Comparative Source Analysis

This project has students collaboratively create a source-credibility rubric and apply it in an individual comparison to demonstrate how credibility varies across contexts.

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Comparative Source Analysis is a collaborative process where students use prior experience with academic, popular, and digital sources to justify their credibility rubric. The project concludes with a reflection on collaboration, rubric design, source selection, and audience awareness, which makes up 50% of the final grade in the First-Year Composition curriculum at Northern Illinois University (NIU).

Comparative Source Analysis Objectives

• Identify and apply criteria for evaluating source credibility.
• Practice collaborative decision-making in rubric development.
• Analyze credibility as part of the research process.
• Compare how different sources establish trustworthiness.

This project is connected to the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) through:

• Writing Process Reflection
• Transfer and Contextual Connections
• Genre and Style Awareness

Genres & Formats

• Comparative source analysis with reflection.
• Group rubric, individual comparison paper, and written or multimodal reflection.

Rubric

• Comparative Source Analysis

Grading Criteria: CSA

Criterion	Exceptional	Met	Not Met
Introduction	Your introduction clearly explains the importance of evaluating source credibility.	Your introduction mentions source credibility.	Your introduction does not mention credibility.
Rubric	Your paper clearly discusses each criterion and illustrates with examples.	Your paper mentions different criteria used in source evaluation.	The paper does not include the rubric or does so with no explanation.
Sources	Sources clearly demonstrate a range of topics and concerns regarding source credibility.	At least 3 sources are used to illustrate source credibility.	The paper has insufficient or inappropriate sources.
Process	Discussion clearly and effectively centers on the process by which a given evaluation was made.	Discussion of sources mentions processes as well as conclusions.	Discussion of sources does not include discussion of evaluative processes.
Responding to Feedback	You have revised your CSA substantially and/or thoughtfully based on both your peers’ and your instructor’s feedback.	You have revised your CSA based on both your peers’ and your instructor’s feedback.	No revisions to the CSA have been made or only minor changes have been made that do not adequately respond to feedback.

A copy of CSA Grading rubric:File:CSA Grading Criteria.pdf

• Reflection Piece

Grading Criteria: CSA Reflection

Grading Criteria: Reflection	Exceptional	Met	Not Met
Reflecting on Your Group	You have clearly explained what methods your group used to successfully work together and have included things you would do differently next time based on your experience.	You explain what methods your group used to successfully work together.	The methods used to work together are not included or are unclear.
Reflecting on Your Rubric Choices	You have clearly identified choices in your reflection that you made in your rubric that explain why you designed your criteria as you did.	You have mentioned rubric choices in your reflection related to design choices.	Rubric choices are not mentioned in the reflection.
Reflecting on Appealing to Your Audience	You have identified specific things that you have done in your CSA to help your audience understand the process better.	You have mentioned things that you have done in your CSA to help your audience.	Audience reception not mentioned in the reflection.
Reflecting on Your Examples and Arrangement	You clearly explain why you chose the examples you did, and clearly explain the specific order in which you discussed them.	You mention the examples you chose and the way you arranged them.	The arrangement of the examples is not mentioned in the reflection.
Meeting Requirements	You have met or exceeded all the requirements for the reflection.	You have met all the requirements for the reflection.	One or more of the requirements for the reflection has not been met.

A copy of the Comparative Source Analysis Reflection rubric:File:CSA Reflection Grading Criteria.pdf

Assignment Focus

This section outlines a range of tasks an instructor may assign to support students’ development of evaluative research practices throughout the Comparative Source Analysis project.

• Rubric Development

Students work in small groups to create a rubric that defines criteria and metrics for evaluating source credibility.

• Group Participation and Evaluation

Students contribute to group discussion and document design; participation is assessed through individual group evaluations.

• Source Selection

Students select multiple sources that represent a range of credibility, such as highly credible, weak, or mixed sources.

• Comparative Analysis Paper (Individual)

In the individual paper, the shared rubric is used to compare sources, with emphasis placed on evaluative process and reasoning.

• Reflection Piece

Students reflect on group collaboration, rubric choices, source selection, and strategies for communicating credibility to an audience.

