Touchstone 2.1: Evaluate a Source
Nathan Daleo
Sophia Learning
English Composition II
11 January 2023
Source Evaluation on “Understanding the Bright Side and Dark Side of Telework” (2021)
In my research essay, I argue that employers with the capacity for remote work should
offer the option for employees to work from home because of the increased productivity, work-
life balance, job satisfaction, and organizational benefits that remote work provides. During my
research, I came across the scholarly article “Understanding the bright side and dark side of
telework: An empirical analysis of working conditions and psychosomatic health complaints,”
written by Dr. Anne Marit Wohrmann and Dr. Christian Ebner. This article was published in
2021 by the New Technology, Work and Employment journal. Due to the authors’ expertise in
this field, and the recency of publishing, I find this article to be credible, and the findings
presented by the authors are useful to both my argument and counterargument because they
explore the benefits and disadvantages of working remotely.
Dr. Wohrmann is a guest scientist at the Institute of Management and Organization at
Leuphana University in Luneburg, Germany. Dr. Ebner is the Chair of Sociology at the
Technical University of Braunschweig and specializes in work and organizations. Both have
contributed articles to numerous peer-reviewed journals on working conditions and employee
experiences. Their co-authored article was published in 2021 in the New Technology, Work and
Employment journal. This international peer-reviewed journal focuses on “theoretically
informed, critical scholarly analysis” of the work environment and its relationship with changing
technology and was founded in 1986 (Wiley Online Library, n.d.). The article concludes with a
statement confirming that there was no conflict of interest (p. 366), and they also highlighted the
limitations of their study’s sample size (p. 365), which shows that they are presenting their
findings as they are and not in a way that benefits their hypotheses. Their extensive backgrounds
in this field make them subject matter experts, which also adds credibility to this article,
especially considering their work was published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Wohrmann and Ebner’s (2021) study showed that employees working remotely had more
control over their working time, resulting in greater working autonomy. They hypothesized that
working remotely would lessen the time pressure felt by employees as they do not have to
commute to and from a workplace at a certain time, but their data showed the opposite (pp. 359-
360). They also found that while working from home limits disturbances and interruptions, this
also lowers the quality of relationships with coworkers (p.364). The benefits of remote work
highlighted by this study will prove to be useful in my argument, specifically regarding work-life
balance. The disadvantages will be useful in presenting my counterargument.
With the publishing of this article being so recent and the authors being subject matter
experts with experience in conducting studies of this nature, I find this article to be credible.
Being published in a peer-reviewed journal means that their work was analyzed by other experts
to confirm the authenticity and reliability of the findings. As this article highlights the benefits
and disadvantages of remote work, it is useful for both my argument and counterargument on
whether employers with the capacity for remote work should offer employees the option to work
from home.
References
Wöhrmann, A. M., & Ebner, C. (2021). Understanding the bright side and the dark side of
Telework: An empirical analysis of working conditions and Psychosomatic Health
Complaints. New Technology, Work and Employment, 36(3), 348–370.
https://doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12208
Wiley Online Library. (n.d.). New Technology, work and employment - wiley online library. New
Technology, Work and Employment Overview. Retrieved January 10, 2023, from
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/1468005X
Reflection Questions
01. What types of questions did you ask yourself when evaluating the credibility and
usefulness of your source? (2-3 sentences)
As I evaluated the credibility of this source, I asked myself who the authors were and
what made them experts in this subject. I also asked what was required for them to be
published in the New Technology, Work and Employment journal. I looked into the
presentation of their findings to see if there was any sense of bias. Were they only
presenting data that reflected their hypotheses? As far as the usefulness of this source, I
asked myself, does this support my argument or counterargument, and if so, how strong
is this support?
02. How do you feel this evaluation practice will help you as you continue to move
through the research process? (2-3 sentences)
This evaluation will help me as I search for other sources to support my argument. Being
able to identify the credibility of a source will help make sure my argument is as strong
as it can be. I am confident that this will be helpful, especially when determining if the
source is useful.
Touchstone 2.1 Rubric and Feedback
Rubric Category Your Grade
Thesis Statement (10 points) - 20%
Advanced (100%) - The thesis statement consists of an original observation that is clear, focused, and well-supported.
Evidence and Analysis (20 points) - 40%
Advanced (100%) - The analysis includes specific examples from the text as support; claims for credibility and usefulness are fully developed.
Organization (5 points) - 10%
Advanced (100%) - Presents all of the required components of a source evaluation essay, including an engaging introduction with background information and a clear thesis, a body paragraph or paragraphs addressing the source's credibility, a body paragraph or paragraphs addressing the source's usefulness, and a conclusion with a concluding statement.
Style (5 points) - 10%
Advanced (100%) - Demonstrates thoughtful and effective word choices, avoids redundancy and imprecise language, and uses a wide variety of sentence structures.
Conventions (5 points) - 10%
Advanced (100%) - There are only a few, if any, negligible errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage.
Reflection (5 points) - 10%
Advanced (100%) - Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; consistently includes insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses, following or exceeding response length guidelines.
SCORE: 50/50
Nathan,
This looks like an excellent, credible, and contemporary source to use in your research paper. You introduce and contextualize the source nicely before providing your thesis. Also, your observations and analysis about the source's credibility and usefulness are astute. I wish you the best of luck as you to gather and evaluate sources for your annotated bibliography in Touchstone 2.2. - James