Sorry about the site being down and slow. It should work, though right now it is taking quite some time for anything to happen. My apologies but it's beyond my control.

With the essay four drafts, there were a few consistent concerns. One was several stated that they intended to prove something. That won't happen. The best one can hope for in an argument, when the argument is aimed at someone who doesn't agree, either mildly or strongly, is to get them to see the merit in what you have to say. That is a success. It would be nice if we could change people's minds, but I think Jackson and Jamieson would back me up in saying that is most unlikely. Present your views reasonably and rationally (which is pretty much what happened in what I've read) and if the reader see the merits in your view, you've done well.

A second concern was an over-reliance on candidate sites to provide evidence in support of a candidate's views. I think we know what Jackson and Jamieson would say about this--verify and use due diligence. That means if you are writing about an economic or foreign policy issue, don't take the candidate's word for it. Check an independent source, an expert in the field, and see what they have to say. Keep in mind that experts often will have their own political ax to grind and that there are very few non-partisan (as opposed to bi-partisan, which is different) think tanks and research organizations. Though it may be hard to believe, the Congressional Budget Office, though it does the bidding of Congress, is respected on both sides of the political aisle for being straight about things. You can use biased sources, just be sure to take that into account, to take what they have to say with a grain of salt, a bit of skepticism.

Once again I'm suggesting a fairly structured approach to paragraphs: topic sentence introducing the point to be addressed (foreign policy, environment, women's rights, whatever) which is followed by some explanation as to why this point/issue matters. These first to elements of the paragraph should be in your own words. This way the argument is yours, rather than a collection of source material in support of an idea/claim you put forth. The third paragraph element will be the research and scholarship from sources that validates, substantiates and supports what it is you wrote in the first two steps of the paragraph. Following the source material, and the appropriate citation, provide some explanation that ties the paragraph back to the thesis. This approach should serve you well.

Finally, if you are unsure about in-text or works cited format, check the SFCC library site, again if need be. If you have any questions, post them here, email me, or attach them to my comments on your essay. The essay is due by midnight, Friday, the 15th. I'll be reading and grading so as to get them back to you by Monday at the latest. Revisions for essay three are due by midnight Monday and the essay four revision will be due midnight this coming Wednesday, the last day of class.