Once youve chosen the source, analyze and evaluate it using criteria you have chosen from the list on page 380 in Rules, the box titled Determining if a source is scholarly. Choose the criteria which you think will be the most effective in evaluating the source youve chosen for a general college-educated audience. If youve chosen to evaluate the credentials of the author(s) of a source, for instance, you may need to do additional research. You must use at least four criteria in the essay.
The ultimate purpose of the essay will be to persuade your readers why the source you have evaluated is or is not an appropriate source of research for a college student like you. You will determine this based upon your analysis of how the source meets or doesn’t meet the criteria youve chosen.
Secondary Sources
For the secondary source(s) cited in your essay, you must include copies of the page(s) from which the cited material was taken or a link to the source on the Works Cited page. Note that this requirement does not include our Rules text. If you have trouble finding a source, you should speak to me. Failure to use a database source or provide copies of or links to all sources will result in an evaluation of no better than a 70.
Specific Directions
Each of the following elements should be included in your essay:
1. An introduction paragraph that gains the readers attention, states the essays main idea, and includes a clear statement of purpose. Consider referring to the video Five Components of Information Literacy, which you also may access through the course Blackboard site.
2. A body paragraph discussing how the database source relates to your program, or academic/career goals. Why did you choose it, for example? Why do you think it is or will be an important topic or issue in your field in the future?
3. A thorough summary of the source youve chosen to evaluate.
4. A body paragraph (or more) that includes a description of each criterion youll use to evaluate the sourceincluding why you believe each one is important. These criteria must come from the box titled Determining if a source is scholarly on page 380 of Rules. Additionally, the source of the explanations of the criteria must be documented. These explanations are provided in the document titled Understanding Criteria for Evaluating Scholarly Sources. A minimum of four criteria is required.
5. A discussion/evaluation of how the source meets (or doesnt meet) each criterion, which offers specific examples from the source being discussed, in the form of quotations, summaries, or paraphrases.
6. A conclusion paragraph that summarizes the key positives and deficiencies of the source and effectively persuades the reader that the source is or is not appropriate for an academic essay.
Criteria for Evaluation
Beyond the list of criteria for successful English 201 essays listed in your syllabus, Ill be evaluating the second draft of the essay based on my answers to the following questions:
Does the introduction paragraph catch the readers interest by using a question, a reason people feel the topic is interesting or important, and introduce the concept of information literacy?
Do the topic, main idea (thesis), and a clear statement of purpose appear in the first paragraph? Does the essay demonstrate an awareness of its intended audience?
Is the essay organized logically, following the sequence described above?
Are the criteria defined and explained clearly? Are a minimum of four criteria used? Is the source of the criteria cited appropriately?
Is the full-text database source clearly summarized and evaluated, using specific examples so the reader understands the evaluation without having to read the source?
Does the writer effectively persuade the reader in the conclusion paragraph that the source is or is not appropriate for an academic essay?
Does the essay use MLA documentation appropriately for all the sources used, including any supplementary sources about the author(s)?
Audience
Write the essay as though it were being read by a general college-educated audience. In other words, think like a college writer. Write to an educated reader who is not familiar with what we’re reading or discussing in this course.
Length
The second draft should be a minimum of three double-spaced typed pages, using Times New Roman 12-point font and one-inch margins. This requirement does not include the Works Cited page.
Format
The essay should be presented using MLA Documentation style. This includes general formatting as well as in-text citations and a Works Cited page. Use the model essay that begins on page 527 of Rules (minus the visual) as a guide.
