However, your analysis should also be well-developed and supported by evidence, accurate data, and/or a plausible example.

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4. ADVOCACY PAPER ASSIGNMENT
The purpose of this paper is to allow you to become an advocate for a specific policy related to women. You are to become a policy expert in this field and you must then write a paper that convinces the less knowledgeable that your policy is the best available choice for women.
*Paper Content – The paper should have two parts.
– The first part of the paper should focus on the background of the issue. Examine recent governmental activity on this issue, including a brief history of federal or state efforts to handle the issue and various proposals for action. A good analysis of the background of the issue will also include a discussion of what values these policies promote, which interests support or oppose current policies and if, and why, these policies are inadequate.
– The second section should advocate a specific policy in the area. Discuss why this policy is necessary and how it would address current problems or inadequacies. In so doing, you will want to be clear about the underlying values you are assuming.
*Papers are to be your own work (do not work in groups) and will be evaluated along three dimensions: research and documentation, analysis, and writing. Because the ability to explain one’s thoughts on paper to others is an expectation of all serious scholars, WRITING COUNTS and will be a consideration in paper grading. Your writing should use proper sentence structure and correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, typing etc. Your analysis should be critical in your appraisal of other authors or current policies; I encourage you to include your own ideas or criticisms that others have not yet noticed or described. However, your analysis should also be well-developed and supported by evidence, accurate data, and/or a plausible example. When presenting ideas which are not your own, you must use quotation marks and/or references to indicate that the idea is not your own. But be careful of excessive use of quotations; too many quotes often lowers the quality of a paper.
*Topic:
1) Domestic violence in women
*Research and Documentation: When you find a useful book, you should also check the bibliography to see what other materials are cited. While I encourage you to use sources online, be careful in using such sources. You will need to be selective in which sources you utilize (after all, any fool can put material – false or true — on the web). In addition, the web doesn’t always contain good background on issues since it is only a few years old. For these reasons, it is usually impossible to write a good advocacy paper using only web sources.
*You might also consider gathering information by interviewing or writing to relevant activists, such as interest group leaders, elected representatives, or information centers on public policy concerning women. In all of these cases, be sure to cite the source of the material you use in your paper.
-Papers must rely upon some scholarly sources (books, academic journals) rather than solely popular periodicals, newspapers, or web sites.
-Appropriate scholarly form should be used in writing. Notes may be either at the end of the paper or at the bottom of the appropriate page. A bibliography is unnecessary; references are essential, however. I don’t care what style you use (APA, MLA, Turabian, etc., just choose one and be consistent).
-The paper should be typed, double-spaced. Minimum length 6 pages – Maximum length required: 8 pages, excluding end notes, title page, and any tables.

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