Assignment
For this assignment, you will write an essay analyzing a major journal from your academic discipline. Your essay will draw from 10 recent articles within the journal (published no earlier than 2013). You must select articles (not book review essays, which tend to appear toward the end of the journal and are much shorter in length than articles).

 

Guidelines

In your essay, be sure to answer the following questions. Use headings to organize your responses:

 

• Article Length: How long is each article? What patterns/exceptions do you notice?
• Paragraph Length: How long are different paragraphs? What patterns/exceptions do you notice?
• Sentence Length: How long are typical sentences? What patterns/exceptions do you notice?
• Subject & Scope: What kind of research does the journal publish—why? What kinds of topics are discussed in the articles? What patterns/exceptions do you notice?
• Lexicon: What kinds of vocabulary words tend to be commonly used? Are there any words that you might not find in other venues/disciplines?
• Thesis Statements: What kinds of observations can you make about the use of thesis statements? What patterns/exceptions do you notice?
• Organization: What features such as topic sentences, headings, and subheadings are used to organize the text? What patterns/exceptions do you notice?
• Images/Figures: What kinds of images and/or figures are used? What patterns/exceptions do you notice?
• Miscellaneous: What other features did you notice in the articles that are unique and/or noteworthy?

 

In addition to answering each of the above questions, you will include a References list that follows the formatting guidelines of your journal (APA, MLA, CMS, etc.). You will also submit a copy of an article from the journal that you believe best represents the scope, aims, content, and style of the journal. The final essay that you submit must be single-spaced.

 

Due Dates

 

21 Jan             Finalize selection of journal

 

28 Jan             Finalize selection of articles

 

Feb 11            Submit JA Essay draft (via Dropbox)

 

Feb 18            Submit JA Essay (via dropbox)

 

Learning Outcomes

 

• Develop and refine basic academic research skills
• Develop awareness of the language conventions of your discipline
• Develop awareness of current issues and debates within your discipline
• Develop strategies to read material for textual and extratextual features in addition to content

 

 

 

Grading Criteria

 

• Attention to each of the questions asked
• Depth/sophistication of identification and analysis of features
• Use of evidence and specific examples to support answers
• Proper formatting of references list according to the journal’s style guide