Hello Tutor,
This assignment has to be linked to the last assignment we did last week, Narrative Argument. In the Essay, we did the topic about anxiety and depression. So this assignment should be linked to that topic. I’m sharing the example shared by our instructor here.
LINK TO THE EVALUATION ARGUMENT
-Your topic for your evaluation argument must be linked with the topic you chose for Essay #1.
Here is an example sequence of projects:
For Essay #1, a student writes about an incident in which they said something incorrectly in Spanish to their mother-in-law, leading to confusion, chaos, and embarrassment. For project 2, the student writes an evaluation outline in which they argue that the foreign language study requirements in U.S. schools are not rigorous enough. For Essay #3, they choose to make a proposal argument for required language instruction beginning in kindergarten.
Link between argument assignments: In the Evaluation Argument, you will be asked to evaluate a problem that links back to the topic of your Narrative Assignment.
Here’s an example of a sequence of writing assignments with linked topics:
Student A chose to write his narrative assignment about an incident in which he was harassed about his sexual preference by a group of heterosexual males as he was walking through downtown Lake Tahoe arm in arm with his boyfriend. For assignment #2, Student A chose to write an evaluation argument on the lack of recognition of same-sex marriage under federal law. Finally, this same student wrote a proposal argument for the recognition of same-sex marriage throughout the United States.
A second example:
Student B chose to write her narrative assignment about her addiction to video games in high school. Student B chose to write an evaluation argument on the shortcomings of the rating systems for video games. She wrote a proposal argument for the need to change the video game rating systems.
A third example:
Student C chose to write his narrative assignment about his early love of architecture, his decision to pursue interior design, and his parents’ negative reaction to this decision. Then, Student C chose to write an evaluation argument on the harmful environmental impacts of certain materials used in interior design. This same student wrote a proposal argument for regulations of sustainable design.
Instructions:
For your Evaluation Argument, the best online databases for research are EBSCO Academic Search Premier and EBSCO OmniFile Full Text.
Using these online databases for your research and answer the following questions for your Evaluation Argument:
Questions:
1) What is your evaluation claim?
Try to formulate a claim that is specific (according to the suggestion in the module). You will claim that something, such as a . . .
program
service
system or institution
federal, state, or local law or policy
approach to solving a problem or helping others
or something else
is
ineffective
unjust
harmful
a failure
inadequate
or another judgment about the topic
2) What are the main keywords you will use for your database searches?
Follow these instructions:
Read background information on your topic.
Find many different words (synonyms) or alternate names for your topic. You will use these as keywords as you search for information on your topic.
Recommended search strategies include consulting encyclopedias, dictionaries, and thesauruses. Reference.com can be a helpful place to get background information. You might also use Wikipedia to collect background information and find synonyms/other terms. Scroll down to the bottom of the Wikipedia page to look for a list of citations for other sources of information, which may also help with your background search. You should not, however, use Wikipedia as a real information source or cite it in your paper. It is only useful for getting an overview of a topic!
Below, make a list of at least five (5) keywords you will use to begin conducting your search. Remember that research—re-search, to search again and search again—is a process of trial and error, so you may need to modify your search terms as you discover which terms help you find relevant sources and which don’t.
The following sources are not reliable and are not acceptable sources for papers written in college:
Popular magazines like Rolling Stone, Utne Reader, or Vanity Fair
Anonymous websites, blogs, or articles
Websites, blogs, or articles written by individuals not affiliated with an organization or institution and/or an author without credentials/expertise in the field they are writing about.
Student papers
Comments by the general public in response to an article
Tabloids like the National Enquirer
Follow these instructions:
3) Practice Searching Periodical Databases.
Note: The category of periodicals includes scholarly journal articles, newspaper articles, and magazine articles. Only scholarly sites, not other than that.
3a) Write down at least two strategies you learned for expanding and limiting search results.
3b) Explain how you can use an Advanced Search to conduct a search using more than one keyword.
4) Use the multi-disciplinary database EBSCO Academic Search Premier to find one article about your research topic. Note: EBSCO Academic Search Premier is an excellent search tool for finding articles on non-art and non-design topics.
Follow these instructions:
Enter one or more of your keywords into EBSCO’s search box. Use MLA style to cite an article that is most relevant to your research topic. To cite a newspaper, journal article or magazine article you find through a periodical database, refer to the MLA Library Citation guide (https://www.ebsco.com/products/research-databases/omnifile-full-text-select) or the Purdue University Owl site (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/).
4a) Citation:
4b) Citation:
4c) Citation:
4d) Citation:
Periodical Database Search Tip: You do not need to (nor should you) read all articles that appear through a search of these databases, especially because you might find hundreds of articles related to your topic. Instead, do your best to narrow the search parameters (e.g., request full text articles only and/or use the advanced search tool). Then, skim the titles for articles that look relevant. When you find a title that looks relevant, click on it and read the abstract (summary) of the article. If it looks like a promising source, print and/or email it to yourself and read it.
5) What are the main keywords you will use to research the opposing viewpoint?
6) Use these terms to search for articles on EBSCO Academic Search Premier and EBSCO OmniFile Full Text. Were you able to find any articles concerning the opposing viewpoint?
7) How do you plan to show that this opposing viewpoint is incorrect and that your claim is indeed the right one? Are there quotes you can use in the articles you found?
-You must answer all these 7 questions given to you for your Library Research.
