Drug pricing

For this assignment, you’ll find four credible sources appropriate to your research (at least two of which will be scholarly, please). Then, you’ll write a Works Cited entry and three brief paragraphs for each

The information for each source will be organized like this:

1. Work Cited entry, correctly formatted in MLA style (you can use APA or Chicago if you prefer

2. Summary—what the source is about, including the author’s thesis and a few main claims

3. Analysis and Evaluation—what makes this a credible source and what kinds of evidence are used

4. Information—include any facts or information that will add to your research (and cite the sources).

*To identify scholarly journal articles, you will look for a Works Cited/References section (or other bibliography) at the end, a periodical name/publishing info that indicates a scholarly journal, and its source (most of these will come from a college database or Google Scholar). If you have any questions, please ask.

Organization

For example, I’m trying to research the impact of the global coffee industry on coffee-growing nations; I’m starting with a basic question: How does the international coffee industry affect its primary suppliers? Here’s one scholarly article, from the Journal of Popular Culture.

Ruzich, Constance M. “For the Love of Joe: The Language of Starbucks.” The Journal of Popular Culture, 41.3 (2008): 428-442. WilsonWeb Journal Directory. Web. 1 Oct. 2008.

This resource will be helpful to my research because it provides history, numerical data, the viewpoints of experts in contemporary coffee industry research, and insight into Starbucks’ successful marketing campaign.

The validity of Ruzich’s argument is based in her use of facts about the coffee trade. Her history of the coffee industry is well-researched; she includes ideas and excerpts by coffee-industry researchers, like Mark Pendergrast and Robert Williams, beside Starbucks Company Brochures and statements by the company’s founder, Howard Schultz. Her tone is skeptical but generally objective.  

In this article, Ruzich describes the history of coffee sales as one of “conspiracy, colonialism, and capitalism” (428). Starbucks’ growth is staggering; the corporation “opens three to four new stores a day” (431-2), using a unique word-of-mouth marketing strategy, based on skillful use of language and the idea of love (434). However, the philanthropic love Starbucks conveys is more a part of their marketing campaign and image than it is a serious attempt at helping anyone; donations make up less than “0.2% of net sales” (439).