Community College of Rhode Island W5 strong and Independent Princesses Argumentative Essay Article response assignment: Preparation, the trap test, timelines, authority, purpose and annotation paragraph. Last updated 7/2320
Article Response Assignment (Spring 2020)
For each reading, Id like you to produce a thoughtful reflection of the themes of the article/essay at
hand. Essentially, you will be producing a critical review of the article that includes a summary and
evaluation of its ideas. This process is often referred to as annotating a source. Each separate annotation
should take the form of a short essay. These usually run about 2 ½ to 4 pages, with the longer ones often
focused more deeply in the evaluation section on issues they see with what is being said in the article.
PREPARATION
Before writing anything, read through the selected article with a pen, pencil, and/or highlighter.
(Personally, I like using two or three pens with different color ink.) Mark up the article as you go
through it. Look for statements that seem to imply purpose, points, and claims. Try to follow the
argument being made as best you can, but remember that even the best scholars are often stymied by a
piece of scholarship, especially if it is outside their field. Do your best to understand the article and try
to take away some knowledge of the discussion. You might also note passages that seem particularly
insightful, confusing, unsupported, or dumb.
THE TRAAP TEST
At this stage, you might also think about your article with relation to the TRAAP Test, as you consider
Timeliness, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose. (Youll revisit some of these again as you
progress with this assignment.)
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Timeliness:
How current is the source and the information it presents?
(Note that literary scholarship usually doesnt go out of date, but newer research might give you a better
sense of the state of scholarship on your topic now and offer more recent approaches to the article/topic.)
Relevance:
Is the source and the information it presents pertinent to your current project?
(Responses to this can vary and may change as you develop your concept of your project.)
Authority:
What can you discover about the creator of your source? Does the creator have a credible background to
write on the topic? Also, are they presenting fresh ideas or merely reporting them from other sources?
(Often a brief biography of the creator is included in the source, but databases dont always carry this
over. You might try Googling the creator. If they are an academic, theyll usually have a faculty profile,
a page on Academia.edu, ResearchGate, or Linkedin, or, possibly a personal webpage or twitter feed.)
Accuracy:
How reliable, trustworthy, and correct is the information presented?
This might be hard for you to judge. If you have a source that covers a topic you have some familiarity
with, this will work better; however, if you select a source that covers a topic that is unfamiliar to you,
then you might have difficulties here. Ask for help from your instructor and/or the librarians, if you need
it, or pick another source that might be more accessible to you and your experiences.
Purpose:
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What is the reason for the creation of this source? Is this a high school student paper, an undergraduate
student paper, a graduate student work, a conference paper, a book review, a peer-reviewed article, a
chapter in a book, etc.? Also, as you read, do you notice any intentional or unintentional biases that the
creator may have?
Do also consider whether the publisher of the work has any biases as well. You might try Googling the
publisher or journal website for more information on this.
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SETTING UP THE ANNOTATION
Now youre ready to begin your annotation. Set up your document in proper MLA Page Format with a
page header/number, heading, and creative title, as you normally would. Save the file with your last
name first AND an abbreviated form of the assignment title. (For example, my first one might be labeled
Torregrossa Article Response 01.)
Start your response by devising a citation for the piece. This should be included after your title (a
creative on if possible) but before your annotation and set as a hanging indent. If your article came from
a database (like those from our library), often the citation is ready made for you, but do check it for
formatting errors and correctness. Remember, we are using MLA Documentation Format from 2016 as
presented in the 8th edition of the MLA Handbook.
ANNOTATION OPENING PARAGRAPH
To begin your annotation, introduce the article and its creator. State both the title of the article and the
name of its creator in the paper. This sets up the topic to be discussed. Be advised that you might need to
do some research on the creators background to assess their authority. Most academics have faculty
pages at the schools they work at, some have profiles on Wikipedia, LinkedIn, and/or Academia.Edu,
and a few will even have their own webpage or social media page. You want to learn their position/rank
and background as a scholar AND as a person qualified (or not) to write on the subject of the article at
hand. (If you are lucky, the article itself might include a brief biography.)
