# data[].attributes.body
Thesis: ''The legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for patients suffering from chronic pain, epilepsy, and other conditions."

Claim 1: Medical marijuana alleviates the chronic pain of those with severed limbs by 60%.

Claim 2: The cannabis-based treatments can significantly reduce the severity of seizures in epilepsy patients.

Claim 3: Medicinal marijuana supports broader mental health benefits by alleviating anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms in patients.

Conclusion: Legalizing marijuana for medicinal use addresses the urgent need for safe and effective treatments for chronic pain, epilepsy, and mental health conditions. By improving patient outcomes and offering alternatives to traditional pharmaceuticals, it has potential to enhance quality of life while fostering a more compassionate healthcare system.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Exercises on Research Question and Thesis/Hypothesis

# data[].attributes.body
With a prognosticating research question, you can...

• Forecast occurrences and conditions

• Demonstrate changes

• Conduct research on the future

EXAMPLE:

Will the temperature rise more in the future?

Will developments in the AI increase unemployment?

# data[].attributes.body
With an explanatory research question, you can...

• Explain facts, phenomena and issues

• Demonstrate cause-and-effect relationships

• Create hypotheses and theories

EXAMPLE:

[How does climate change impact the developing countries in the 21st century?]

[What are the consequences of AI in the hiring process and job market?][

[How does globalization change the perspective of cultural identity?]

Why are international exchange programs beneficial for universities?

# data[].attributes.body
With a descriptive research question, you can...

• Perceive and observe something, e.g. in  models

• Describe something

• Define something

• Classify something

EXAMPLE:

[Why does creating inclusive working ecosystems lead (motivate) women to become entrepreneurs?]

Which different working ecosystems are there and which of these motivate women to become entrepreneurs?

# data[].attributes.headline
Session 4: Paraphrasing, Summarising, Citation and Bibliography (30.10.2024)

# data[].attributes.subject
Session 4: Paraphrasing, Summarising, Citation and Bibliography (30.10.2024)

# data[].attributes.headline
Session 14: Skeleton Research Paper Question Session (ONLINE) (22.01.2025)

# data[].attributes.subject
Session 14: Skeleton Research Paper Question Session (ONLINE) (22.01.2025)

# data[].attributes.headline
Session 11: Structuring Your Text II (18.12.2025)

# data[].attributes.subject
Session 11: Structuring Your Text II (18.12.2025)

# data[].attributes.headline
Session 10: Structuring Your Text I (11.12.2025)

# data[].attributes.subject
Session 10: Structuring Your Text I (11.12.2025)

# data[].attributes.headline
Session 9: Creating Strong Arguments (04.12.2024)

# data[].attributes.subject
Session 9: Creating Strong Arguments (04.12.2024)

# data[].attributes.headline
Session 8: Practice Session Research Question, Thesis and Hypothesis (27.11.2024)

# data[].attributes.subject
Session 8: Practice Session Research Question, Thesis and Hypothesis (27.11.2024)

# data[].attributes.headline
Session 7: Research Question, Thesis and Hypothesis (20.11.2024)

# data[].attributes.subject
Session 7: Research Question, Thesis and Hypothesis (20.11.2024)

# data[].attributes.headline
Session 6: Researching Literature and Library Tour (13.11.2024)

# data[].attributes.subject
Session 6: Researching Literature and Library Tour (13.11.2024)

# data[].attributes.headline
Session 1: Introduction: What is Academic Writing (09.10.2024)

# data[].attributes.subject
Session 1: Introduction: What is Academic Writing (09.10.2024)

# data[].attributes.headline
Session 2: Academic Style and Diction (16.10.2024)

# data[].attributes.subject
Session 2: Academic Style and Diction (16.10.2024)

# data[].attributes.headline
Session 3: Practice Session: Academic Writing/Academic Style and Diction (23.10.2024)

# data[].attributes.subject
Session 3: Practice Session: Academic Writing/Academic Style and Diction (23.10.2024)

# data[].attributes.body
With a design research question, you can...

• Develop recommendations for future action

• Offer solutions to existing problems

• Develop prototypes

EXAMPLE:

[How does protecting (or helping) women in disadvantage benefit the prosperity of the society as a whole?]

What policies are needed in order to encourage women to become entrepreneurs?

# data[].attributes.body
Thesis: "The use of technology in education has a positive impact on students' academic performance."

Claim 1: Using the internet in learning allows students to visualize and engage with educational content more vividly through tools like Google Image searches or YouTube video resources.

