Source Evaluation

The purpose of this exercise is to develop strategies for identifying and articulating criteria for evaluation as well as applying those criteria to a specific source. Specifically, you will compose a source evaluation in order to determine if that source is beneficial in helping you answer your research question. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Choose a source from your annotated bibliography.

2. Write at least one page of text (roughly 250-300 words). Use paragraphs and include an introduction, body, and conclusion.

1. First, write an introduction that provides basic information about the source being evaluated, provides context about the research project, describes your criteria for evaluation, and frames a clear thesis that makes an argument about the source’s usefulness for your project.
2. Then, write about two paragraphs that evaluate the source using two or more criteria from this list: authority, currency, bias/objectivity, accuracy, and primary vs. secondary sources. Refer to Chapter 3 in JAC for instructions about how to apply this criteria. Each paragraph should include a topic sentence and adequate support/evidence for your point.
3. Finally, write a conclusion paragraph to end your text. In the conclusion, rephrase your thesis and answer the “so what” question. Use one of the strategies for writing a conclusion from Chapter 3 in JAC.
4. Include a Works Cited or Reference page in which you cite your source, using correct APA or MLA formatting conventions.

Your audience is other researchers who will be interested in the topic and in knowing if the source is useful for the research question. Here are a few additional guidelines to help you with this task.

Formatting

Use Times New Roman, 12 point font. Include your name and class section in the header.