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ENG 111: College Composition I (Russo-Loudoun)

This guide has been created by librarians to help you find books, articles, videos, and other types of resources related to this program of study. Direct comments to Julie Combs, jcombs@nvcc.edu

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For individual research help, schedule an appointment to meet with a librarian.

Source Analysis Information

Purpose:

Finding research used to be more difficult, but in a world where we have constant access to the Internet, our work as responsible citizens and students is more about finding reliable sources for our particular topics and concerns, and being able to fully synthesize this material into the writing we do. Taking time to analyze a source before writing research assures you are thinking critically and carefully about what information you use, and that you fully understand what others have said about your topic before you use them.

For more information, please Using Sources: Evaluating Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism and Evaluating Sources: The CRAAP Test.

Your Task:

  1. Select a source that you feels offers important and useful information about your topic.
  2. Download and save the article as a .pdf file.
  3. Read the article and take notes on it (instructions from Adobe for how to take notes on a .pdf here).
  4. Re-read the article so you can succinctly state the main point in one sentence.
  5. Fill out the chart provided in your assignment to:
    1. Write an MLA style works cited entry for the source (see Citation Style: MLA for more help).
    2. Explain WHY this source is reliable. What expertise does the author have? What do you know about the platform upon which it is published? What biases are there?
    3. Write a 200-word paragraph summary of the article. Begin this paragraph with a topic sentence naming the article and author, as well as the FULL main point of the article.
    4. Copy and paste three quotes you found particularly interesting into the chart.
    5. Paraphrase those quotes - that means put the claim into your own words.
    6. Finish by offering 1-2 sentences with your overall reaction and response to the work - what is your opinion on it? What new knowledge does it bring?
    7. Submit both the annotated .pdf and the chart to Canvas.