Explanation:
This assignment accompanies the Accuracy Essay; all sources should relate to the
research for that essay.
In the course of your research, you will come across a large number of both primary
and secondary sources. Part of your job as a critical thinker and as a scholar is to
assess a source’s quality and decide in what ways each source will be useful to you as
you work on your paper. To that end, this assignment asks you to analyze some of the
key elements of each of those sources in order to establish both for yourself and your
readers what the value of a given source is.
Directions:
Write an annotated bibliography composed of 2 sources that you have
encountered so far in your research for your Accuracy Essay. Each annotated
bibliography entry should be a paragraph in length (at least 5 sentences long).
At least one of the entries must be on a credible secondary source (ie one that
includes research and is written by an author with expertise in the subject). None of
the entries can be on a single entry in a reference source; they can, however, be on a
reference book that specializes on a particular discipline (ie history, literature,
psychology, etc).
Each annotated bibliography entry should have a works cited entry followed by a
paragraph summarizing the contents and value of the source. The paragraph should
contain the following information about the source:
• The author’s name
• The source’s title
• What genre/type of source it is (scholarly book? magazine article? novel?)
• A summary of the source’s content (include its topic/subject and any key
points)
• Whether or not the author is/seems qualified to write on the source’s topic(s)
• How well researched the source seems to be (if applicable)
• Comprehensiveness and overall quality of the work
• The potential audience(s) of the work
• Misc. items in the work that could be useful or interesting to scholars (maps, a
great bibliography, illustrations)
Remember that these are not yes or no questions – for instance, you must explain why
you believe the author is or is not qualified to write on the source’s topic. As always,
give specific examples to illustrate your points as space allows.
Accuracy Essay
In the last two essays you were asked to evaluate whether or not an author had made an
argument that avoided poor logic and reasoning. Now we will move forward in using those
skills to aid in determining whether or not an article’s argument is not only valid, but also
accurate.
The article below is part of various debates on the impact of pop culture on society:
•
“American Eagle’s Anti-Photoshopping Claim is Insidious Stuff Too” by Peggy Drexler
http://time.com/2878/american-eagles-anti-photoshopping-campaign-is-insidious-stuff-too/
You may choose to focus on all or part of the article’s argument. Areas to examine while
assessing the article could include the following, among other areas:
•
Rhetorical Context
•
Credibility
•
Authority
•
Publication
•
Evidence
•
Research
•
Studies
•
Statistics
For this essay you will need to closely read your chosen article and then conduct research to
determine what its accuracy is in part or overall. By finding sources written by other authors
on the same or similar topics, you will learn more about the current state of research on the
article’s topic and whether or not there seems to be consensus on the issues discussed. If
there does not seem to be a consensus, attempt to find what the most up to date and
authoritative sources suggest is true.
Your thesis should state whether or not all or part of the article’s claims and evidence are
accurate as well as why that is the case.
Analyze the sources your chosen article’s author appeals to as evidence and think about
whether or not they are credible.
Consider whether credible sources on the article’s subject seem to confirm or dispute the
claims and evidence included in your chosen article. You will need to use and cite at least
five outside sources (ie other than the article itself).
Your assessment should be based on the argument’s merits, NOT on whether you personally
agree or disagree with the author’s standpoint.
Your analysis must be 3-4 pages long (so no shorter than 3 full pages). Include a works cited
page for any sources cited, including your chosen article. Include MLA format for your in-text
citations and your works cited page. Turn the assignment in using Blackboard.
This essay should incorporate quotes from the article to demonstrate the accuracy of your
assertions and your thesis as a whole. Avoid using quotes longer than 1-2 sentences though to
leave room for adequate analysis. If you have a quote longer than 2 sentences, paraphrase or
summarize all or part of it instead.
You may use any evidence, arguments, and thesis statements that we come up with in class.