What 1-2 sentences would you underline in the research writing you are annotating that suggests to you this is the big idea, the purpose behind this scholarship?
Where in research writing do you look for purpose? How is purpose layered and complex beyond the “thesis’? What’s the goal of the research? What is the scope of this problem? Is it an appropriate “bite’ to chew for the length of the discussion? After reading the introduction, can you say back in straightforward terms what problem the writing is engaged in? What is the article’s contribution? This may be the thesis– depending on the genre of the writing the purpose may or may not be a clear statement. If you cannot find the 1-2 sentences–articulate what you feel the purpose is behind the writing.
I expect a 3-4 sentence paragraph for each element. The last sentence of you each note should have a forward looking idea, a suggestion for deeper or further research. Here is one example which I copied and pasted from Alana Samuels’ article “The Village That will be Swept Away” in Atlantic Monthly.