ENG 102 Critical Analysis Essay
“Writers use analysis first to understand and then to record and demonstrate to readers what they have learned. The writing [resulting from analysis] is a form of exploration” (DiYanni and Hoy 31).
“An evaluation is at bottom a judgment; you judge something according to certain criteria, supporting your judgment with reasons and evidence” (Bullock, Goggin, and Weinberg 125).
The two quotes above explain the skills you will use for the next essay, the critical analysis essay – an evaluative argument focused on one of your sources. The purpose of this essay assignment is two-part: one part understanding thoroughly a published author’s ideas in the source (analysis) and one part objectively judging those ideas after having analyzed them (evaluation).
You will first select from the sources you have identified in your research and documented in your annotated bibliography/works consulted the source you would label your “best source.” (This “best source” must be submitted with the essay – full source, no links.) You will then analyze this source by taking apart the writer’s ideas in order to understand those ideas, how they are presented, and how they work together to achieve the writer’s purpose. And finally, you will evaluate the writer’s ideas and presentation of ideas, making an evaluation based on the aspects of credibility we have used in evaluating sources.
In analyzing and evaluating, you must break down the source based on
• Accuracy
• Authority
• Objectivity
• Currency
• Coverage
The source, therefore, needs to be of significant length and complexity – not simple news reporting, but rather an argument or research study related to student’s research question. Look for articles from professional journals, such as a medical issue could be addressed in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
This analysis and evaluation will be presented in an essay according to the organization outlined...