Constructing Meaning from Multiple Sources
Conduct a close rereading of two articles. Then complete the worksheet below.
Issue:
Article 1 Citation:
Article 2 Citation:
Part I
Article 1 Text
Elements for
Comparison and
Contrast
Explicit Meaning
What is the author’s
intended message?
 How does the
author convey this
message?
Implicit Meaning
Uncovering Implicit
Meaning

What
assumptions
underlie the
author’s
message?

What belief
system does the
text convey?
Description in my
own words
Evidence from
the text
(include direct
quotes, page
numbers)
Article 2 Text
Description in
my own words
Evidence from
the text
(include direct
quotes, page
numbers)

What
contradictions
exist between the
explicit and
implicit meanings
you identified?
My situatedness
with respect to the
texts
Be aware of your own
biases, assumptions,
perspectives,
orientations, interests,
preferences.
Part II
Based on your close reading and the information in your worksheet, write 1-2 paragraphs synthesizing
the scholarly discourse about your chosen issue. Beyond summarizing the articles individually, critically
assess the similarities and differences between the authors’ perspectives and approaches, essentially
reviewing the texts as in dialogue with one another. For example, your comparison might:

Describe philosophical and ideological tensions between the articles

Describe logical or historicized foundations common to both articles

Describe writing practices the articles share and the potential rationale for those practices.