Introduction
Writing a quality paper on the issue of legalization of marijuana and abortion is a tall order. In fact, countless writers and institutions have tackled the same topic, and there have not been a consensus because of many underlying issues. First, it requires a scientific, legal, social approach to the topic and the materials consulted to support the said claims must be credible and scholarly. Therefore, the issues being contentious require a wide approach from those who are for and against the of legalizing marijuana and abortion.
PART 1
Question 1
The “High Country News” is an informative article that should give an overview of the topic, but should not be relied upon when it comes credibility of the facts about the topic. I would not use the article because it is a bit opinionated and subjective. The author does not consult credible sources and relies on another individual to narrate his story. In fact, this approach alone disqualifies the article from being a credible source of information.
Question 2
One of the strengths of this article in terms of quality is that it has succeeded to win credibility by use of ethos. The article appears to be credible because the author is said to be a reliable Journalist of a popular magazine since the year 2001. In this aspect, the writer tries to explain why he should be trusted based on his personal merit and not necessarily on his academic prowess through publications. Therefore, the author derives his strength of argument not from the facts, but from being a reliable journalist.
Question 3
It is worth noting that the article has several weaknesses in terms of quality. Firstly, there is no peer review and the information presented has not undergone scrutiny. The author has relied on pathos where much of his work is appealing to the reader’s emotions through entertaining. Secondly, the information given is not credible because it contains perspective and opinion of another individual. There is no previous research that has been quoted to support the claims and facts presented by the author. In essence, this article is weak and cannot withstand academic scrutiny.
PART 2
Question 1
I would use the article “The Search for Meaning: RU 486 and the Law of Abortion” as a basis for my analysis. First, it is a peer-reviewed journal, which has undergone scrutiny by other scholars. The journal is from a reputable organization, which is a credible institution that has contributed heavily to the scientific development of the American health sector through research and development. Therefore, any information presented by this journal withstands the test of time because of yearly review that is done to empower and continue inventing more discoveries that are scientifically credible.
Question 2
Right from the abstract the author has outlined the main point of argument and the key inferences. There is a very strong thesis statement, which has been developed in the paper. In fact, in the concluding part of the paper, the authors have culminated all their work into the solutions, and recommendations as well as identified the study gap that welcomes more research on the same issue. The strength of this article is that every fact presented is backed by evidence and more importantly, there are data, which point out the actual situation on the ground. Indeed, there are case studies from various countries that give wide dimensions of the topic and consequently provide a profound approach to the subject matter. Finally, the article is persuasive because there is a consistency of evidence to the argument presented.
Question 3
Despite the strength of this article, we cannot overlook some quality issues. The article has proved to be credible; however, if we look at the publication date we can as well conclude that this might not be the best article to rely on in the 21st century. The article was published in 1992, and obviously, there are many recent journal articles from the American Journal of Public Health with more updated information. Therefore, much of what that has been discussed in this journal might not reflect the current situation since there are many scientific discoveries that have taken place after its publication.
Question 4
Both articles are informative, but the article “The Search for the Meaning: RU 486 and the Law of Abortion” is academically stronger. Firstly, the article is from a reputable organization accredited by the Federal government, which has consistently provided a scientific approach to matters of public health. Secondly, the authors have consulted much credible, reliable, and scholarly work to derive their argument and conclusion. In the same aspect, the scope of their study is representative of the whole world. They have based their research on the whole world, from North and South America, Middle East, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Finally, all the evidence given is backed by data and the authors have succeeded in avoiding assumptions and propaganda.