ENG102 Writing Project 2: Evaluation of Sources Argument WP2: This writing project asks that you choose three sources on the same basic topic, most likely the topic you used for WP1.

ENG102 Writing Project 2: Evaluation of Sources Argument WP2: This writing project asks that you choose three sources on the same basic topic, most likely the topic you used for WP1. Each of these three sources needs to be from a different genre. You will then evaluate the three sources, offering comparison between them and an argument as to which source you find the most “valuable” as a resource for your controversy discussion. Final drafts of WP2 need to be at least 4-6 full pages in length, not including the works cited page. You will have to cite the three sources you use and you may find you want to use additional source material as well. See below for further source requirements and more specific essay guidelines. Know that while you have recently completed a practice evidence evaluation assignment, this essay has different requirements from that assignment, even if you use the same sources. First–Sources: select the sources you would like to evaluate for this essay. The requirements for your sources are quite specific so make sure you adhere to each of the following requirements:  all three of your sources need to be on the same basic topic (controversy) and that topic is the controversy you have already explored in WP1 and hope to use for your WP3— Solutions Argument. Or, if you want to change your topic to a new controversy, you can do so, thinking ahead to WP3, but this will require a lot of new research.  you will need three different sources. If you have sources from the same website, book, etc. these are not considered different sources.  each of your three sources must be from a different genre. A genre is a type of source, thus newspaper articles would be one genre, websites another genre, academic journal articles another genre, interviews another genre, etc.  at least two of your sources must be print-based secondary sources.  one of your sources must be a full- length article from an academic/professional journal. This article must be at least 6 pages in length (not including its own works cited page/bibliography/appendices/etc.) to make sure it is a full length discussion instead of an abstract/ review/summary/editorial/etc. Most full length academic journal articles are quite long and detailed. Most are much longer than 6 pages, so you should not have difficulty finding an article that meets this requirement. *  each of your three sources must be recent. The controversy you are writing on is recent, thus you need to look at timely research. For most topics, sources that are more than 8 years old are outdated. For some topics, sources that are only a couple of years old are outdated.  if the sources you have already used for your WP1 meet the above requirements for sources for WP2, you can feel free to use those same sources for WP2. However, I still encourage you to continue researching for new, additional sources. *One useful way to find academic/professional sources is to check the box in your database’s search screen that limits for “peer reviewed” or “scholarly” sources. Academic Search Premier is an example of a database that gives you this option. But know that you will still have to determine if a source is a complete, full-length article. Second—Criteria: in conjunction with determining which sources you would like to use, you need to determine which criteria you would like to use for your evaluation. If you are using sources you have already used for your WP1, you have most likely engaged in some sort of an evaluation. This essay is asking for a far more formal evaluation of your sources. In order to do this, you will need to determine your evaluative criteria. For any evaluation essay, you need to have a list of feasible and relevant evaluative criteria. You have already engaged in a practice evaluation using criteria from the textbook. These points of criteria may have been valuable in helping you identify sources you would like to use for this writing project, but you will not simply redo that assignment. While some of those criteria you used earlier may be useful here, you will also need to think of additional criteria for this more formal evaluation. I will not accept an essay that is simply a rehash of your previous evidence evaluation assignment. Again, you may use some of the same criteria, but this essay is more detailed, more formal and has a different focus from that exercise. Ask questions about your sources and think about your reading of and understanding of the sources. Following is a list of questions to get you started thinking about your sources. You will most likely have many more questions to ask of your sources as you work on a preliminary evaluation and exploration of criteria you will want to use in your WP2.  Do the sources address significant features of the controversy? What are they?  Are the sources credible/feasible? Do they make sense? Do you question any of the material presented? Why? Or Why not?  How do these sources contribute to your understanding of your controversy? Do they support your own ideas about how the controversy should be addressed? Do they offer you information you were not expecting? How do they help you to more thoroughly and clearly understand the controversy? Or if they don’t, why not?  How does each of the sources present its information? (all text, graphics? etc?) Is this presentation/format of material effective?  Overall, do you find reading/understanding each of these sources to be mostly a positive experience when thinking about your controversy? Or more negative? Why? Third—Drafting: Your formal evaluation, the essay itself, will ask you to address the following:  You must offer a comparison of the three sources, based on the criteria you want to explore. You will need to choose at least three different points of criteria to base your evaluation upon. You will also need to explain the relevance of each point of criteria you choose.  You must compare your three sources throughout your discussion, looking at how each source fits the criteria you choose as well as comparing how well each source fits the criteria you choose. In doing so, you will be examining both strengths and/or weaknesses for each of your sources in comparison to the other two.  