Claim 2: Using technology is beneficial for students when studying independently, as it provides access to diverse resources and self-paced learning tools.

Claim 3:

Conclusion:

# data[].attributes.body
Thesis: "The growing popularity of social media platforms has had a significant impact on political discourse."

Claim 1: Social media's algorithm pushes more popularized, biased and one-sided arguments.

Claim 2: The lack of fact check on social media causes the spread of false information and not evident arguments

Claim 3: Social media allows to raise awareness and influence people's decision regarding political view and decisions

Conclusion: The social media's algorithm, lack of fact check and ability to spread awareness play important role in the modern political discussions

# data[].attributes.body
How to make people work harder is a topic that lots of people have written about in the last few years. There are lots of different theories etc and I think some of them are ok. When we think about this we should remember the old Chinese proverb, that you can lead a horse to water but you can‘t make it drink. So how do we increase production? It’s quite a complex subject but I’ll just talk about a couple of ideas.

# data[].attributes.headline
Good resource on structuring argumentation (with exercises)

# data[].attributes.subject
Good resource on structuring argumentation (with exercises)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This page introduces a framework for writing argumentative/analytical essays, following a structure dubbed "They Say, I Say, My Critics Say, I Respond."

This page also includes a number of templatesor examples that you may find helpful for writing argumentative/analytical essays. Keep in mind that it is possible to change the sequence of the framework sections. Also, the templates can be used interchangeably.

A principal element of an argumentative/analytical essay is the thesis statement.

A thesis statement is one or two sentences (maybe more in longer essays) typically occurring near the end of an essay introduction; it shows your position regarding the topic you are investigating or your answer(s) to the question(s) that you are responding to.

Here are some templates that may help you write an effective thesis statement:

In this paper, I argue that .......... because ..........

In the pages that follow, I will argue that .......... because ..........

Although/Even though .......... this essay argues that/I will argue that .......... because ..........

This paper attempts to show that ..........

This paper contests the claim that ..........

This paper argues that ..........

The central thesis of this paper is ..........

In this essay, I attempt to defend the view that ..........

Thesis statement exercise and solutions
Imagine that you have been asked to write an argumentative essay about physical education in the Canadian high school system. Use one of the templates suggested to write a thesis statement about this topic.

The body of an essay usually begins by providing a background of the topic or a summary of the resources that you have reviewed (this is sometimes called a literature review). Here, you bring other people's views into the paper. You want to show your readers what other scholars say ("they say") about the topic, using techniques like paraphrasing, summarizing, and direct quotation.

You can start this section using one the following templates or examples to delve into the topic.

Referring to others' work
They say exercise and solutions
Imagine that you are now trying to incorporate some sources into your academic paper about physical education in the Canadian high school system. Try using a couple of templates from the "They Say" section of the handout.

Bonus exercise: See if you can identify the "template" structure that each of the sentences below is using (hint, they are different from the templates provided above).

Brown (2018) rejects the idea that the levels of climate change we are currently seeing can be considered "natural" or "cyclical" (p. 108).

According to Marshall (2017), we can see evidence of both code-switching and code-meshing in students' reflective essay writing (p. 88).

After the background section (e.g., summary or literature review), you need to include your own position on the topic ("I say"). Tell your reader if, for instance, you agree, disagree, or even both agree and disagree with the work you have reviewed.

You can use one of the following templates or samples to bring your voice in:

Using impersonal language

It could be argued that ..........

It is evident/clear/obvious that the role of modern arts is ..........

Clearly/Evidently, the role of education is ..........

There is no little doubt that ..........

Agreeing with what you've reviewed in the "They say" section

I agree (that) ..........

I support the view that ...........

I concur with the view that ..........

Disagreeing with what you've reviewed in the "They say" section

I disagree (that) ..........

I disagree with the view that ..........

I challenge/contest the view that ..........

I oppose/am opposed to ..........

I disagree with X's view that .......... because, as recent research has shown, ..........

X contradicts herself/can't have it both ways. On the one hand, she argues ........... On the other hand, she also says ..........

By focusing on .........., X overlooks the deeper problem of ..........

Agreeing and disagreeing simultaneously

Although I agree with X up to a point, I cannot accept his overriding assumption that ..........

Although I disagree with much that X says, I fully endorse his final conclusion that ..........

Though I concede that .........., I still insist that ..........

X is right that .........., but she seems on more dubious ground that when she claims that ..........

While X is probably wrong when she claims tha ..........., she is right that ..........

