Critical Analysis Writing Project

Overview: Your third project is a critical analysis. You will search for patterns and meaning through an interpretive framework to analyze your subject. You will be expected to explain and support your interpretation with evidence. Goals: Extend your research on the subject of your review. Ask interpretive questions to help narrow the focus of your analysis. Research for a fuller understanding of your subject. Apply an interpretive framework, make an interpretive claim, and explain. Create multiple drafts that ensure your claim is debatable. Challenge your conclusions. Give and receive peer feedback, and prepare a final draft that reflects a multiple-step process and real consideration of feedback, proofreading, and revision. Consult writing handbook, textbook, the writing center, and/or peers to proofread and control surface features.

Procedure: 1. Invention: Use looping (pp. 34-35 in Joining the Conversation) to consider subject of your review in a new way. 2. Ask interpretive questions to help focus your subject and to direct your research. Possible prompts for questions include the following from pp. 235-236 in Joining the Conversation: a. Elements b. Categories c. History d. Causes and effects e. Relationships f. Meaning 3. Research how other writers have joined the conversation. (Use the online databases available through the UALR library to find sources.) Turn in a list of 5-10 sources that has informed your research by October 19. 4. When you have a full understanding of your subject and of what other authors have written about it, apply an interpretive framework. Possible frameworks are trend analysis, causal analysis, data analysis, or text/subject analysis. 5. Make an interpretive claim as your thesis statement.

An interpretive framework is a set of strategies for identifying patterns that has been used successfully and refined over time.

6. Explain your interpretation with reasons and strong evidence. Bring draft of your claim and interpretation to class on October 22 with two hard copies for peer review. This is mandatory. Rhet 1311. 02 Page 1

7. Schedule a 20 minute writing conference with me for the week of October 22-October 26. You must show up on time with a copy of your draft, an outline of your organization, and three questions about your project. 8. Revise considering feedback from peers and me. Revisions do not only address grammar or sentence structure. This is editing. In revisions, you must look at your arguments and conclusions again, challenging what you have already written. 9. Create your Works Cited page. This essay should be documented in MLA style. 9. Exchange papers with a classmate to proofread. 10. Write an informative abstract that gives your purpose, question or problem at the center of your analysis, methods, and conclusions. See handout on abstracts on BlackBoard. 9. Submit your critical analysis and abstract through Blackboard on October 29.

Critical Analysis Checklist Title Page (with title, name, date, and course) Informative Abstract (purpose, interpretive question, methods, and conclusions) Debatable Interpretive Claim (thesis statement) At least 5 sources, attributed in the essay Interpretive Framework (should be identified in your abstract) Conclusion Works Cited Page (MLA format) Include all invention work and drafts when you turn in final draft. 1000-1500 words
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Addressing WPA Outcomes

Rhetorical Knowledge

This is an academic document. Your audience is learners and teachers. Choose an appropriate tone and purpose for that audience. Critical Thinking Ask interpretive questions that frame your focus. Find appropriate sources, and add your interpretation of the subject to the conversation. Your sources should be appropriate for an academic audience. Critical thinking requires you to find sources, evaluate whether they are appropriate, analyze how they fit in with your purpose and focus, and synthesize that information into your analysis. (You should attribute sources using MLA documentation.) Processes

Create multiple drafts (including looping, outline, rough drafts, peer review, revisions, proofreading, and final draft). Consider feedback and return to invention and drafting more than once. Give and receive feedback based on the criteria in the rubric. Knowledge of Conventions

Apply appropriate format, tone, and mechanics for academic writing. Use MLA to cite your sources of information. The appropriate format for your analysis includes 1 margins, double-spaced text (except in cases of long quotes), 12 pt. Times New Roman. The order of pages should include title page, abstract, analysis, works cited page. Proofread for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and word usage. Composing in Electronic Environments

Use the available online databases (Lexus Nexus, Academic Search, Communication and Mass Media Complete, etc.) to conduct research about your subject. Submit your final draft through email in Blackboard.

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