What is the author's purpose (e.g., persuade, inform, describe)? How do you know?

• What is the author's thesis or main idea?
• How strong is the evidence supporting the claims?
• Does the author consider other views?
• Whose perspective might be missing?
• Do the conclusions follow logically from the analysis? Could I interpret things differently?

How does this source fit?

• Does this source add a different point of view?
• Does this make sense, given what I already know?