Essay Two Requirements Outline
The first paragraph of your essay’s introduction should provide an overview of research on the topic
relating to happiness that your essay will address. Explain what researchers and experts in the field seem
to agree upon concerning the relationship between happiness and the other factor you have researched.
Briefly explain any key terms or concepts important to understanding this scholarly conversation.
The second paragraph of this essay’s introduction should identify and explain aspects of the topic
that reputable researchers do NOT all agree upon. This paragraph must document a controversy
relating to happiness by explicitly citing at least two reputable sources in which experts who study and
write about the subject take differing positions on the issue. A “reputable” source in this context means
one that would be considered acceptable within the academic community. Your sources should either be
written by happiness researchers or accurately summarize the views of happiness researchers. Your twoparagraph
introduction should present an overview of the scholarly conversation on the issue, with the
first paragraph explaining factors that researchers do agree upon and the second paragraph identifying
major points of debate or ongoing research and describing the controversy in enough detail so that other
students in our class who have not read the sources can understand the controversy and evaluate your
essay’s arguments. The introduction should end with a debatable thesis statement that summarizes
your own position on the controversy.
Body Paragraphs—Writer has a clear principle for organizing the essay’s body paragraphs, and each
body paragraph focuses upon a different topic. Essay’s body paragraphs are unified and fully
developed, and each begins with a debatable topic sentence. The remainder of each paragraph cites
concrete evidence and examples (WITH PAGE NUMBERS) to support the claim made in its topic
sentence. Body paragraphs should NOT be organized around the four sources that the writer has
selected and should not focus upon summarizing the four sources.
Body Paragraphs stay directly focused on persuading readers of the validity of the writer’s position on
the controversy by presenting evidence such as statistics, study results, expert testimony, etc., combined
with convincing explanations of the significance and relevance of such evidence. Comment on factors
such as the size and design of the studies, the researchers’ credentials, etc.
Writer devotes at least one paragraph to acknowledging, fairly stating and explaining, and refuting
opposing viewpoints.
If the controversy that the writer describes involves a topic such as the relationship between happiness and faith or
religion, the evidence in the essay is based upon objective, research-based evidence for any such relationship, not
upon specific religious beliefs or articles of faith or quotations from the Bible, the Koran, or any other sacred text.
Other
Essay cites 4-5 sources. At least three of these sources must be from Academic Search Premier or another
subscription database available on the AU Libraries’ website. At least 3 sources must be from 2006 or later and
at least one of these from 2014 or later. Not more than one of the four required sources appears on our class’s
Canvas. (Writer must identify at least three sources on his or her own but can have more than four sources if he or
she desires.)
Essay must use at least four direct quotes and four paraphrases and be written in the THIRD PERSON
Essay should be 5 pages in length (excluding the “Works Cited”), using a 12-point, Times New Roman font, oneinch
margins on all sides, and DOUBLE SPACING
Not more that 22% (as a maximum) of the words in the essay (excluding the “Works Cited”) may be direct quotations.