USA: +1(669)289-8683 
Sign in
Readings and Annotations-2 Point Scale
2 Points- Meet or exceed the minimum requirements of the assignment
Minimum Requirements for this 2 page summary (approx. 700 words):
-Cover Page (see example annotation)
-Citation at the top:
Childs, J. & Lewis, L. (2012). Food Deserts and a Southwest Community of Baltimore City, Food, Culture & Society, 15:3, 395-414.
-Introduce the article
-3 cited quotations that stood out to you, what did the text say that you found insightful or important
-What did you learn?
1 Point- if any of the above components are missing
1
CMST 1700 Nature of Theory
APA Citation Unpacking the Basics
EVERY In Text Citation must have these THREE components.
•
•
•
Author(s) Name(s)
Year of Publication
Page Number
Option 1- Set Ups
Option 1 is great for setting up the articles you choose to use in your papers. It provides the reader with all the
pertinent information as well as the required information for a proper APA citation.
For an example let’s say I’m working on a lecture about theory and I remember a quote about theory that would
be useful:
You can’t live in the world without an idea of the world, but it’s living that makes the ideas. You
can’t wait for a theory, but you have to have a theory.
The first thing to do is locate the text. I own a copy of this play, it is absolutely my most favorite piece of
literature ever written (it has been stated that it is the most prolific piece of literature written in the 20th century),
and because I am a huge nerd, I have tactile read the piece (several dozen times if I’m being honest) and am
able to find the quote fairly easily.
I format the quote by noting the page number AND then I immediately create an APA reference citation (see
top of page 3):
“You can’t live in the world without an idea of the world, but it’s living that makes the ideas. You can’t wait for
a theory, but you have to have a theory” (p. 144).
Kushner, T. (1993). Angels in America: A gay fantasia on national themes. New York: Theatre
Communications Group.
Setting up a quotation requires adding the authors name, year of publication, and other important identifying
information like that this was a play a rather significant one actually:
Kushner (1993) wrote in his prolific masterpiece Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National
Themes, “You can’t live in the world without an idea of the world, but it’s living that makes the ideas. You
can’t wait for a theory, but you have to have a theory” (p. 144).
Option 1 works well to set up quotes you choose to cite throughout your papers. It allows you to be precise,
name the significance of the piece, the author, or the quotation itself. It also allows the reader to be able to
locate the work should they want to read and learn more on the subject.
2
Option 2- Additional quotes from the same text
Let’s say that as I continue to expand on Kushner’s work and I think of another quote from his piece that would
help make another necessary point:
Nothing’s lost forever. In this world there is a kind of painful progress. Longing for what we’ve
left behind, and dreaming ahead.
Stylistically I could format the quotation differently because I already introduced the author and the piece.
Using additional portions of the text I can expand my arguments or review of the literature.
When examining how theory is applied to living life, Angels In America provides a melancholic yet empowered
notion capturing what it feels like living in a world that is rapidly changing. “Nothing’s lost forever. In this
world there is a kind of painful progress. Longing for what we’ve left behind, and dreaming ahead” (Kushner,
1993, p. 142). The text allows for the reader to further distinguish between the notion of theory and praxis;
theory being ideas about living in the world, while praxis is the action of living.
Properly citing the selected quote using Option 2 gives you the ability to stylistically engage with the material in
a way that isn’t focused on setting it up.
Option 3- Long Quotation
When you conduct research and locate a beautiful quote that perfectly argues an important point you are trying
to make. For all quotes that are over 40 words you will utilize a block quotation:
As the characters trudge through the realities of a modern plague, living life while dying the
simultaneous and dichotomous juxtaposition of theory and praxis
Together we organize the world for ourselves, or at least we organize our understanding of it; we reflect
it, refract it, criticize it, grieve over its savagery and help each other to discern, amidst the gathering
dark, paths of resistance, pockets of peace and places from whence hope may be plausibly expected.
(Kushner, 1993, p.155)
Number of Authors
• One author:
o (Field, 2005)
• Two authors:
o (Gass & Varonis, 1984)
• Three to five authors:
o First citation requires: (Tremblay, Richer, Lachance, & Cote, 2010)
o Subsequent citations: (Tremblay et al., 2010)
• Six or more authors:
o (Norris-Shortle et al., 2006)
3
Works Cited
Kushner, T. (1993). Angels in America: A gay fantasia on national themes. New York:
Theatre Communications Group.
Your Works Cited sheet needs to have the following components:
• Needs to be in alpha order
• Double Spaced
• Subsequent lines are indented
IMPORTANT WARNING- DO NOT RELY ON CITATION GENERATORS. LEARN HOW TO
PROPERLY CITE EACH TYPE OF TEXT. If you cannot memorize them, then create or find a cheat
sheet that is accurate and reliable, and have it handy so you can be consistent, and more importantly
precise. Academic Dishonesty is not predicated on if you intended to plagiarize, the focus of the inquiry
will be did you plagiarize. This is incredibly important. Works Cited sections are often patched together
in states of panic when work is done last minute.
Video Resources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JobZQoQiszk
2-PAGE SYNTHESIS EXAMPLE (ALL CAPS NO PAGE # ON FIRST PAGE)
Title of Paper Centered and Double Spaced
Kristo Name Gobin
Loyola Marymount University
The prompt for this synthesis: what does the field of communication say about theory and
praxis?
2-PAGE SYNTHESIS EXAMPLE
2
Kushner, T. (1993). Angels in America: A gay fantasia on national themes. New York:
Theatre Communications Group.
In his modern masterpiece Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes
playwright Kushner (1993) wrote, “You can’t live in the world without an idea of the world, but
it’s living that makes the ideas. You can’t wait for a theory, but you have to have a theory” (p.
