Critical%20Writing - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Critical%20Writing

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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? – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Critical%20Writing


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 doesnt know what you think
    (consider clearness)
  • Your audience also doesnt 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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