Chapter 8: Writing to Analyze INGL 3103 Prof. Vashti Tacoronte - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Chapter 8: Writing to Analyze

INGL 3103

• Prof. Vashti Tacoronte

What is Writing to Analyze?

– It starts with a question – You adopt the voice of an Interpreter. – Your purpose is to find patterns, to trace causes and effects, and to determine significance. – Your sources is the source itself. All the information you need is in the text or video you have decided to analyze.

Analytical Documents

– Examples of documents which analyze: – Articles – Issue analyses – Rhetorical Analyses – Analytical Blog Post

Articles

– Magazine and Newspaper Articles – Relies on information gathered through observations, interviews, correspondence, and personal experience. – They tend to identify their sources in the body of the article.

Issue Analyses

– Often begins with a question or a problematic fact. – There is a need to know about and understand the history and significance of their subjects. – It can draw on a variety of sources – Interviews – Surveys – Published Studies – Scholarly Works

Rhetorical Analyses

– Takes many forms – Articles, Blogs, Essays, Web pages, Comics – Addresses factors – Writer’s purpose and background – Nature of the audience – Context in which it takes place – Source of the information that reflects the knowledge and interests of their intended reader.

Analytical Blog Post

– Allow writers to present their opinions, observations and reflections to a broad readership. – Consists of single writer or they can draw on contributions from multiple writers. – Entries typically are brief and present a personal perspective on an issue. – They are more likely to rely on evidence from other sources than are opinion columns and letters to the editor. – Can use video and audio clips or interactive polls, and link to other sources.

How to write an analytical essay?

Review and Improve

Review and Improve your draft

Prepare

Prepare a Draft

Conduct

Conduct your analysis

Search

Search Databases

Ask

Ask Interpretive Questions

Find

Find a conversation and listen in

Interpretive Questions

– A question that is open for discussion lays the foundation for analysis. – To generate interpretive questions, it’s best to: – Brainstorm and Clustering – Freewriting – Prompts – Elements and Categories – History – Causes and Effects – Relationships and Meanings

Conducting your Analysis

– A successful essay builds on a carefully crafted analytical question, a thorough understanding of the subject, and a rigorous and fair application of an appropriate interpretive framework. – Refine your question – Will my response interest my readers or address their needs? – Questions leading to factual or Yes/No Answers – When did the Iraq War begin? – Has NASA’s annual budget kept pace with inflation? – Questions Open to Discussion – What caused the Iraq War? – How can NASA pursue its mission on a reduced annual budget?

Apply an Interpretive Framework– Text Analysis

– Focus on – Theme, Plot, Setting, Characterization – Contexts – Social, Cultural, Political, Historical – Guidelines – Focus on the text itself – Consider the text in its entirety – Avoid “cherry-picking” – Process of only using materials from a text that support your overall interpretation and ignores aspects that might weaken or contradict your interpretation.

Apply an Interpretive Framework– Rhetorical Analysis

– Rhetorical Analysis focuses on one or more aspects of the rhetorical situation. – Writer and Purpose – Readers/Audience – Sources – Context – Guidelines – Remember that the elements of a rhetorical situation are interrelated. – If you analyze the argument in a document, focus on its structure and quality. – Don’t underestimate the complexity of analyzing rhetorical context.

Thank You!