Dogs are superior pets to cats because of their utility, variety, and benefits of ownership.

 Outline Format for the Research Paper Cover Page Outline Body of the Paper: Introductory Paragraph May be preceded by an anecdotal paragraph presenting a brief story to engage the reader’s interest Needs to include a clear thesis statement (underline) stating what the argument is and what position the author is taking Background or Definition Paragraph (optional) Summary Paragraph of all the Opposition’s Arguments (optional) First Argument The paragraph must begin by presenting one of the opposition’s arguments briefly. A transitional word or phrase should introduce the rebuttal section of the paragraph in which the author uses his/her own knowledge and personal experience to refute the opposition’s argument. The author’s own ideas should be backed up by empirical evidence from outside sources (facts, statistics, case studies, expert opinion, etc.) or by evidence that appeals to the audience’s emotions (such as anecdotes about others and/or references to personal experience). NOTE: Empirical evidence should predominate over appeals to emotions, and any information from outside sources must be documented. Second Argument (same as above) Third Argument (same as above) Fourth Argument (optional – same as above) Fifth Argument (optional – same as above) Additional paragraphs that present more arguments in support of the author’s position but which are not in the “running debate” format Concluding Paragraph Restates the main arguments of the paper Tries to find “common ground” between two positions Works Cited page (3 Outside resources)