Source Sheet

Topic. What do all religions have in common?

Name:

Subject Heading:

Author/s:

USEFULNESS

Circle/Bold one:

VI: very important

OK: contains some good

NH: not helpful

If an article from a periodical:

Title of article:

Title of a periodical:

Vol. & No. of a periodical:

Pages of the article:

Date of a periodical:

Library location and URL:

If a book:

Title of book:

Place and date of publication:

Publisher:

Call number and library:

Title of the editor of a collection of essays:

Page numbers of the essay if a collection of essays:

Put original works cited here if a reprinted essay:

Complete a TRACE Analysis:

Text: What is the author’s purpose for writing this article (to inform, to persuade, to explore)?

What is the author’s main claim (thesis) regarding the issue?

What information (facts, experiences, data) does the author use to support this claim?

Reader: Who is the target audience for this source?

How has the author tried to establish common ground with the audience?

What are some possible consequences for accepting the author’s view or ignoring the author’s view?

Author: What are the author’s credentials for writing on this subject?

How has the author’s background, experiences, values, etc. influenced the text?

Constraints: List a few of the author’s constraints (beliefs, attitudes, affiliations, etc. that influence the author’s viewpoint).

List a few of your constraints to the author’s text.

Exigence: What caused the issue at hand? Why is this author writing about this subject?

Adapted from Wood, N.V. (2006). Essentials of Argument (pp. 25-29). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.