Article Analysis assignment
Any college graduate should be able to fully understand and offer critical commentary on scholarly writing. This writing assignment will give you the opportunity to develop your ability to read, understand and discuss scholarly writing related to the theories covered during this course. Each student willuse ONE of the additionalarticles posted on Moodleas a basis for this assignment. You may find your own article, but I MUST approve it in advance, or you will receive a ZERO for the assignment. Paper is due via Moodle by 5pm on Wed, Oct 19.
Once you have chosen an article please read it thoroughly. If you are having trouble, please see me. Once you a have a thorough understanding of the research and the arguments advanced in the article, write a 5-6 page essaycritiquing/reviewing the article. A scholarly review is not a movie review, I am not interested in whether or not you like the article. A scholarly review is an overview of the article's argument in relation to its theoretical contributions. The theory may or may not be explicitly stated in the article, your goal is to recognize the theoretical concepts at work in the piece. It may be to support OR challenge the underpinnings of a specific theory, so keep that in mind.Looking back at your theory application group worksheets will help you do this sort of analytical work. Questions to consider (these are THINKING questions to help you craft a clear thesis that will structure your paper. A successful formal paper doe NOT simply systematically answer each of these questions. Instead, use them to guide you to making an argument about how this study engages (or challenges) a particular theory):
1. What communication activity/event/issue is the author examining? How have they defined it and expressed their research question? In other words, what's the overall purpose of this research?
2. What justification does the author provide for studying this activity? Why is this a topic worth exploring?
3. What theory did the author use to examine this topic and how did they use it? This question is most important for our purposes and should constitute the majority of the essay.Your thesis statement should reflect the theory you see at work in the article and the way you will explore it in the rest of your paper. These will be most closely related to the theories from the media effects and cultural approaches to media units, but you may find it useful to ALSO reference some of the earlier theories we covered that establish some broader views of media and society.
a. Consider the main goals and assumptions of the theory and how they relate to the topic studied.You should use the assigned readings from class to provide clear and specific definitions of the theories you are discussing. At least TWO specific and cited references fromcourse texts are required in addition to the cited use of the article you are reviewing. This means returning to those readingsNOT JUST PARAPHRASING FROM LECTURE NOTES. DO NOT CITE LECTURE NOTES! I suggest you REREAD the related material (textbook chapter or original theory text and application articles we read in relation to it) on that theory to be sure you can accurately use it. Use direct or paraphrased quotes from the reviewed article to demonstrate your understanding of the argument/connection to theory. Be sure to cite correctly. LECTURE NOTES ARE NOT AN ACCEPTABLE SOURCE.
4. Evaluate the results of the research/the conclusions drawn by the author. What is the final "takeaway"? What key points does the analysis provide that support or refute that theory and why?
5. Are there any questions you think went unanswered or were underdeveloped in the article?Consider how these questions might prompt a future research project in this area.
The paper must be 5-6 pages in length, not including the works cited list. (double-spaced, 12 pt. regular font, 1-inch margins) and use APA style rulesfor in-text citations and works cited list (no title page or abstract is required for this short paper). I will take off FIVE points for incorrect citations, so be sure to check out the style guide link on Moodle. (Pro tip: the article you are reviewing was not retrieved from Moodle...all the information you need to properly cite it is contained within the PDF file. All assigned articles are correctly cited on the syllabus. Use this as a guide to help you craft the citation for your article). Though you do not need a title page, put an original title (not just "article analysis") at the top of your paper.
Article analysis is due by 5pm on Friday, April 1. I am happy to look at drafts at any point during your writing process, but we must meet IN PERSON to go over the draft. You can send me a draft to look at before we meet, but I will NOT offer comments/feedback over email. I will not be available the day the assignment is due to look over drafts.
General Grading Criteria:
1) Argument: Does the paper contain a central thesis that clearly addresses a theory from the class? Is it well reasoned, clearly stated and adhered to throughout the paper? Are sources used as evidence to strengthen the paper's main argument?
2) Comprehension: Does the paper demonstrate a grasp of the issue at hand? Does it provide adequate theoretical contextualization (e.g. defining AND explaining relevant terms)?
3) Sources: Are course readings properly selected and cited using APA style? Does the paper demonstrate a clear understanding of the cited material?
4) Organization: Is the paper well structured, including an introduction and conclusion that tie it together? Are the main points easy to identify? Does the writing flow well?
5) Mechanics: Is correct grammar used? Is the paper free of misspellings and typos? Are sources cited correctly with a properly formatted works cited page? Most importantly, does it follow the assignment?