraph as part of short essay 03.
Combine the edited short essays into a draft of your expository essay and expand the draft to write the final version of your expository essay.
II. OBJECTIVES
Thesis Statement and Thesis Statement Paragraph
A scholarly expository essay has a thesis statement. A thesis statement is your argument supported by logic and evidence.
The thesis statement (in the discipline of history) is comprised of one sentence that presents your central idea that is debatable. It expresses a viewpoint on a topic
about which reasonable, well-meaning people might disagree. A thesis statement allows the essayist to explore various sides of the topic, including opposing ideas. It
also informs the reader what to expect in the essay.
Roughly defined, a thesis statement is a sentence that contains two elements: your opinion on the topic and your reason that explains why you think the way you do
about your topic. Both elements of the thesis statement must contain the same idea or theme. Make certain that your thesis statement is clear, unambiguous, concise,
and precise.
A well-constructed thesis statement paragraph frames and supports a thesis. The thesis statement paragraph is comprised of thematic sentences that support and
logically flow toward the thesis statement. A thematic sentence presents a main idea that connects to the thesis statement, and it is explored in detail in the body of
the essay. Make the thesis statement the last sentence in the first or second paragraph of the expository essay.
See the Common Writing Style Problems Guide for details about the thesis statement.
Writing Style Authority
Your instructor’s authority for writing style and thesis is Nancy Packer and John Timpane, Writing Worth Reading, third (or later) edition.
Authorized Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
The instructor’s authority on spelling, definition, usage, and etymology is the latest edition of:
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language at https://ahdictionary.com/ or
The Oxford English Dictionary available on the library’s databases page at https://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/databases.html.
Never cite Wikipedia, an encyclopedia on the World Wide Web, because Wikipedia does not provide peer review of its entries.
Inclusion of Opposing Viewpoints
Discuss both your ideas AND your opponents’ ideas. The argument in a scholarly expository essay must explore different sides, including their strengths and weaknesses,
of the topic. Your job is to present major sides of the debate or controversy fairly and honestly while you present your interpretation of the topic.
You cannot make the essay one-sided. You should find flaws in your opponents’ argument or premises and be logical in explaining your thesis. Be honest in stating that
your viewpoint has weaknesses. For example, if you are for a periodic increase in the minimum wage, then you must be honest in carefully presenting different anti-
periodic increase in the minimum wage and anti-minimum wage views while carefully explaining why your views are worthwhile.
Endnotes
Use endnotes, NOT footnotes, NOT parenthetical references. You must cite various sources to support your argument. Documentation must be thorough enough to give the
reader a clear idea of the evidence for specific claims. Have as many cited sources as needed above the required minimum number of sources to support your essay.
An endnote may contain more than one title of a cited source. If appropriate, use the assigned readings for the course and other sources, for example, books, journals,
newspapers, classroom discussion, messages, lecture notes, websites, and so forth.
All cited sources must conform to the Chicago style of documentation. See the Endnotes Guide for details.
Research
You increase your chances of writing a high quality, scholarly expository essay when you engage in good, in-depth research. More importantly, you will increase your
chances of writing a high quality, scholarly expository essay when you choose a topic that you love, that truly excites you. Always think about your topic. Continue to
look at your topic from different angles. Play mind games with your topic. Always be critical about your argument.
Be very careful when searching the Internet. You must exercise critical thought when looking at various websites because some websites, which appear so well written in
conveying ideas and facts, are truly disreputable. As for interpretations, you must learn to be judicious in your assessment of the information.
Use the library. Reference librarians are ready to assist you. They will work with you to find material from high quality sources that in some cases are not on the
Internet. They also have a good idea about which websites are effective for your topic. You must have an outline of how to approach your research topic before
consulting with a reference librarian. But do not wait until the last month of the semester to talk to a reference librarian because the reference librarian will be
assisting many students from numerous courses.
III. BASIC GUIDELINES
The expository research essay has standard margins, type size twelve, and Times New Roman or Calibri font, preferably double-spaced. (The one and one-half spacing is
fine as well.)
Your instructor does not count the cover page, charts, tables, illustrations or the endnotes toward the minimum number of pages of text in the essay.
The range of the number of pages for the expository essay is a minimum of ten full pages of text and a maximum of twenty full pages of text.
You need to cite a minimum of twelve titles of sources of any combination of books, articles from journals, magazines, and newspapers, and other formats. If your
sources are from the Internet, then you must include the URL (the website address) in the endnotes. You may cite encyclopedias and dictionaries in your endnotes, but
encyclopedias and dictionaries do not count toward the number of cited sources in your endnotes.
Use the university library catalogue, available on the library home page at https://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/home.html, or other online library catalogues to locate
books appropriate for your topic. For articles from journals, magazines, and newspapers, go to the Pattee-Paterno Library databases page at
https://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/databases.html.
