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Critical Writing

Critical Writing. Using the elements and the standards. Start at the beginning. Analyze the Q at I What is the question really asking of you? What seems to be its purpose ? What is the context of the question? Consider course objectives, recent readings and discussions

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Critical Writing

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  1. Critical Writing Using the elements and the standards

  2. Start at the beginning • Analyze the Q at I • What is the question really asking of you? What seems to be its purpose? • What is the context of the question? • Consider course objectives, recent readings and discussions • Current and/or historical events • What system(s) do you need to use to answer the question? • What information do you need?

  3. Continue around the circle (as Chris did for getting married) • What assumptions do you make about the topic? • What do you take for granted or already know? • What points of view should be considered? • What concepts need to be defined and addressed? • Which have the most explanatory power?

  4. Continue around the circle • What seem to be the potential implications and consequences for the topic? • What interpretations do you make? • (vs. what others have told you) • What conclusions can you draw about what you already know?

  5. Determine what you need to include • What else do you need to consider to answer the question sufficiently? • Which are the most important aspects of your analysis? • How deeply do you need to address each item? • How much time do you have? (such as for an in-class essay) • Are there maximum and minimum word counts?

  6. Perform a standards check • Is your information accurate • Is it all from a credible and reliable source? • Do you cover enough breadth? • Have you considered all viewpoints? • Will you have an unbiased analysis? • Do you need to delve deeper? • Is your analysis complex enough? • Or does it just scratch the surface and communicate the obvious? • Is all the information relevant? • Do you have sufficient information? • Do you need more in some areas? • And so on. . . .

  7. Organize your paper • Determine the main points you will make • What is most important for making your case? • Do you need to include all of the elements you have identified? • Which are most relevant? • Which provide the strongest support or argument? • Write a thesis statement • Distills your stance into 1-2 sentences • Never asks question

  8. Create an outline • Highly recommended • Saves time • Organizes ideas and information • Allows writer to write first draft freely • Can focus mind fully on ideas and arguments • Frees mind from organizational/structural distractions • Check for weak points that might need additional support

  9. Writing the paper • Strategy (Time is your friend.) • Complete first draft in one sitting, uninterrupted • Benefit: continuous train of thought usually higher quality than the stop and start method • Put paper aside for another day to review with a fresh mind • Better identify gaps in information and clarity • Better recognize mechanical errors (precision)

  10. Writing the paper • Introduction • Identifies the topic • Orients the reader to the Q at I and the purpose • Includes the thesis

  11. Writing the paper • Body • Paragraph level (remember the SEE-I technique) • One topic or argument per paragraph • Include a topic sentence that states your claim or argument (S) • Elaborate on that argument (E) (may require more than one paragraph to fully explicate) • Use examples or evidence to support the argument (E) • Illustrate when necessary (I)

  12. Writing the paper • Body • Overall structure • Include smooth transitions between paragraphs by • Ending each paragraph with a sentence that ties to the topic sentence and to the thesis • Never concluding a paragraph with the topic for the next paragraph • Always start with your weakest argument and work toward the strongest (classical argument) • Always identify and refute counterarguments or acknowledge their merit, if appropriate to do so (Rogerian argument)

  13. Writing the paper • Conclusion • Can write at the same time as the body or at a later sitting • Review the points you make in the paper to draw everything together for the reader • Include the “so what?” which speaks to the significance of the issue • Tells audience why the topic is important • Often relates to implications and consequences

  14. Revise again • One revision catches the major stuff (relevance,sufficiency, depth, and breadth) • Second revision provides opportunity to improve clearness, precision, and accuracy • Clear connections between ideas and evidence • Syntax, wordiness, sentence structure • Word choices • Transitions

  15. Final thoughts • Use time to your advantage • You know what you think • Explain why (consider impediments and assumptions, among other elements) • Your audience doesn’t know what you think (consider clearness) • Your audience also doesn’t know as much about the topic as you know (consider sufficiency and depth) • Your audience has his/her own viewpoint (consider breadth)

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