Your ultimate goal in this essay is to answer the question: Which of these three sources do you find the most beneficial for your exploration and development of your topic and why? Your answer to this question will be the argument you make. This will be your claim (thesis statement) Additional Drafting Requirements: 1. Your essay will need a brief summary of the sources and their contents. This would be good introduction material. You must also identify the title and author of each of your sources when you first mention it. If a source does not have a title or author (such as an interview), do identify the source somehow when first introducing it. 2. Your essay will need to introduce the criteria you want to use to evaluate your article. You need at least 3 different criteria (you can, of course, use more). And your list of criteria needs to be feasible for the argument you are making. You will want to present your list of criteria and some discussion about the feasibility of these criteria early in your essay, perhaps after your summary material, but before your claim. This does not need to be a long discussion here, as you will more thoroughly address the criteria as you discuss each one in your criteria-match. Know that some points of criteria will have more value than others. And this can affect how you present your formal evaluation. You may have a source that fits only one of your criteria, but that point of criterion is so important that the source itself has value. 3. You will need a clear evaluative claim (thesis statement) that makes an assertion about which of these three sources you find the most beneficial for your exploration and development of your topic (controversy) and why? 4. You need to engage in a thorough criteria-match. This is the bulk of your essay. This is where you will discuss how each source meets, does not meet, or partially meets the criteria you identify. This is also where you will offer comparison between the three sources. You will want to devote a thorough discussion to each point of criterion, explain it and its significance and show how each source addresses this point of criterion. This is also where you will provide a detailed argument, with relevant quotes and examples from the sources to illustrate how/why the sources succeed and or fail at meeting those criteria. Know that some sections will be much longer and more detailed than others. This might be determined by the value of each of your criteria. But overall, this portion of your essay must be well-developed. You need to be thorough and clear in your discussion. You need to offer examples, explain those examples, etc. 5. You will be expected to accurately incorporate source material into your essay, using quotes, paraphrases and summaries. While there is no limit on how many of each you need to use here, do know that you do not want to overdo any one strategy, particularly quotes. Also, you do not want your essay to be all source material. You need to be able to make connections between material and you need to be able to illustrate your own understanding of source material for it to be meaningful to an audience. 6. Your discussion must clearly tie back to your claim. If you determine that source X is the best of the three, you need to make sure your criteria-match and your comparisons throughout strengthen that argument. 7. You will need a conclusion for this essay. You will not want to simply repeat your evaluation criteria and your claim. You can use the conclusion to make final conclusions about the strength of the source you identify as most valuable or about the value of the evaluation process, as long as you do not introduce new material that your reader will expect you to develop more thoroughly. Remember the conclusion is the last thing your readers read. What information/understanding do you want them to leave with? 8. The research you use for this essay will be your three sources. While it is not required that you use additional research, you may find that it is valuable. You can offer additional research to support your choice of criteria, to offer further comparisons, to explain criteria, etc. If you do use additional research, know that those sources need to be appropriate for the purpose you are using them for. 9. You will cite your three sources throughout your essay. This will be where your examples come from. You must cite these sources (and any additional sources you may use) using correct MLA in-text citation format. As well, you must have a works cited page listing all sources you cite using correct MLA format. Format: As with all formal essays, you need to provide a clear, coherent piece of writing using conventions of standard written English. Pay attention to overall structure, paragraph structure, sentence structure and language use. Edit for grammar/mechanics. These are important elements in the writing process, and if you do not pay close attention to them, you run the risk of confusing your readers. Essays need to be double-spaced, 12 point font with 1 inch margins. You need to put your name in either the upper right hand or upper left hand corner. For other format requirements, follow MLA style. Grading Criteria: An excellent paper will provide a clear, detailed, accurate, convincing evaluation argument. It will respond to all of the requirements listed above clearly and thoroughly. It will persuade its readers and present its information as reliable and relevant. The paper as a whole will be well-organized and error-free. Essays are worth up to 50 points, and below is a breakdown of the grade/point ratio. 45-50—A range 35-39—C range 0-29—E range 40-44—B range 30-34—D range Posting Information: You are required to engage in a rough draft/peer review process to complete this essay. Your rough draft/peer review process is a group activity. You will post a rough draft for peer comment to the appropriate group DB forum. You will then provide significant peer comments to group members. You need to revise your essay based on peer recommendations as well as other ideas you have. You will then post your final draft of WP2. Final drafts need to be posted Thursday, November 10, 11:59pm. To allow for any posting difficulties you may experience, I will accept final drafts of WP2 posted up until Friday, November 11, 8:00am with no loss of points. But any essay turned in after this date/time will automatically lose 15 points, and it will lose an additional 15 points for each additional day it is late. I will not accept WP2 for points after Sunday, November 13. To post final drafts, go to Content on your course sidebar. You will see Post WP2: Evaluation Argument. This is a different link than the assignment document itself. This link will not be available until the deadline for Peer Review has passed. To post your final draft, click on this link and then you will be able to post your final draft by sending an attachment. I will also ask that you cut and paste your essay in case I have trouble opening your attachment. If, for some reason, you cannot successfully post your final draft of WP2 to Blackboard, you can post it to my email. Even if you have to post your final draft of WP2 to my email, know I will still use the above due dates/times to determine if the essay is posted on time or is posted late.

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