Whereas X provides ample evidence that .........., Y and Z's research on .......... and .......... convinces me that .......... instead.

I'm of two minds about X's claim that ........... On the one hand, I agree that .......... On the other hand, I'm not sure if ..........

My feelings on the issue are mixed. I do support X's position that .........., but I find Y's argument about .......... and Z's research on .......... to be equally persuasive.

I say exercises and solutions
Try using a template from each of the sections below to bring your own position into your writing:

Using impersonal language

Agreeing with what you've reviewed

Disagreeing with that you've reviewed

Agreeing and disagreeing simultaneously

In a good argumentative essay, in addition to expressing your position and argument, you should consider possible opposing views to your argument: refer to what your opponents say ("my critics say") and why they may disagree with your argument.

Including the ideas of those who may disagree with you makes up the counterargument section of your paper. You can refer to actual people, including other research scholars who may disagree with you, or try and imagine what those who disagree with you might say.

Remember, a thesis should be debatable, so you should be able to imagine someone disagreeing you're your position. Here are some templates that may help you in writing counterargument:

Opponents of ( write your argument briefly here)

Sociocultural theorists

Some, however,

Critics

One may offer a contrasting perspective

It might/may/could

may call this into question/may question this

might object here that...

might argue that my interpretation overlooks...

believe that...

and state that...

be argued that...

and would argue that...

My critics say exercise and solutions
Using one of the templates, try imagining a counterargument for the thesis you drafted earlier.

After explaining what your opponents say, you have to refute them. This is sometimes called the rebuttal. Here, you can show your readers that your opponents either fail to provide enough evidence to support their argument or their evidence lacks credibility and/or is flawed.

This argument fails to

a (any) benefit in ...

a (any) link between ...

a (any) correlation between ...

a (any) connection between ...

a (any) causal relationship between ...

a (any) consistent association between ...

a (any) statistically significant difference...

(any) convincing evidence of ...

(any) benefits associated with ...

(any) support for the X hypothesis.

Alternatively, you may argue that your opponents' argument is valid, but not persuasive enough to be used in your study, or that their argument could be valid in a different context.

This argument is

Vygotsky's (1978) sociocultural theory is

Although Piaget's (1936) theory of .........is

useful in the sense that............

extremely useful because........

a comprehensive theory about....

However, ...

However, I argue that...

I argue that....

While it is true that...

While I agree with sociocultural theory that...

Although Maslow's hierarchy can be a
useful tool for

I argue that...

I maintain that...

I disagree that...

Don't forget that for each part of your argument, you must provide enough evidence for the claims that you make. This means that if you include one of these templates in your essays, you have to explain the evidence it presents in a way that is clear and convincing for your reader.
I respond exercise and solutions References

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Templates for structuring argumentative essays with practice exercises and solutions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This page introduces a framework for writing argumentative/analytical essays, following a structure dubbed "They Say, I Say, My Critics Say, I Respond." This page also includes a number of templatesor examples that you may find helpful for writing argumentative/analytical essays. Keep in mind that it is possible to change the sequence of the framework sections.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Write a Topic Sentence | Scribbr 🎓

# data[].attributes.headline
Video on How to Use Zotero (Beginner's Guide)

# data[].attributes.subject
Video on How to Use Zotero (Beginner's Guide)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How To Use Zotero (A Complete Beginner's Guide)

# data[].attributes.headline
Please activate your HNU library account ahead of time!

# data[].attributes.subject
Please activate your HNU library account ahead of time!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Develop a STRONG Research Question | Scribbr 🎓

# data[].attributes.headline
Short video on transition words (signposts)

# data[].attributes.subject
Short video on transition words (signposts)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to use Transition Words and Sentences in Essays | Scribbr 🎓

# data[].attributes.headline
Session 12: Practice Session Creating Strong Arguments / Structuring your Text (08.01.2024)

# data[].attributes.subject
Session 12: Practice Session Creating Strong Arguments / Structuring your Text (08.01.2024)

# data[].attributes.headline
Session 13: Self-Study Session: Academic Writing and Generative AI (15.01.2024)

# data[].attributes.subject
Session 13: Self-Study Session: Academic Writing and Generative AI (15.01.2024)

# data[].attributes.headline
Session 5: Practice Session: Paraphrasing, Summarising, Citation and Bibliography (6.11.2024)

# data[].attributes.subject
Session 5: Practice Session: Paraphrasing, Summarising, Citation and Bibliography (6.11.2024)

# data[].attributes.body
If you have questions about your Skeleton Research Paper, please send me an e-mail!