Weekly Structure

Week 1: Knowledge/Literacy

Overview: Focus on media literacy and knowledge, produces and values knowledge, why knowledge matters.

• Key Sources on Knowledge/Literacy

Name	Description
Watch: Media Literacy	This video explains what media literacy is—how to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media messages while recognizing common misconceptions about it.
Watch: Whose knowledge is good knowledge?	In this TEDx talk, Giulia Zampini questions whose knowledge is valued and calls for more inclusive ways of recognizing expertise.

• Alternative Materials on Knowledge/Literacy

Some videos and texts might be useful for your class depending on your needs.

Name	Description
Read: The Importance of Media Literacy	The article explains that media literacy helps people critically evaluate media, recognize bias, and make informed decisions.
Read: What is Media Literacy?	The article defines media literacy as the ability to critically understand and evaluate media messages and their influence.
Watch: Media Literacy Explained	The video is a short, animated explainer about media literacy and why it’s important to think critically about the media we consume.
Watch: What Is Media Literacy?	The video explains that media literacy is the ability to analyze and understand media messages critically.
Read: Media Literacy (Explained in 3 Minutes)	The video explains that media literacy is the ability to analyze and evaluate media messages and recognize bias critically.

Week 2: Information Literacy

Overview: Focus on in-class library module, information literacy, research skills and takeaways, revisiting the Research Narrative.

• Key Source on Information Literacy

Name	Description
Watch: Information literacy	In this TEDx talk, Kevin Arms stresses the importance of information literacy to combat misinformation and evaluate sources critically.

• Alternative Sources on Information Literacy

Some materials that you can use as an alternative to the main article.

Name	Description
Read: What Is Information Literacy and Why Does It Matter?	The article defines information literacy as the ability to find, evaluate, and use information effectively.
Watch: What is Information Literacy?	The video explains that information literacy is the ability to evaluate and use information responsibly.
Watch: Information Literacy!!	The video explains that information literacy is the ability to judge whether information is credible.
Read: For Students: Information Literacy	The article defines information literacy as the ability to locate, evaluate, and use information effectively and ethically to solve problems and make informed decisions.

Week 3: Rubric/Credibility

Overview:Focus on understanding reliable and verifiable sources, evaluating source credibility, drafting and testing a credibility rubric.

• Key Source on Rubric/Credibility

Name	Description
Read:Reliable sources	This Wikipedia page explains reliable sources guideline, stressing that a source must be credible for the specific claim it supports and that reliability depends on context.
Read:Verifiability	This Wikipedia page explains verifiability as the requirement that information be backed by reliable, published sources.

• Alternative Sources on Rubric/Credibility

Some videos and texts might be useful for your class depending on your needs.

Name	Description
Watch: Evaluating Sources for Credibility	This video explains how to identify credible sources through expertise, bias, peer review, and timeliness.
Watch: Reliable and Valid Sources	This video explains how to evaluate reliable sources by focusing on context, authority, and a simple checklist for assessing websites.
Watch: How to Validate Knowledge? Verifiability and Confirmability of Knowledge	This video explains how verifiability and confirmability are used to assess the reliability of empirical knowledge claims.
Read: Writing Resource: Evaluating Sources	This text provides guidelines for evaluating sources based on credibility, evidence, and relevance to research goals.

Week 4: Analysis/Revision

Overview: Focus on refining the source-credibility rubric, analyzing sample CSA papers. developing a CSA outline, peer revision, ePortfolio updates.

• Key Resource on Peer Revision

Name	Description
Watch: Good Practices for Peer Revision	This short video guides students through effective peer revision by emphasizing feedback that focuses on meaning, not mechanics, using clear “what,” “why,” and “how” comments to support deeper revision.

• Alternative Material on Peer Revision

Some videos and texts might be useful for your class depending on your needs.

Name	Description
Read: Giving Feedback for Peer Review	A concise and comprehensive list of effective peer review strategies for students.

Week 5: Reflection

Overview: Student groups meet with the instructor in conference sessions to receive feedback on the first draft of their assignment.