In chapter eight: “Writing to Evaluate” in Joining the Conversation, Palmquist states that “writers typically evaluate a subject with one of two general goals: to determine whether something has succeeded or failed, or to help readers understand how something might be improved or refined.” After reading multiple yelp.com reviews on local retail stores, I have noticed that for the most part people look to define a store as succeeding or failing based on their cleanliness and organization, how friendly and effective the staff is, and how affordable the merchandise is. Most reviews include personal preference, tips on how a store can improve, and factors that make the store stand out. For example, one woman comments on Forever 21 by stating that you can’t complain about a retail store that sells trendy clothes for super cheap, but then offers a way to improve it by stating that it could be more organized as it is a little bit overwhelming. This is just her personal opinion, but she could easily use a fact to support her opinion to make her argument more enticing.

            Reading the reviews on yelp.com gave me a little bit of guidance as to how to write and review my places in Writing Project Number Two. Although retail can be subjective, in Writing Project Number Two I am going to use facts, data, and advice from fashion magazines to evaluate the stores rather than simply personal preference. Taking a blend of information from my sources and incorporating it with shopper’s personal opinions will add rigor to my evaluation. I see writing about fashion as a challenge since it can be subjective. Though, for the most part, fashion magazines align, which will make it easier to make my point. After reading chapter twelve: “Locating Sources” in Palmquist’s Joining the Conversation, it will be easier for me to find the information that I need. I plan to use the advice on page 480 that encourages a researcher to identify key terms in a research question or thesis statement, and then using these highlighted key words and phrases to put into the online search engine. I also plan to follow Palmquist’s advice on field research (page 506) because doing research in the form of interviews, surveys, observation and attending public events will help me better understand how to target the places on my map.