Part 2 of 4

Below, turn in a 2-3 page (600-900 word) critique/analysis of your Secondary Source Article (review information turned in in ).  Make sure you cite the article at the end, a full APA citation, copying this format –

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Title of newspaper, magazine. Retrieved from http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/

Instructions –

  1. Give yourself plenty of time to read the secondary article (do not read the primary source until after this analysis is done).  Your goal is to answer the questions below in your own words, not quoting the article or using the author’s words.  Therefore, you will need to know and understand the material well.
  2. Analyze the secondary source article using the questions listed below (drawn from the Campus Library at UW Bothell and Cascadia College).  Do NOT complete in short answer – this is an essay.  It will work best if you view each major grouping as a paragraph, therefore ending with a 5 paragraph paper.
  3. Before you turn in the assignment, work your way through what you have written, highlighting and commenting to show where you answered each of the questions listed below.  This exercise will allow you to double check your work, and prevent you from writing a summary instead of an analysis.  A complete analysis will have 17 comments (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc) that I can see.  You will find the New Comment prompt under the Review tab at the top of your paper. Here is a video to describe how it is done.   
  4. When you turn in this analysis, it will be checked by TurnItIn.  You may review your TurnItIn report and resubmit if needed.  The report will tag your highlights and comments (Instructions #3), this is fine.  I will be looking for mentions of your article.  If your article shows, it means you did not do a good enough job of using your own words instead of the author’s and I will send it back to you for a redo.


Analysis questions –

  1. Introduction  
    1. What is the article title?
    2. Who are the authors?
    3. Thesis/position/argument/question – What is the primary argument made by the author/s?

2.  Context

    1. Why is the argument significant?
    2. When was the article published?
    3. Which journal/source published it?
    4. Who is the intended audience?

3.  Evidence

    1. What evidence does the author offer in support of the position put forth?  Not the types of evidence but what the evidence says.  Identify all major pieces of evidence you find.
    2. How convincing is the evidence?
    3. Are the ethical considerations adequately explored and assessed?
    4. Have you read/heard anything on the subject that confirms or challenges the subject from a scientific point of view?

4.  Counter arguments

    1. What arguments are made in opposition to the author’s views (within the article or that come to you as you read, you do not need to look for outside sources)?
    2. Are these arguments persuasively refuted?

 5.  Effectiveness

    1. What are the strengths of the article?
    2. Is it difficult to read and understand the article? If so, why? If not, why not?
    3. Are you able to follow the moves of the article from thesis to evidence?  In other words, was the article logically organized so that it flowed easily from topic to topic?
    4. Does all of the material seem relevant to the points made?



Did you highlight and comment, showing your work?  If not, the paper will be returned to you.

Is your analysis turned in on time?

Is your analysis 600-900 words?

Correct, complete APA citation?

Content (did you answer all the questions above)?

Grammar (spelling, verb/noun agreement, paragraph format, complete sentences, etc)?

Do not use quotations.  This does not mean pull things straight from the article without quotations. That is plagiarism.  I want you to use your own words to explain the information.  That means you have to read and understand the article well enough to discuss the information and break it down.

Analyze – don’t summarize

Use scientific writing (clear and concise, not verbose)

What Students Are Saying About Us


