Source Comparison Chart
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Analysis Questions
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Popular Source
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Scientific/Academic Source
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What is this piece's main argument (i.e. purpose)?
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What is the exigence for this piece? (Review Carroll if you don't remember what this term means)
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Who is the audience for this piece?
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What differences do you see in language? Does either writer use specialized terms?
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How is the piece organized?
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What sources/evidence are used in each piece?
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Are there any claims not properly supported by evidence? If so, list them here.
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What other features (e.g. page design, citation style) help the author tailor his/her argument to the audience?
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Analyze and compare your two sources by considering and taking notes on the categories in the chart below. Don't worry if you can't find answers to all of the questions. Just use the categories that are most relevant for your sources and topic. You may also wish to add features/categories that you notice.
Synthesis & Planning Your Paper
Make some notes below in response to these questions:
- What are the most interesting points you noticed from your comparative analysis of your two sources?
- How might these points be helpful to your target audience (an academic audience)? In other words, do you think what you found interesting will also be interesting to your target audience? Why or why not?
- What examples might you use from your sources to illustrate your points and make them concrete to your target audience?