Touchstone 2.1: Evaluate a Source

Touchstone 2.1: Evaluate a Source
ASSIGNMENT: For 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
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.

In order to foster learning and growth, all essays you submit must be
newly written specifically for this course. Any recycled work will be
sent back with a 0, and you will be given one attempt to redo the
Touchstone.

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.)

You will then go on to evaluate the source on two levels:
Credibility: 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.
Usefulness: Using a combination of summary and analysis, examine
the source on a critical level. 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 might it come in handy to back up a claim (or address a
counter-claim)?
Finally, you will include a conclusion which shows your final assessments on both counts.

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