Prompt
Source Evaluation Essay
100 points 500–750 words (2–3 pages)
This stand-alone essay is designed to help you prepare for the Research Project, and is one of the steps towards completing that at the end of the quarter.
For this Source Evaluation Essay, you will select one of the sources you have found through your preliminary research about your Research Essay topic. Which source you choose is up to you; however, it should be substantial enough that you’ll be able to talk about it at length, and intricate enough that it will keep you (and me) interested.
The introduction of this paper will be introducing the source: give the author, the title, and the context (where you found it, where it was originally published, who sponsored it, etc.) You will then go on to evaluate it on 2 levels:
- Trustworthiness. Using the information in “Evaluating Internet Research Sources” from the VirtualSalt website as a guide, as well as the methods we’ve discussed in our weekly conversations, evaluate the source’s authenticity and reliability. Look at all information that you can find about the source to establish the author’s (or sponsor’s) credibility.
- You do not have to choose a web-based source, by any means. The details of assessing credibility of online sources in this Virtual Salt article can be easily adapted to fit non-online sources.
- 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’re working on. How will it help you prove your own points? How might it come in handy to show a claim (or counter-claim)?
Include a conclusion which shows your final assessments on both counts. This project will be created inductively: first you’ll give your evidence and observations about the source, and only in the conclusion will your final evaluation be presented as your thesis.
Utilize APA in-text citations and include an APA References page (which isn’t included in the final word/page count). This will be formatted as an APA essay, so it will need a title page as well.
You will need to do additional research to help you prove your claims about the source’s trustworthiness, so be sure to fully cite all sources used in helping you reach your conclusions.
You will need two sources on your References page. The source you’re evaluating plus at least one other source you’ve consulted to prove its reliability (or lack thereof).
Student Sample
You can access a student sample of an APA paper by visiting the Online Writing Lab.
Grading Rubric
Source Evaluation Essay Rubric
| Criteria |
Ratings |
Pts |
|
Thesis & Evidence
|
Original, clear, focused, debatable well-supported thesis. Specific examples included for support. Claims for credibility and usefulness are fully developed.
16 pts
|
Original, debatable, sufficiently supported thesis. Examples included for support. Claims for credibility and usefulness are developed.
12 pts
|
Identifiable main idea that is generally supported. Some examples included, though potentially vague or abstract. Claims for credibility and usefulness are established but need further development.
8 pts
|
Identifiable main idea that is not well supported or does not match most of essay content. Some examples provided, but of a vague, abstract nature. Missing claims for either credibility or usefulness.
4 pts
|
Missing or unsupported thesis. Little to no examples for support. No established claims for either credibility nor usefulness.
0 pts
|
|
16 pts
|
|
Organization
|
logical, coherent, unified organization with paragraphs used effectively and clear transitions.
16 pts
|
coherent organization that might need some rearrangement or further paragraph division; effective transitions
12 pts
|
generally organized essay flow but not all paragraphs centered around topic idea; some evidence of transitions
8 pts
|
essay structure impedes effective communication of ideas; little evidence of transitions
4 pts
|
little or no evidence of essay organization or development. No transitional elements used.
0 pts
|
|
16 pts
|
|
Research Skills
|
Balanced, authoritative sources; effectively integrated outside sources. High-quality research is used to provide more insight into primary source being evaluated.
16 pts
|
Effective, authoritative sources, sufficiently integrated into rest of essay. Research is used to provide more insight into primary source being evaluated.
12 pts
|
Some sources appropriately used for assignment; source content not well integrated into essay text. Minimal research is used to provide context to primary source being evaluated.
8 pts
|
Insufficient sources used for assignment and/or sources are of poor quality for academic purposes. Not well integrated into surrounding text. Does not provide any additional research to provide context for source being evaluated.
4 pts
|
no sources used, or sources used inappropriately/unethically. (This will result in a 0 on the paper.)
0 pts
|
|
16 pts
|
|
Style, Editing, & Proofreading
|
Strategically varied sentence structure. Vocabulary is tailored to writing context. No appreciable errors in spelling, punctuation or grammar.
16 pts
|
Varied sentence structure. Vocabulary is appropriate to writing context. Minor mechanical errors that do not interfere with reader’s understanding.
12 pts
|
Some sentence variety. Basic vocabulary. Generally well-edited, with one or two consistent patterns of error.
8 pts
|
Little variety in sentence structure. Basic or inappropriate vocabulary. Grammatical errors may interfere with readers’ understanding.
4 pts
|
Little to no sentence variety. Frequently inappropriate vocabulary. Little evidence of proofreading; errors impede meaning.
0 pts
|
|
16 pts
|
|
Audience Appropriateness
|
Arguments are tailored to meet the needs of the target audience. Counterarguments are anticipated and adequately responded to. Effective level of formality.
16 pts
|
Arguments are well-founded, but may not fully consider the interests of the target audience. Counterarguments are anticipated. Appropriate level of formality.
12 pts
|
Arguments don’t consider the needs of the target audience. Counterarguments are not fully anticipated. Appropriate formality for writing context, though not always targeted to specific audience.
8 pts
|
Arguments are not fully developed or fail to meet the needs of the target audience. Lack of appropriate formality.
4 pts
|
Target audience not considered, and would not be affected by contents presented here. Too informal for context.
0 pts
|
|
16 pts
|
|
Citations & Formatting
|
In-text citations and References page follow APA specifications. Pages are formatted using APA standards.
10 pts
|
In-text citations and References page follow APA specifications, with some small but consistent errors. Pages are formatted using APA standards.
7 pts
|
In-text citations and References page generally follow APA specifications, with some consistent errors. Pages are formatted using APA standards, possibly with some error.
5 pts
|
Is missing either in-text citation or References page, or citations do not follow APA guidelines. Page formatting does not follow APA guidelines.
2 pts
|
No documentation of sources included. (This will result in a 0 on the paper.)
0 pts
|
|
10 pts
|
|
Length
|
Essay meets or exceeds 500 minimum words.
10 pts
|
Essay close to meeting 500 word requirement.
5 pts
|
Essay significantly short of 500 word requirement.
0 pts
|
|
10 pts
|
|
Total Points: 100
|