EvaluatingSources 1
Spring 2022
To become a better college writer, it is important to become a more critical reader of texts, including
articles you may read for classes or online. Different sources serve different purposes, and some are
more credible that others. Being able to determine what secondary sources, or articles, can do for your
authority as a college writer will allow you to argue more effectively, especially when your project relies
on research.
The Assignment
• For this assignment, you will find two longer (5+ pages) articles on a topic that interests you.
These won’t necessarily come from peer-reviewed, scholarly journals, but they at least should
come from print publications such as newspapers and magazines (though a full text may be
accessed online, they must have page numbers).
o You are welcome to use the essays from our textbook, specifically Part 5, Chapters 23,
24, 25, 26, or 27. If you do use essays from the textbook, it is recommended that you
pick two essays from the same chapter so they focus on the same general topic.
o The other option is to find your articles in the DMACC Library databases.
• Read the articles closely. Think in terms of a topic on which you would like to do further study,
and/or have an opinion about. You may use this same article in upcoming assignments if it
works for you. This article should make a claim, if not an argument (vs. being simply
informative).
• Then, write an essay in which you compare the persuasive techniques, perspectives, and
credibility of the two articles. Your essay should be 4-5 pages long, plus a Works Cited page.
• Your thesis should address if one essay is more or less persuasive or credible OR your thesis
should explain why the two essays are persuasive or credible in different ways.
• Justify your evaluation by narrowing your subjects’ target audience and applying an appropriate
set of criteria. Your criteria should justify your evaluation and address the chosen articles’
persuasive strategies, perspectives, and /or rhetorical appeals.
• To support your evaluation, you should critically interpret at least three direct quotes from each
article for a total of at least 6 quotes.
o Choose quotes that express ideas or thoughts, not just facts. It will help you in
analyzing the strategies that the writer might be using to focus on ideas and thinking
from sources. The purpose of this essay is to examine the purposes behind an article,
the strategies the writer is using to fulfill that purpose, and the language or form
they’ve chosen in the writing as a part of that strategy.
Evaluating Sources 2
Planning and Drafting
In the introduction of the paper, you must provide adequate context about the article, including the full
title, brief information about the authors including names and affiliations, the name of the publications
in which the articles appears, and the general purpose of each publication. Summarize the articles
briefly. You also need to connect with readers from the beginning of your draft, just as you do in other
types of essay assignments. Your introduction will likely be several paragraphs in length (vs. just one).
In your body paragraphs, you will support your evaluation by critically interpreting quotes from the
articles. For each paragraph:
1) begin with a topic sentence that identifies your evaluative criterion (for example, a specific
persuasive strategy)
2) provide context for the quote before you incorporate it. Tell your reader what role the quote is
playing in the article’s overall purpose. Explain any reference that is made to people, places or
things that aren’t named in the quote itself. Make sure we know the full name of people who
are mentioned, and that we know what any “this” or “that” or “these” refers to in the quote.
3) put the full statement in quotation marks and introduce it with a writing verb, such as “states”
or “argues” or “explains,” then cite the quote in-text in MLA style (quote marks, parentheses
with author last name and page number). Make sure the verb is in present tense (vs. past).
4) interpret the quote by thoroughly deciphering its language. Define any terms used that might
have vague or multiple meanings. Words like “addiction” and “communication” mean different
things to different readers, so you must provide your definition.
5) analyze it by saying what perspective (or point of view) you think the quote represents, and/or
what strategy the writer is using to argue their point.
6) compare/contrast the persuasiveness or credibility of the chosen articles based on your criteria
Due dates, etc.
COMPLETE ROUGH DRAFT DUE (at least 800 words, written in complete sentences and paragraphs, with
complete MLA or APA format and documentation): by no later than 11:59 p.m., Saturday, February 26,
2022. Upload your rough draft as an attached file in the Evaluating Sources rough draft + peer
evaluation discussion thread in the Blackboard week 7 folder. No late drafts allowed for rough draft
submission—please see the course syllabus for details on late work.
PEER AND SELF FEEDBACK DUE: Saturday, March 5, 2022, 11:59 p.m. or before. This assignment
requires you to submit feedback on the essay drafts of two classmates + a self-review of your draft (3
reviews total) as part of the Evaluating Sources rough draft + peer evaluation discussion thread in
Blackboard.
Evaluating Sources 3
FINAL DRAFT DUE: Saturday, March 12, 2022, 11:59 p.m. or before. Upload your revised, edited, and
proofread final draft in the Blackboard Week 9 folder. You are welcome to ask Beth questions at any
point throughout the process and schedule a conference if desired. If you do wish to conference, please
make an appointment in advance. You should seek feedback from DMACC Online Tutoring (DOT) and
Smarthinking.com, even if you also arrange a conference.
You will submit your paper to the final draft link in Blackboard.