Critical Thinking & Information Literacy
Across the Curriculum
Essay #2 Instructions
English 201: Spring 2005
Your assignment (2 pages + bibliography) must be emailed by the deadline in your syllabus.
Having explored your working thesis and researched the background of your topic, it’s now time to begin fleshing out
your stockpile of information. Your second visit to the library will include an introduction to the Proquest, EBSCOhost,
periodical, and microfilm resources available there. These are the types of sources I want you to use for your second
essay, which will be more analytical and persuasive in nature. Successful essays will use the argumentative
strategies we’ve covered in class.
If your thesis differs a little from that of the last paper or changes in the course of writing this one, that’s fine.
Just make sure that the essay has a clear, analytical thesis and logical organizational framework.
Area of focus: Your thesis should focus on the government and leadership of the country you’ve chosen.
How is the country run, and how does its leadership respond to local issues or dilemmas?
Also, please remember that although this is a research exercise, your opinion and critical insight are necessary
components of a successful essay. After familiarizing yourself with the materials, use your own observations and
ideas to synthesize and devise your own position. Then use the sources as support for your argument. If your
sources disagree with each other, or if you disagree with them, then pick a side or develop a third perspective
of your own. In other words, merely handing me a list of names, dates and places is not enough. From here on
out, you need to use the sources, not be used by them.
I want you to use at least three sources. Depending on the nation and topics you’re researching, you
might find certain types of sources more or less useful than others. If possible, it is best to use a variety
of informational sources (e.g. one academic journal article, one magazine article, and one newspaper article),
but whichever section(s) of the library you find yourself in, take the time to dig up the three most informative
sources you can.
As before, since you’ll be citing sources, use the “M” section of your text, attach a bibliography and include
in-text citations.
Finally, in terms of grading, please review the format and grading criteria sections of your syllabus. Then
re-visit your previous essay and try to improve your performance.
Essay #2 is worth 10% of your grade for this course
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