Strategy Paper

You will choose your own topic and decide which type of paper you would like to write. This latter decision is made by choosing a main writing strategy.

Here are the writing strategies you will choose from: description, illustration, process, definition, classification, evaluation, comparison and/or contrast, cause and/or effect, problem-solution and counterarguments.

Note: it should be noted that whatever the main writing strategy is that you choose, some of the other writing strategies will also be utilized to varying degrees.

Here are the different types of papers you will typically see in an academic environment: process, evaluation, definition and classification, comparison and/or contrast, cause and/or effect, problem-solution, and finally, counterarguments.

Process Paper would explain how to do something, how something happened, how something happens or how something should, would or could happen.

An Evaluation Paper would evaluate (judge) a person, place or thing in relation to personal or accepted criteria. Criteria is the reasons or standards used for the evaluation.

A Definition and Classification Paper would define a person, place or thing by breaking “it” into categories.

A Comparison and/or Contrast Paper would do one of the following:

Compare two or more persons, places or things

Contrast two or more persons, places or things

Compare and contrast two or more persons, places or things.

A Cause and/or Effect Paper would do one of the following:

Examine the cause or causes of something

Examine the effect or effects of something

Examine both the causes and effects related to something

A Problem-Solution Paper would mainly look at a particular problem and argue for one or more solutions.

A Counterargument would involve making an argument about something but doing so by also considering the opposing arguments.

You will be also required to use academic writing structure – which means you will be writing:

a five-paragraph essay with an Introduction, three body paragraphs and a Conclusion

an Introduction that introduces your topic, provides relevant background on the topic and states your thesis

a two-fold thesis that not only indicates the main idea of the paper, but also how you will prove it

a two-fold thesis that answers a question (In other words, what is the question that your paper is answering and proving.) and indicates the three main argument you will make in the three body paragraphs

body paragraphs with topic sentences, arguments that are stated, explained and illustrated, transitions between arguments or within arguments and closing sentences

a Conclusion that restates (or echoes) your thesis and provides closure

As for the paper itself, here are the requirements:

Use Times New Roman and 12 inch font

Double space the entire paper – from the heading to the very last sentence

Include a heading at the top left or right-hand side of the first page: name of student, name of class, name of assignment and due date

Include a title under heading and at center of first page.

Your story should be at least 2 and ½ to 3 pages long.