Finding Strengths, Commonalities, and Weaknesses of Your Sources

Due date:

Purpose:

Now that you have gathered credible sources and have begun to reflect on and respond to them, it’s time to analyze your sources. You will select two sources and write a brief paper in which you discuss their strengths, weaknesses, commonalities, and disagreements.  

Task:

Step 1

Select two of your sources that focus on the same or a similar issue related to your topic.

Step 2

Consider each source individually. Write or type your answers to the following questions:

Source 1:  
    • Who is the author(s) of this source, and what is his/her/their background or area of expertise?
    • Who is the intended audience for this source?
    • What circumstances motivated the author(s) to create this source?
    • What is central argument (thesis) of this source?
    • What major claims does this source make in support of the central argument?
    • What evidence does this source present to demonstrate the validity of the claims?
    • What are potential counterarguments to the central argument of this source, and how effectively are counterarguments addressed in this source?
    • How does the writer try to seem credible and trustworthy to the intended audience?  
    • What are the strengths of this source?
    • What are the weaknesses of this source? 
Source 2:  
    • Who is the author(s) of this source, and what is his/her/their background or area of expertise?
    • Who is the intended audience for this source?
    • What circumstances motivated the author(s) to create this source?
    • What is central argument (thesis) of this source?
    • What major claims does this source make in support of the central argument?
    • What evidence does this source present to demonstrate the validity of the claims?
    • What are potential counterarguments to the central argument of this source, and how effectively are counterarguments addressed in this source?  
    • How does the writer try to seem credible and trustworthy to the intended audience? What are the strengths of this source?
    • What are the weaknesses of this source? 

Step 3

  • Consider the following questions as you consider sources in connection with one another:  
  • What would the authors of these sources agree about? Note where you see overlap in their...
    • Central arguments
    • Major claims
    • Evidence
  • What would the authors of these sources disagree about? Note where you see divergence in their...
    • Central arguments
    • Major claims
    • Evidence 

Step 4

Write your source analysis mini-paper. Remember: The focus of this assignment should be your sources and the ideas and arguments they present, not your research topic itself. The source analysis mini-paper should have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.  

In the introduction . . .  
    • Introduce the two sources and present their titles, authors’ names, type and/or place of publication, and intended audience.  
    • Make a statement about whether and to what extent their main ideas overlap or diverge.
In the body, discuss . . .  
    • Each source’s central argument and major claims.
    • The evidence presented in each source.
    • The intended audience of each source.
    • Your assessment of each source’s persuasiveness and contribution to greater knowledge and understanding of the topic.  
    • Significant strengths of each source.
    • Significant weaknesses of each source.
    • Areas where there is overlap in the sources’ points and arguments.
    • Areas where there is divergence in the sources’ points and arguments.  
In the conclusion . . .  
    • Make final observations about what the two sources have contributed to knowledge and understanding of the topic.
    • Reflect on any striking features that you have discussed above about the sources, particularly regarding overlap and/or divergence in their arguments.
Integrating and citing sources
  • Integrate source information into your paper effectively by summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting appropriately. Review this resource on integrating sources: link.  
  • Cite your sources according to MLA style within your paper on a Works Cited page.  
Length and formatting requirements

500-750 words. Adhere to MLA style for in-text citations and your Works Cited page. Use black Times New Roman or Calibri font in size 12.

Criteria for Success:

General criteria: 

  • The writing is clear and coherent/makes sense. 
  • The tone and language are appropriate for the audience. 
  • The writer has gone through the entire writing process, revising substantially and thoughtfully. 
  • The writing adheres to grammar and punctuation rules. 

In the introduction, you should . . . 

    • Introduce the two sources and note the following:  
    • The title of each source.  
    • Authors’ names.
    • Type and/or place of publication of each source.
    • The intended audience for each source.  
    • Make a statement about whether and to what extent the main ideas in the two sources overlap or diverge.

In the source discussion section, you should discuss . . . 

    • Each source’s central argument and major claims.
    • The evidence presented in each source.
    • The intended audience of each source.
    • Your assessment of each source’s persuasiveness and contribution to greater knowledge and understanding of the topic.  
    • Significant strengths of each source.
    • Significant weaknesses of each source.
    • Areas where there is overlap in the sources’ points and arguments.
    • Areas where there is divergence in the sources’ points and arguments.  

In the conclusion, you should . . . 

    • Make final observations about what the two sources have contributed to knowledge and understanding of the topic.
    • Reflect on any striking features that you have discussed above about the sources, particularly regarding overlap and/or divergence in their arguments.

The source write-up mini-paper should adhere to all formatting criteria: 

    • Follow MLA format for all citations within the paper and on the Works Cited page. 
    • The entire document should be double-spaced.  
    • The font should be Calibri or Times New Roman in black size 12. 
    • The margins should be one inch on all sides.  
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