For my argumentative research paper, I have decided to ask the question as to why the United States (U.S.) should send soldiers to fight the Islamic State (I.S.). I can meet the required length because there is a lot to cover. The question is also not too broad where I will have to try and fit everything into the required length. This question is also not too complex to answer either. Again, I won't have any problems answering my research question due to it being too hard to actually answer. The only problem with the question is that it is a pretty controversial question to answer. Politicians widely debate this topic already. There are people who don't think that the U.S. should send ground troops over to Iraq and Syria. Of course I will address their side in my paper as to why the U.S. shouldn't send troops. Even so, my question is still pretty controversial.

I pretty much settled on my research topic and question before even starting the first ILP. My question wasn't really set in stone until this paper, but I had a pretty good idea of what it would be beforehand. My research in the ILPs helped shape what my ultimate research question would be but it didn't really change my interest in my topic at all. I have been interested in my topic for a while now. For one, it is an important topic today in American politics. With all the presidential primary debates going on, this topic is debated a lot. This is a very relevant topic to write about right now. Even though I haven't had personal experience with the I.S., I have been a part of debates in high school classes that are relevant to my topic. Even though I haven't ever had to deal with the I.S., the U.S. as a whole is involved in whether ground troops should be sent to fight in Iraq and Syria. I wouldn't say that I am directly a stakeholder in this topic. If taxes are raised to support funding for sending soldiers to fight the I.S., then I am a stakeholder during the summer when I actually work. Another way that I am somewhat involved in this topic is through presidential voting in the primaries and the election next fall. Every candidate has different ideas on how to deal with the I.S., no matter how small they are. I have a miniscule say in these elections, but I still have a say in who is president. Coming into this paper, I already have a strong stance on this topic. Being a conservative, I do believe that the U.S. should send soldiers to Iraq and Syria. I have my opinions and beliefs on why soldiers should go over to the Middle East. My research question already starts out by showing my bias in that the U.S. should send over soldiers. I will make it apparent though in my paper in considering the other side of the argument on why soldiers shouldn't be sent overseas. Right now, I do not know all the answers on why U.S. soldiers should be sent to fight the I.S. There are a lot of factors that go into this decision, and I am hoping to learn about some of those factors. I'm hoping to also learn a lot more about the I.S., and more of their motives. I am hoping through this paper that I can further shape my opinion and knowledge on this topic.

Through my argumentative paper, I am hoping that I can change people's ideas or opinions on whether the U.S. should send soldiers overseas, even though only a couple of people will actually read my paper. My argumentative paper can also be compared to a news article similar to my topic, which also tries to make an argument. My paper is similar except on a much smaller scale of who will read it. The biggest disagreement on my topic is whether the U.S. should actually send soldiers to Iraq and Syria. I have addressed multiple sources that have taken both sides, and those articles that have the same stance, also have very similar reasons as to why soldiers should or shouldn't be sent to the Middle East. Both sides of my topic do agree though that the I.S. is a problem that needs to be addressed further, they just have different solutions. One big thing to consider if I revise my research question is to make it less controversial. Right now, my question is widely argued today, whether it be in political debates, or even dinner table talks. The only problem when considering my research question for this exploratory analysis was trying to come up with a less controversial question that isn't a "yes-no" question. Again, when considering the scope of a revised research question, I would have to consider that if I do decide to come up with a new question. The same goes for the complexity of the research question, although I don't think that a change in the question would make it too difficult or too easy to write 8-10 pages on my topic.
