Summary/Analysis Assignment
The purpose of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to put into practice the principles of reading comprehension and criticism discussed in class.
1. In order to complete this assignment you will need to choose an article from a scholarly journal to analyze. (You can access articles from the Cal State library home page).
2. Once you have chosen your article, research the background of both the topic and its author. After you have a basic understanding of the background of the reading and its author, carefully read through the reading following the steps discussed in class.
3. You must turn in answers to the following questions regarding your reading. All answers must be typed Times New Roman, 12pt font, double spaced, 1 inch margins, Name, Date, Instructor, Class and Time in the upper left-hand corner aligned to the left. Re-type the questions in bold and then write your answer below each question. Make sure that you follow all of the directions for each question and that you answer each questionthoroughly).
4. You must provide a copy or print out of your reading and staple it to your answers.
5. Any time that you use a direct quotation from your reading make sure to use proper citation. DO NOT RELY ENTIRELY ON QUOTATIONS!!! Use them sparingly.
6. Paper must use Academic Writing (No first person)
7. Make sure to proof read your assignment before you turn it in! Assignments that are sloppy or full of grammatical errors will be significantly marked down.
Assignment Questions:
1. What is the title of your chosen reading? Who is the author? (1 Sentence)
2. Give a short description of the background of the reading and its author.
3. State the thesis of your reading. (one or two sentences, Do Not use a direct quote here, put in your own words)
4. List the main parts of the reading.
5. Define the problem or problems the author is attempting to solve.
6. List and interpret the basic words or important terms/phrases the author uses.
7. State in your own words: two of the author's leading propositions and list the arguments supporting those propositions.
8. Determine which of the problems the author laid out a solution for and which he did not. If the author did not solve all the problems identify whether he is aware of that and also if he created any new problems that were left unsolved.
9. Provide a one to two paragraph critique of the article. Describe whether you agree or disagree with the author's arguments and explain why.