144). The incredibly dense play is typically performed over the course of two evenings. The
typical two- and half-hour blocks standard for Broadway productions are performed each night
are postmodern and critical to say the least. The play situates the real life of Roy Cohn, (The
Red Scare’s Joseph McCarthy’s right hand) among six other fictional characters in 1985-1986 in
AIDS ravaged New York. The piece provides a significant deconstruction of Reagan NeoConservative politics, liberal activism, a thorough look at the history of the Mormon Church,
mental illness, religion, God, the nature of forgiveness, and feminism to name a few of the
central themes.
This play is important when examining the connection between theory and praxis,
answering the central question how does the text set up and explore the differences between the
two? This question lends itself to exploring performance and performance studies which is
comfortably housed in Communication Studies.
When examining how theory is applied to the praxis of living, Angels in America
captures life in a rapidly changing world living and dying through a plague. Kushner sets up an
epic paradigm shift and for the first time frames the notion of someone living with AIDS.
“Nothing’s lost forever. In this world there is a kind of painful progress. Longing for what
we’ve left behind, and dreaming ahead” (Kushner, 1993, p. 142). The text allows for the reader
to distinguish between the notion of theory and praxis; theory being ideas about living in the
world, while praxis is the action or summation of the actions of the living.
2-PAGE SYNTHESIS EXAMPLE
3
As the characters trudge through the realities of a modern plague, living life while dying,
the audience is asked to weigh simultaneous and dichotomous juxtaposition of theory and praxis,
Together we organize the world for ourselves, or at least we organize our understanding
of it; we reflect it, refract it, criticize it, grieve over its savagery and help each other to
discern, amidst the gathering dark, paths of resistance, pockets of peace and places from
whence hope may be plausibly expected. (Kushner, 1993, p.155)
Kushner empowers the audience to consider residing in a liminal space, the small doorframe
between theory and praxis. A space where one can consider inherited histories, contextualize
problematics, deconstruct nuance while negotiating hostile dehumanizing institutions, navigating
choice, and residing and relying on communities. The play as text (theory), and the play as
production (praxis) introduced the idea that people afflicted with AIDS were people, and people
living with AIDS were living With AIDS. No longer was the diagnosis of AIDS death. Prior to
medical advancements and the introduction to the triple cocktail in the mid 1990’s which
significantly impacted mortality and morbidity rates, the life between diagnosis and inevitable
death were expanded upon. People lived until they died, which Kushner requires the audience to
wrestle with, much like Jacob wrestling with the Angel. This is important as President Ronald
Regan and modern Neo Conversative policies viewed AIDS as a plague sent by God to punish
and cleanse the earth of homosexuality. The official stance of the United States government was
to keep the plague and those dying trapped in silence, shame, and hidden away from financial or
medical resources much less compassion or love.
When theory is performed in praxis it poetically transforms to take on new life as it did in
the HBO Miniseries (2003) of the same name. Actress Meryl Streep played: Hannah Pitt, Ethel
Rosenberg, The Rabbi, The Continental Principality Oceania would go onto summarize the
intersection of theory and praxis by saying of Tony Kushner, “the bravest thing in the world is
that writer that sits alone in a room and works out his grief, his rage, his imagination, and his
2-PAGE SYNTHESIS EXAMPLE
deep desire to make people laugh, and he makes a work of art that then transforms the world,
with the truth, because that’s all we want, that’s all we need.”
Angels in America is a text that is brought to life through performance or praxis. It is
also a text that seeks to explore the gaps between theory and praxis. The play does not seek to
provide any answers to the profound questions it asks, instead lays out paradoxes that must be
managed.
4
5
2-PAGE SYNTHESIS EXAMPLE
Works Cited
Costas, C. (Producer). Nichols, M. (Director). (2003). Angels In America. New York,
NY: HBO Video.
Kushner, T. (1993). Angels in America: A gay fantasia on national themes. New York:
Theatre Communications Group.
Mischer, D. (Producer). (2004, September 19). 56th Prime Time Emmy Awards. Los
Angeles, CA.
2 Page Synthesis Check List
2 Full pages
Cover Page/Header/Page Number
Citation at top
Introduction of article
3 selected quotes
Set up, quote, synthesize the quote
Conclusion of article
Works cited for additional sources. PRIMARY SOURCES ONLY
Correct APA (see APA Style Manual or APA Cheat Sheet for more details)
2-PAGE SYNTHESIS EXAMPLE
6
Annotated Bibliographies
Synthesize the article based on the question “what does the field of Communication Studies say
about…”
Introduction
Introduce the article, what is the subject, why did you choose this article, what does this article
have to do with your topic? Is the scholar important, are they an authority on the subject, do they
have a robust body of research pertaining to this topic?
Are there key words, operational definitions that are vital to understanding your topic?
The Body
What theories are used?
What is the thesis?
What are the main arguments, findings?
Quote 1- use the text to discuss the text
Quote 2- set up the quote, provide the quote, explain what the quote means
Quote 3- make sure your APA is on point, no secondary citations
If someone asked what this article is about, how would you explain it to them?
Conclusion
Reiterate why this article is important to your topic.
Every article is different so focus on explaining why this article helps you situate the research.
Outline the method and provide details about the study.
o
o
o
o
o
o
crucial historical information
operational definitions
information that currently situates the article
important context about the article
important facts or data; statistical information, qualitative information, critical claims
use quotes to justify your summary
Be sure to only cite the authors. There are no secondary citations allowed in this paper. If you
like a quote from the literature review by another author, you need to find the citation in the
works cited, locate the article, and properly cite it. Tactile read it so you are properly citing the
article. Remember we do not read to memorize, we read and mark up important information so
that you can find it later when you need it.
Finally, notice my use of the phrase “this work” as opposed to “I think…” Do not use “I” you
are synthesizing a research article.
