As stated previously, the course textbook reflects consideration of early and subsequent historical accounts that rest on the
authors’ evaluation of primary and secondary evidence. Scholars always review the literature before they formulate their
theses and produce their work.
Your task in this assignment will be to critique an argument from a peer-reviewed article, covering the period 1700-1864.
To complete this task, you will draw material from the assigned textbook reading and at least one scholarly source relevant
to the topic. The textbook will help guide you to articles that are relevant to the material covered in this unit. See below for
information on how to find appropriate sources.
How to Review a Source: Identifying and Evaluating the “Argument”
1. Discerning the Argument: When reading a source, ask yourself the following questions.
a. Why is the author writing this?
b. What does the author believe he/she is adding to the field?
c. What kinds of evidence does the author use?
d. What is the author’s conclusion?
2. Evaluating the Argument
a. How useful do you think this source is, given what you have found in“Discerning the Argument” above? Does
the source help you to narrow a topic, find a question, and evaluate evidence?
b. Compare the source you identify, and ensure that it is relevant to the material in your course textbook.
3. Finding Appropriate Sources. After reading the assigned textbook chapters and deciding how to approach the
assignment based on your reading, identify an appropriate outside source that speaks to the topic(s) you will address.
Innumerable examples are accessible via the Waldorf Online Library. These sources will generally be articles or
essays from reputable academic publications, and are available by using search engines like Academic OneFile and
Academic Search Complete. If you are unfamiliar with the library or if you are having trouble accessing materials, the
librarians on staff are available and happy to help.
Things toConsider inYour Search
There are a few general truths when researching online; for example, any website with a .com suffix may be trying to sell
you something and therefore unreliable as academic material. As you navigate through sites, or any publication, it is
necessary to ask the following questions:
Who wrote this? You are looking for the authors and their credentials; this is not to be confused with a webmaster or site
designer. Who published this? Is the publisher an academic journal or someone simply stating opinion not based in fact?
Can the document be altered in any way? If the information can be added to or amended by anyone other than the
administrator, the site is not appropriate for academic use. This is the core issue with many online encyclopedias like
Wikipedia.
For any trustworthy source, these questions should be able to be answered clearly and without intense searching; if you
cannot find this information, do not use the source.
The Assignment
Using the textbook and at least one scholarly article you have found through research, critique an argument from a peerreviewed article that covers the period from 1700-1864. This article should cover how the following informed and influenced
the development of slavery and equality: race, economics, politics, natural history, or natural science. Your critique should
consist of at least two full pages.
Adhere to APA Style when constructing this assignment, including in-text citations and references for all sources that are
used. Please note that no abstract is needed. Use attached resources