Then, review your earlier markings on the article to determine the main idea (or ideas) you feel the
creator of the article is trying to get across to you. Ask yourself, what is the creator promoting as an
argument based on his subject? Be aware, this may or may not be what the creator is claiming as his
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purpose in presenting the work to you. Youll want to summarize this aim as you see it in your own
words. You might also briefly explain their points and some of the claims being made but dont let this
section overwhelm the rest of the annotation. Lastly, there should be NO quotations from the article in
this section.
Next, evaluate whether or not the creator is successful in achieving his implied goal. (Essentially, can
you accept his argument or not?) This would become your purpose in writing the response. Basically,
tell us whether you are for or against the piece or somewhere in the middle. You should also include a
plan for development explaining the points you want to develop about the article; remember, these are
NOT the points that the article makes but the points YOU want to make with regards to its argument.
ANNOTATION BODY PARAGRAPHS (AT LEAST 2 BUT 3 ARE BETTER)
This section should resemble a series of body paragraphs that each both summarize and response to the
article, being clear throughout that you are commenting on the ideas of a particular critic. Use transitions
and topic sentences to set up your points (at least 2 and no more than 4) about the article. Remember
that, in an essay, each paragraph focuses on one point made in the article. Be aware, however, that you
dont need to cover everything mentioned in the article. Concentrate on the central ideas and/or the ideas
most relevant to your current project.
Opening Section of Each Paragraph
As with a regular essay, begin with a transition and topic sentence linked to your purpose and one of the
points being made by your article. Proceed to your discussion of its relevant claims.
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Summary Section
Be sure in each paragraph to back up your points about the article with supporting claims and specific
examples from the work. (This is the summary part.) Heres where you display and prove your
understanding of the article. Think about the following: What things does the creator say or comment
on? What evidence does he use? You should draw directly from the article in this section, being sure to
include in-text references by page numbers for anything you summarize and/or paraphrase.
Response Section
Following your summary, if anything sounds particularly smart or stupid, thats worth noting and having
you respond to it directly. (This is the response section. The purpose is to get you to engage in a
conversation with the writer and his ideas. Think in particular about areas of the overall argument that
have value for your work and/or that you take issue with. Essentially, how does this article expand,
reinforce, and/or challenge your preexisting ideas about the topic(s).) Again, you want to prove your
interpretation of the article. You should use some quotes here (dont forget to cite the page numbers),
being sure to integrate them properly (think of the quote sandwich model: introduce, quote, and explain
the significance). You might also draw on your own experiences here with the subject as you respond.
Finally, you dont have to like the article or praise it; often, the best responses are critical of the article
and tear it to shreds. As with any claim being made, be sure to present your response through
explanation and presentation of specific evidence.
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ANNOTATION CLOSING PARAGRAPH
Finally, as with any essay, conclude your response with a brief closing. Sum up your assessment of the
article and the points you made about it. Remind us of what you thought about these ideas. Lastly,
consider any final remarks worth noting.
Do email the instructor with any questions on this document.
05 WEEK
(M 7/27 W 7/29)
Note: Grading of Essays 01 and 02 Revisions to be completed today and Tuesday. I need to
adjust the rubric.
