Solo Activity 2: Annotations - Due
Sep 11, 2026 11:59 PM
CM-Technical Writing-10-Kretzschmar.
Introduction to The New Yorker
In our current digital age, it is essential to locate and read reputable sources in order not to spread misinformation. For this assignment and the forthcoming Abstract, you will read an article from the reputable magazine The New Yorker. If you are unfamiliar with this publication, it combines journalism, commentary, politics, fiction, current events, and satire into a bi-weekly magazine (digital content is also available). It is also worth noting that even though The New Yorker is not peer-reviewed, it is known for its strict fact-checking. (If you're interested in learning more about peer-reviewed journal articles, read this page). Since The New Yorker is known for high level journalism, this article will serve our purposes well.
This term, I've decided to pick an article on AI since it has impacted/infiltrated basically all fields these last couple of years (the authors of our textbook even mentioned that one of their reasons for updating this edition was due to AI). For example, professors have wrestled with how to detect it in the classroom versus how it can be useful. Students, too, have had ethical conversations about if AI constitutes cheating, or if it has its own benefits. And then there are various industries that explore what AI can optimize while also wrestling with what it takes away. At this point in time, much like the Internet, AI appears here to stay. However, is the bubble going to pop soon? Read on (and take notes) to find out.
Directions (20 Total Points)
To complete this assignment, you must do the following:
- Read the following article:
- John Cassidy: "Is the A.I. Boom Turning Into an A.I. Bubble?"
- Annotate the article. Identify--via highlighting, underlining, commenting, and annotating--the most important information from each paragraph. Use the following questions to cue you about what information is most important. Remember: annotations occur directly on the text, not on a separate page.
- Circle any key terms and definitions, especially ones you don’t know. If you can’t read the rest of the article without understanding these terms, look them up and write the definitions (and the source they came from) in the margins.
- See if you can find the main point of the article in one sentence and clearly mark it. Consider referring to the LSAT sample question above. If you cannot do this, at the very least, write or type what you believe the main point of the article is in one sentence.
- Put a star or marking of some kind next to sentences/areas where the authors discuss the article's background information, the key questions, the research study, the study’s results, and the analysis--what it all means.
- If there was a study, what research method was used? Who (or what) participated in the study? What did the study find out? What kinds of results did the study produce? Why are these results relevant/or not? What are the next steps for doing future research in this field? (Simply doing more studies like this one? Focusing on one particular element? Working with a specific population of people? Etc.) Are there any conflicts of interest that the article mentions? What conflicts of interest might the writer(s) and editor(s) have missed?
- Have some fun with this assignment! In addition to the first discussions, this assignment will help me gain an understanding of your abilities as a writer as well as your personality. Feel free to make me laugh in your annotations (be sure to keep your language mostly professional, though). The stronger your annotations, the stronger your abstract will be.
- Submit your annotations--either photos of handwritten annotations or a Word Doc or PDF with the annotations. (Note that if you snap pictures, please combine the images into a single document or PDF rather than posting individual page images.)
Examples
Need a little bit more direction? No problem. Take a look at these examples.
Annotations Example 1
Annotations Example 2Annotations Example 3