ENGL 104: PAPER #1 (Synthesis Paper)
OBJECTIVE
Students should
compose a well-developed and grammatically correct essay that synthesizes two
sources from two different mediums (e.g. article/documentary, image/article,
etc.) about a controversial or debatable issue.
ASSIGNMENT
For this paper, you
will join in a “conversation” with multiple perspectives on an issue, beyond a
simple compare/contrast structure. By becoming an informed writer—in this case,
making insightful connections between two sources—you will establish your own
“voice” and credibility. You will first need to find two sources that discuss
the same issue, that are presented in different mediums (see the “Sources”
section below).
Your Synthesis Paper will have three main parts. First, you will detail what
your two sources have to say about your topic and how they are making their
arguments (What argument is being made?). In the second part of the assignment,
you will analyze how the use of two different mediums influences the
effectiveness of each source (Which is more effective and why?). Finally, in
the last part of your Synthesis Paper, you will evaluate what you believe is
true about the argument, using each source to help you (What do you believe is
true and why?).
Since you are not analyzing the language of your sources in the first part, you should paraphrase and summarize more than you quote; keep direct quotes for memorable, impactful language that you feel is important to share with your readers. Also avoid stringing summaries along; you should be synthesizing material and connecting sources with each other and to your own evaluations.
SOURCES
After you choose
your controversial/debatable issue, you will need to find two sources from two
different mediums. One of these sources should be a journal article, found
through library research. For your second source, you will find a source from a
different medium (e.g. documentary, image, short video, etc.), which does not
necessarily need to be “reliable.” If you need help gathering or citing your
sources, feel free to contact me or stop by during my office hours. We have
already gone over APA format, so you should cite these sources using APA style.
FORMAT
Papers should be
900-1,000 words (your draft should be at least 1 1⁄2 – 2 pages), typed,
double-spaced, and follow APA documentation style. Your Synthesis Paper should
use a standard font style and size (such as Times, Helvetica, or Palatino
12-point) and have 1-inch margins on all sides. Your Works Cited page will not
be used in the word count.
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