Schedule of Assignments:
Monday, 7/27/20
(Critical Reading Skills) (Unified Research Project)
(Research Project Proposal and Working Bibliography) (finalize by Monday, 7/27, so you can
get started on the Article Responses ASAP)
(01 First Draft Article Response Discussion Post) (complete by Wednesday, 7/29)
(05 Checkpoint) (complete by Wednesday, 7/29)
Wednesday, 7/29/20
(03 Essay Revised First Draft) (submit by Friday, 7/31, to allow time for reflection, revision, and
to prepare presentation materials)
Homework:
(complete assignments in Connect these are worth 10% of your course grade)
(01 Article Response Final Draft) (complete by Saturday, 8/1)
(review feedback 03 Essay to complete 03 Essay Reflection/Revision for Presentation)
Well use class today to finalize research project ideas and start the Article Responses. Youll do
two drafts of each response; the first gets pasted into to the discussion forum (by Wednesday) for
peer feedback (review at least 2), and the Final Draft in Blackboard (by Saturday) as a Word file
for grading. (Same process next week.)
Here are the details:
(01 First Draft Article Response Discussion Post) (complete by Wednesday, 7/29)
Article Responses follow a specific format. Please adhere to the guide sent to you upon
acceptance of your Research Project Proposal and Working Bibliography.
Youll be completing two drafts for each of these. The First Draft should be submitted in the
discussion forum for peer feedback. Try to review and comment on the work by at least two of
your classmates.
Review their feedback, revise accordingly, and submit the updated Final Draft by the due date.
Be advised that the discussion forum does not check for plagiarism; if plagiarism is detected in
the Final Draft, you may be required to redo the assignment.
(01 Article Response Final Draft) (complete by Saturday, 8/1)
Article Responses follow a specific format. Please adhere to the guide sent to you upon
acceptance of your Research Project Proposal and Working Bibliography.
Youll be completing two drafts for each of these. The second stage, the Final Draft, should be
submitted as a Word document using expected MLA Paper Format as we have been using all
semester. Please save the file with your last name first and then Article Response 01 (for
example Torregrossa Article Response 01).
The Final Draft should display some reflection and revision based on peer and instructor
feedback left in the discussion forum on your First Draft.
Be advised that the discussion forum does not check for plagiarism; if plagiarism is detected in
the Final Draft, you may be required to redo the assignment.
Research Project Help:
Once your proposal and bibliography are approved, youll receive a copy of the Article Response
Assignment. The number of paragraphs can vary, but your essay should include an opening that
introduces the article, its author, and his/her ideas; a development section that both summarizes
and responses to the ideas of the article; and a closing. These usually run about 2 ½ to 4 pages.
In a larger research project, the Article Response often serves as a form of note-taking. It allows
you to digest the reading and reflect on it. It also gives you a chance to enter into a conversation
with the writer and offer your perspective on the topic. (For more details on types of longer
research papers, see Chapter 19: Writing a Source-Based Essay [pages 430-52] and Chapter 20:
Writing a Research Essay [pages 453-69]).
If you are unclear on the best practices for summarizing to avoid plagiarism, see Chapter 18:
Summarizing and Paraphrasing in your textbook (pages 410-29). It starts with some notes on
summarizing. The chapter also offers some good tips on how to use quotes. The best advice on
this is to use the quote-sandwich model: introduce the quote, insert the quote, and explain the
significance of the quote for your purpose. There are further notes of value at the start of Chapter
19: Writing a Source-Based Essay (pages 430-52).
(05 Checkpoint) (complete by Wednesday, 7/29)
Checkpoints are short weekly assignments designed primarily for you to check-in with the
instructor and reflect on your progress in the course. Activities will vary depending on the needs
of the class. Please wait until the exact description is added before submitting your response.
They should normally be completed at the end of the course week they are assigned for.
Checkpoints also serve as a means to practice, test, and reinforce proper document and page
design. Specifics on these aspects will be announced in class. Uploaded files should be saved in
Word format and named by your last name and assignment title (ex. Torregrossa Checkpoint 05).
Documents should follow proper MLA format with page header and number, heading, doublespaced text, etc.
For this week, please reflect on your progress with the research project. Are you experiencing
any difficulties reading and/or comprehending your article for this week? Are there any issues
with completing the Article Response activity this week? Are the any other concerns you have
about the research project? (As always, please include any specific details to support your
claims.)
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