WRTG391 2019 January Four-Source Essay Latest

WRTG 391 7970 Advanced Research Writing

Four-Source Essay

Writing Assignment        #2          

The        Four-Source       Essay:                   

Basic      Synthesis            

Summary             of            assignment        

• Task: The four-source essay asks you to synthesize the arguments of four sources.

• Length: minimum of 1000 words. The instructor will give you comments on the first

draft and let you know if you need more development beyond 1000 words.

• Format: APA

• Sources: four sources, all of which you will find through library searches. You will

select a topic of your choice, conduct searches in the library databases, focus the topic,

and determine four sources to use in this essay.

o Please use only four sources. Please do not incorporate more than four sources

into this essay.

Articles to            Use        for          the         Essay    

For this essay, you will select four articles on a topic of your choice. The articles should be on

the same topic but feature different perspectives, opinions, or conclusions about some aspects of

the topic.

For example, if you are majoring in cybersecurity, you might locate four articles about the need

for improved training for employees on mobile security issues. The four articles might take

different angles on the topic, perhaps even disagreeing in some respects.

To use another example, if you are majoring in criminal justice, you might locate four articles on

the CSI Effect. The articles should take different perspectives on the topic. Perhaps one or two

of them say that the CSI Effect exists and one or two say that it does not exist. Or perhaps all

agree that it exists but they all take slightly different approaches to addressing the problem.

Organization for this Essay

You will write an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement. Your thesis statement will

demonstrate what the various sources say on the topic. You might use the Forrest Gump

exercise as an example, although keep in mind that that essay was written in a less formal style

than you want to use for this assignment.

You will also have various body paragraphs that show synthesis. In synthesizing sources, you

will divide your paper into themes.

For example, let us assume that you find four articles on the need for improved training for

employees on mobile security issues. In this situation, assume that the four articles emphasize

different issues. One emphasizes the costs of data breaches to companies. Another emphasizes

reasons that employees do not practice safe cybersecurity practices. Another discusses methods

for training employees. Another mentions costs of training for such initiatives.

You might divide the paper into two categories:

• Reasons for implementing a training program

• Methods of and costs involved in implementing a training program

Point of view

For this essay, you will use third-person point of view.

Please do not use first person point of view (e.g., “I,” “me,” “we”) in writing this essay.

In addition, please do not use second-person point of view (“you” or “your”) in writing this

essay. For example, instead of “Smith argues that, as a director, you have a duty to coordinate

cybersecurity efforts...” you would write, “Smith argues that directors have a duty to coordinate

cybersecurity efforts…”

APA Style

The paper should be formatted in APA style. The video How to format your paper according to

APA style might be helpful to watch. In summary, you should observe the following:

• Use one-inch margins.

• Double space.

• Use size 12 Times New Roman font.

• Include a running head.

• Include page numbers.

• Include a title page.

• Include a “References” page on which you list the four articles in APA style

• Do not include an abstract. This paper is not long enough to warrant an abstract.

Submitting the assignment:

You will submit a first draft of the essay to the assignment folder. The first draft will not be

graded. The instructor will provide comments to it.

After receiving comments from the instructor, you will submit a revised draft. The final draft

will be graded.

Helpful Resources

• Kennedy, M.L. and Kennedy, W., “Synthesis,” from Writing in the disciplines: A reader and rhetoric for academic writers. This chapter in in the e-reserves of our class. It provides an excellent description of an exploratory synthesis essay, a literature review, and a thesis-driven synthesis essay.

• Graff, G. and Birkenstein, C., They Say / I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing with Readings. This chapter in in the e-reserves of our class. It mentions

various techniques to apply in stating what an author said and your response to the

author. It is recommended that you read through that chapter so that you might apply

these techniques to this essay.