Assignment
Critical Analysis (Evaluation) Essay
Length: 3-4 double spaced pages (not counting the works cited page)
Required use of at least 3 sources, one of which must be a printed source.
For every problem in the world, there are a host of proposed solutions and/or ways to address it. In this essay, your task will be to critique/evaluate one of those methods-specifically, an approach, philosophy, or solution to a problem with which you disagree.
To accomplish this, your essay must (1) provide an introduction, (2) objectively summarize what you're evaluating, (3) evaluate the approach or solution using at least 2 well-defined criteria, (4) state and defend a response to that approach or solution, and (5) provide an effective conclusion.
Remember, your goal is to convince an audience to agree with your evaluation of the approach or solution, not to provide a solution of your own or simply inform readers about the topic with journalistic neutrality.
Your paper will be graded on the following:
• Fulfilling the basic requirements of the assignment, including the five elements mentioned above.
• Maintaining a logical, integrated and purposeful structure/organization
• Maintaining a formal, academic style that is clear, sophisticated, and free of mechanical errors
• Effectively selecting and incorporating evidence (i.e. expert testimony, statistics, case studies, etc.)
• Providing properly formatted citations, both in-text and on works cited page
• Providing depth of analysis: ability to make connections between ideas and effectively explain content; ability to move beyond summary and subjective judgments
• Creating an effective introduction and conclusion that both meet studied goals
• Recognizing and avoiding flawed logic
• Creating a properly formatting paper per MLA guidelines that avoids wasted space, unnecessary spacing, etc.
Make certain that your voice is the most dominant in the paper, and that supporting quotes do just that-support rather than drown you out. You may select the same problem you focused on in Paper #1 or a different issue.