Reading and Writing about the Disciplines

Assignment:

This writing project is designed to immerse you in the writing published by and for members of your chosen academic field. You will select an article from Reading and Writing about the Disciplines that is related to your identified discipline and write a rhetorical analysis of three double-spaced pages or about 650-700 words. Your analysis will not only restate what the author writes but also explain how and why the author writes, according to the rhetorical concepts you have learned.

Guidelines:

As you are reading, try to bear the following questions in mind. This will help you develop a focus or theme for your paper. You can use any of the questions as the focus or theme in your paper, but try to avoid addressing all of the questions, concentrating on one or two key questions that can help guide you in your analysis.

Questions to Consider:

1.) Who is the author of the text? What credibility does he/she have to address the topic? Is it possible that his/her background may impact the perspective/standpoint/argument in his/her writing?

2.) What is the author’s purpose for publishing this article? Does the author write primarily to analyze, explain, report, argue, propose, or recommend?

3.) Based on your reading, what is the main point/argument of the text?

4.) How much research and evidence are used? What kinds of research and evidence are used? What specific effects can you see in the presentation of such research/evidence? Based on your reading, describe the rhetorical effectiveness of such evidence.

5.) Is there any explanation of methodology or research models? If so, how does the author explain and validate it/them?

6.) Is there any review and assessment of publications by other researchers? If so, how does the author review and assess them (i.e. tone/stance, words, textual structure, etc.)?

7.) How does the author arrange his/her text? Does he/she use signposts to help the audience follow the text? Without such signposts, would the written text be as effective as it is?

8.) How is the text presented? Are visual design elements used (headings, boldface, fonts, white space, etc.)? Does the author include graphic elements (pictures, charts, graphs, etc.)?

9.) Who is the target audience? What is the author’s relationship to the intended audience? What assumptions about his/her audience may the author hold?

Please review “Major Writing Components” on page 15 of Reading and Writing about the Disciplines to understand how to shape and structure your paper.

Selected Article –

First Draft Due Date –

Finalized Paper –

Grade Points: 20