Twain maskTimetable: Due November 13, 2012.

Length: Approximately 1-2 typed, double-spaced pages

For this assignment, you’ll write a précis on a journal article or book chapter,

Guidelines:

Form:

A précis is a summary and critical evaluation of a piece of scholarly work. It will typically take the following form:

  1. Full bibliographic citation in MLA format of the article or book chapter.
  2. First paragraph: an objective summary or abstract of the article. This paragraph should present the information as objectively as possible. You’ll have a chance to critique the argument in the second part of your précis. You should not use the abstract published with the journal article or book chapter. The first paragraph should contain the following information:
    1. The overall argument that the author is making, including the author’s thesis, the logical thread of the argument, the kinds of support provided, and so forth. If the author invents or uses special terms to argue the case, mention and define them.
    2. The context for the argument. What critics or points of view is the author attempting to refute? Where does the author’s argument fit into the larger critical discussion of the issue? Is the author attempting to overturn certain assumptions about the work, and, if so, what are those assumptions?
  3. Second paragraph: a critical analysis of the article. In this paragraph, you’ll assess the strengths and weaknesses of the article and discuss the implications of its reasoning for future study of the work. These questions may help you get started:
    1. What parts of the article were especially strong or insightful, and why?
    2. In what parts of the essay (if any) did the author make claims that were not supported by the evidence? Were there any flaws in the logic of the piece?
    3. In what ways is this article useful for understanding the novel? How significant is it?

You may use more paragraphs if you need to, but you should follow this basic format.

The précis will count for 5% of your grade (see syllabus). It will not receive extensive comments; instead, it will be graded using the following scale:

Category

Possible Points

Actual Points

Full bibliographic citation in MLA format of the article or book chapter.

2

 

Printout of article handed in with précis

3

 

Summary of article (first paragraph)

This includes the overall argument that the author is making, the author’s thesis, the logical thread of the argument, the kinds of support provided, and so forth. It also includes the context for the argument.

  • If the author invents or uses special terms to argue the case, mention and define them.
  • What critics or points of view does the author attempt to refute?
  • Where does the author’s argument fit into the larger critical discussion of the issue?
  • Is the author attempting to overturn certain assumptions about the work, and, if so, what are those assumptions?
Is the article an appropriate choice: a peer-reviewed, scholarly article found in the MLA Bibliography? ___Yes ____No

10

 

Critique of article (second paragraph).

  • What parts of the article were especially strong or insightful, and why?
  • In what parts of the essay (if any) did the author make claims that were not supported by the evidence?
  • Were there any flaws in the logic of the piece?
In what ways is this article useful for understanding the subject? How significant is it?

10

 

Quality of writing (style, grammar, punctuation, etc.)

10

 

Total

35

 

Extra credit for writing about an article or book chapter not available online

2

 

Final Total