Then you must list five secondary sources you are planning to use for your Assignment Four: Research Essay. You may later decide to change or add to these sources when you begin writing your actual research essay, so consider these sources your tentative list. However, by now you should have at least scanned, if not read, each source, taken some notes, and become familiar with their contents and relevance to your research topic.
Keep in mind that you will submit this assignment only once for grading, so its critical that you pay close attention to the details of how to write each entry and format the list. Be sure to review carefully the appropriate APA and MLA sections in A Writers Reference for how to write and format each entry (refer to pp. 371 497). Do not rely solely on the standard reference information that usually accompanies each source; you should always double-check them with the examples in A Writers Reference.
For your list, you will need to cite at least five sources. Of these, no more than two may be web pages, and even those must be from experts (The Mayo Clinic, for example). At least three of the five sources should be from scholarly journals. You may use articles from the Leatherby Library databases, books, journals, or interviews with experts in the field. As mentioned above, you may find other, better sources as your research continues, so it is perfectly acceptable to remove less useful sources and add new ones later in the course. However, you will need to accurately use the citation format you choose, and this assignment will give you practice and feedback.
Part 2: Summary and In-Text Citation
In the second part of this assignment, you will demonstrate your ability to write a summary and the corresponding in-text citation. Please follow the instructions in A Writers Reference for how to write a proper summary of an original passage from a secondary source. Remember that a summary is written in your own words and writing style and does not include quoted text from the original passage. As in Part 1, use either APA or MLA style for the citation portion, being consistent of course in the style.
For Part 2, you must select one passage from Quindlens essay Uncle Sam and Aunt Samantha, which was published in Newsweek on November 4, 2001, and included in the READINGS/PREPARATION folder. The original passage you choose to summarize must be at least 200 words in length, so be sure your selection is long enough (probably 2-3 paragraphs). The rule of thumb for the length of summaries is about 1/4 to 1/3 the length of the original passage, so your summary should be at least 50 words and no more than about 75 words. If you write fewer than 50 words, you are probably leaving out some key information; if you write much more than 75 words, you are likely including too much information. For a summary, you will probably not include any specific examples from the original passage, but you still need to ensure the accuracy and capture the point of view and tone of the original information.
Here is how you should format the Part 2: Summary and In-Text Citation section.
Following your completed Part 1: Source List section, write the words Part 2: Summary and In-Text Citation, and then make space for the two subsections below:
1. Copy and paste an entire original passage (minimum of 200 words) from Quindlens essay. You may choose any passage from the essay (usually a couple of paragraphs).
2. Summarize this entire original passage in your own words and writing style, using the appropriate in-text citation (APA or MLA) in an introductory signal phrase or at the end of your summary. A Writers Reference has several examples for the wording. Remember that APA and MLA styles have slightly different rules for whats included for an in-text citation. (When a page number is not indicated for the original source, you should use the paragraph number[s].) Finally, be sure that the number of words in your summary is in the range of 1/4 to 1/3 the length of the original passage, and proofread carefully.
