Touchstone 2.1: Evaluate a Source

39467For this essay, you will select one of the sources you have found through your preliminary research about your research topic. Which source you choose is up to you; however, it should be a source you intend to use in your argument. It should also be substantial enough that you will be able to talk about it at length, and intricate enough that it will keep you (and your reader) interested. Once you have chosen a source, you will write a 2-3-page (500-750-word) essay in which you evaluate the source on two levels:

Credibility: Using the information in this unit as a guide, evaluate the source’s authenticity and reliability.
Usefulness: Using a combination of summary and analysis, discuss how the source will help to support your argument.
Sample Touchstone 2.1

In order to foster learning and growth, all essays you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any plagiarized or recycled work will result in a Plagiarism Detected alert. Review this tutorial for more about plagiarism and the Plagiarism Detected alert: Touchstones: Academic Integrity Guidelines.

A. Assignment Guidelines
DIRECTIONS: The introduction of this paper will involve introducing the source. Provide the author, the title, and the context (where you found the source, where it was originally published, who sponsored it, etc.) Recall that a thesis statement states your position and an overview of your reasons. For this assignment, include a thesis statement stating your position on the source’s credibility and usefulness.

You will then go on to evaluate the source on two levels:

Credibility (at least one paragraph): Using the information in this unit as a guide, evaluate the source’s authenticity and reliability. Look at all the information that you can find about the source to establish the author’s (or sponsor’s) trustworthiness. Among others, you might consider the following questions: Did the author cite or name their own sources? Do you see the author’s credentials? Is the source of publication (website, journal, etc.) a reputable source? Is the position of this source in line with other sources you’ve read?
Usefulness (at least one paragraph): Using a combination of summary and analysis, discuss how the source will help to support your argument. Determine what the source’s purpose (thesis) is, and how it arrives at that goal. Examine its value to you and the project you are working on. How will it help you prove your own points? How does it address your research question? How might it come in handy to back up a claim (or address a counter-claim)? Are there any special features in this source? For example, does it use visuals or graphs? Is it current?
Finally, you will include a conclusion that shows your final assessments on both counts.