Two Sum/Crits and a short paper on creating knowledge

There are several components to the projects: Two Sum/Crits and a short paper on creating knowledge.
Part of this project is to show me that you know how to write an essay, so use your best Writing Process skills from ENG 1010 (or equivalent) to develop, draft, and revise an essay that argues some thesis about knowledge. The argument for your thesis must use material from these two sources. Do not write a paper about these sources; rather, write a paper about knowledge that uses material from these two sources. So come up with a thesis, develop an argument for it, and use material from these sources to support the argument.

These best way to use material from a source is to cut and paste part of your summary—and then add a parenthetical references. Some people think that you only need a reference when using a quotation, but this is very untrue. You must reference all source use, whether quotation or summary. So when you cut and paste part of a summary into a paper, immediately follow it with a reference. In this case just put the author’s last name in parentheses. Here is an example of how I could use part of the sample summary I presented:

One of the more common tactics used to fool people is claiming that scientists are biased or foolish and that certain fringe specialists have sources of information and explanations that scientists either withhold from the public or are not clever enough to understand. (Amundson)

This information is obviously drawn from Amundson’s article, so I need to cite it properly. You put the citation in parentheses right after the source use, just like you would for a quotation: “Imo’s playmates and her mother learned this trick from Imo, and it soon spread to other members of the troop.” (Amudson)

The third way you can use source information is to paraphrase it. What’s the difference between summary and paraphrase? As you know, in summary you include the major points and leave out other details. When you paraphrase a passage, you leave nothing out, but just change it to your own wording or phrasing. You would never paraphrase a whole article; instead, use paraphrase when you want a specific passage, but quotation somehow won’t fit the flow of the text or would need extra explanation. In all cases, quotation, paraphrase, or summary, follow the source use immediately with a parenthetical reference.

When you are ready to submit your project, put everything into one file, save it in Word (.docx) or Rich Text (.rtf) format, and upload load it to the proper SafeAssign link in the Thursday folder. SafeAssign will allow you to upload several files before submitting, but I would prefer if you cut and paste your work into one file in this order:

Amundson Sum/Crit
Westrum Sum/Crit
Paper on Knowledge

You can include a Works Cited page if you would like, but I won’t require it for this paper. What you should do is include a proper bibliographic reference at the beginning of each Sum/Crit. You can find the proper MLA style reference for the Amundson article in the Sample Summary. Remember that the Westrum article is from the same issue, so just substitute the author and title to get the proper Westrum reference.

When you have your file uploaded, remember to hit the Submit button or your paper won’t really be submitted. After submitting, wait a minute to see if everything worked properly. In a short while, you will see the contents of your submitted file displayed on the screen. If something isn’t right, let me know through email so I can check it and reset your submission link if needed.

You have until Thursday at 11:59 PM to submit your file. I would advise you not to wait to the last minute. It’s harder to get IT help after 9:00 PM. I am also unlikely to be available after that time. Nonetheless, if it’s late and you have troubles, email me, and I’ll help you when I can.

There is a link below for this Week’s Discussion board. If you have any questions about assembling and submitting your First Paper project, ask in the Discussion forum. This Week’s Discussion is optional for extra help—there are no points attached to it.