Online education is as effective as on-site campus education because the students can hear recorded lectures clearly, virtual classrooms, no set hours, and flexibility.
1. Find an article: Select an article related to your research project topic. you are going to analyze a single article related to your topic. The purpose of this assignment is to give you some practice with critical thinking, idea development, essay organization, and analysis before you get to the "real deal" with the research paper. Therefore, this isn't a draft of the research paper; this is more like a practice (but graded!) essay to help you work on thinking critically and analytically.
2. Use this format:
o Paragraph 1: Introduction with thesis statement
o Paragraphs 2,3,4: Each body paragraph should provide support for your thesis. Three total supports
o Paragraph 5: Conclusion.
3. Points to Consider
o Read the essay multiple times, taking notes on the five elements of analysis: purpose, audience, main idea, development, and organization/coherence.
o Your intro should begin with a description/summary of the essay. End the introduction with the thesis statement.
o The thesis statement should identify how three of the elements of analysis impact the article as a whole. Example, "In Article A by John Smith, he effectively argues Y by writing with a single purpose, organizing his points from weakest to strongest, and developing his argument with specific and practical examples. The body of your paper should support this.
o The three body paragraphs should provide supporting points with evidence or examples. Based on the thesis above, my first body paragraph would address how he writes with a single purpose. I would explore that purpose, how Smith conveys the purpose, how that purpose runs throughout the entire paper, etc. My second body paragraph would address the organization of the paper. I would examine how the points are arranged and why that option made a strong impact on the readers. For my third body paragraph, I would consider the examples he includes to help support his claim, why these would appeal to the audience, how they made an impact, etc. You do NOT have to include research beyond the article you are analyzing, but you do need some sort of support from the text to help you provide evidence for your analysis. If you need to do extra research to provide evidence, that's fine. You are welcome to use the sources you have already found if they fit
o The conclusion should provide an overall assessment of the author's use of purpose, audience awareness, main idea, development, and organization and coherence in writing an effective article. Is the author able to convey his or her ideas clearly to the audience?
o Use of the first person is acceptable; however, try to use it sparingly. That way, you can stay focused on the issues at hand, as well as practice the third person perspective, which is required for the final research essay. Strive to combine logos (logic), pathos (emotions), and ethos (your credibility) to make your point.
o Work at NOT padding your paper with random thoughts, fillers, or weaker points.
o Don't be sarcastic, degrading, etc. with your tone.