Core Value 1. My work demonstrates that I used a variety of social and interactive practices that involve recursive stages of exploration, discovery, conceptualization, and development.

Looking back on my original hypothesis, it was just an abstract idea. As you view my work as time has gone on, you can see the amount of development that my thoughts went through, especially during the White Paper. While I was finding those sources, my idea of what I wanted to make my paper about was constantly evolving, until I eventually settled with the IRS idea. I visualized and developed my paper based on the information that I found online. I also did my best in taking in all feedback that I was offered and revising my papers to develop my end result as much as possible.

Core Value 2. My work demonstrates that I read critically, and that I placed texts into conversation with one another to create meaning by synthesizing ideas from various discourse communities. 

I spent quite some time scouring for informative, useful texts, and I ended up with many different articles and even books from many different groups of people from different times to sift through. I made every single article that I thought to have worthwhile information throughout work in my essay properly and effectively, and in a way that would add to the points that I was attempting to make. For example, one of my sources is a very old book from the 1960’s first detailing what a tax loophole is, I found some useful information in there for my Definition Argument. I paired that with a much more reason article about an example of how tax loopholes can be used today to create a much clearer picture of what a tax loophole is.

Core Value 3. My work demonstrates that I rhetorically analyzed the purpose, audience, and contexts of my own writing and other texts and visual arguments.

In the visual rewrite, I learned a lot about analyzing details. In the video with the knights that I had chosen, there was a lot that I picked up on that I wouldn’t have previously by pausing every frame and poring over every detail. I was able to apply this to my research paper by making sure to think about every single small detail that my sources offered in order to maximize the output that the texts could convey, as well as making sure that I properly demonstrate what these texts are and what they say to the reader.

Core Value 4: My work demonstrates that I have met the expectations of academic writing by locating, evaluating, and incorporating illustrations and evidence to support my own ideas and interpretations.

Through all of my writings this semester, I have incorporated many different types of sources. These include videos, articles, books, images, and podcasts.  I found it interesting to use a wide variety of media types as sources, especially a short video in the visual rewrite. I found that through use of all of these different sources, my ability to interpret and include outside information in my writing has drastically improved. I also learned a few new tricks such as google scholar and more about the Campbell Library archives.

Core Value 5. My work demonstrates that I respect my ethical responsibility to represent complex ideas fairly and to the sources of my information with appropriate citation. 

In my research paper, whenever I pulled information directly from a text, I made sure to include the “informal citation” as I was directed in class. I also made sure to properly cite every resource that I used to the best of my ability with all of the current information that was available to me. In my annotated bibliography, I cited sources that I used just to gather information about my topics that I did not take direct information from, to make sure that all ideas that were not mine to begin with are properly cited and credited.