Popular Versus Scholarly Sources Worksheet

Directions:

Select a popular media source like a video or a website on a cognitive psychology topic in your course text.

Provide the full reference for the source.

Summarize the content of the source using bullet points in complete sentences or a 5–8 sentence paragraph.

Identify at least three peer-reviewed journal articles on the topic covered in the source and explain their relevancy to the topic. Provide the full references of the articles in APA format.

Compare and contrast information provided in the source with the three articles by answering the following questions:

What information provided by the popular source is supported by research or information provided in the articles?

What if any information in the articles conflicts with the popular source?

Do you consider the media source you selected to be valid? Why or why not?

What questions do you have about the topic based on your analysis?

How can the topic you reviewed be applied to the real world? Feel free to also illustrate with examples.

Then complete all three pages of the worksheet below. Be sure to use full sentences (grammar counts), evidence from relevant sources, and APA-style citations.

Worksheet

Directions Responses

Name your selected topic.

Provide the full reference for the source, and include the link to the video or website. Summarize the content of the source using complete sentences in a paragraph of 5–8 sentences. List three peer-reviewed journal articles on the topic providing and explain the relevance of each of the articles to the topic.

Provides the full references in APA format. Compare and contrast information provided in the source with each of the three articles by answering these questions and citing the sources: What information provided by the popular source is supported by research or information provided in the articles?

What if any information in the articles conflicts with the popular source?

Do you consider the media source you selected to be valid? Why or why not?

What questions do you have about the topic based on your analysis?

Explain how the topic can be used to help solve problems in the real world.

Feel free to also illustrate with examples, including personal examples. Conduct a self-evaluation using established scoring criteria and identifying the proficiency level for each criterion. The distinguished levels of the criteria are listed to the right.

Identify the level of your performance: nonperformance, basic, proficient, or distinguished.

Provide some rationale as to why you selected that level. Summarizes the content of a popular media source, conveying the implications of the topic.

Level:

Rationale:

Identifies three peer-reviewed journal articles on the topic covered in a popular media source and describes relevancy of the articles. Provides the full references of the articles in APA format.

Level:

Rationale:

Compares and contrasts information provided in a popular media source with peer-reviewed journal articles, making a clear case for the validity or lack of validity of the media source.

Level:

Rationale:

Describes how the topic of a popular media source can be applied to the real world, providing examples.

Level:

Rationale:

Conducts a self-evaluation using established scoring criteria and identifying the proficiency level for each criterion, including comments for each criterion.

Level:

Rationale:

Presents a focused purpose through strong organizational skills. Presents evidence through strong paraphrasing or summarizing and appropriate tone and sentence structure.

Level:

Rationale:

Applies current APA style, including in-text citations and full references for sources with few errors.

Level:

Rationale: