Analyzing a Written Text

The following set of questions is one tool you will use to analyze texts. You may wish to
employ it in the future as we analyze other texts together. In order to do an effective and
complete analysis, consider all the questions under each heading, and then write a
paragraph describing the particular area of the text under consideration, giving specific
examples from the text to support your answer. Rather than answering each specific
question, use the questions to guide your analysis. Group your answers under the
respective headings.

1-Purpose/Context

What, specifically, is the text about? In other words, what content does it attempt to
cover and/or explain? What "type" of text is it? That is, under what discipline or field
would you categorize it? What overall purpose does the text serve? For example, is it
meant to answer a question, pose a problem, add to research on a given topic, introduce
a new idea, summarize someone else's ideas, or some other purpose? How can you tell?

2-Author(s)

Who is the author(s) of the text? Is any biographical information given about the writer?
What qualifies him/her to write on this subject? Is the author(s) "present" in the text
through the use of personal pronouns ("I" or "we") or self-reference, or is the author never
referred to?

3-Audience

Where does this text appear? What, from the journal, magazine, or article itself, can you
tell about its anticipated readers? For example, are they well-versed in the topic or
novices? What specific details lead you to these conclusions about the audience? What
would the reader have to be interested in to read this text? What does the author seem to
expect the readers to do or think based on the argument/information presented in this
text?
4-Topic and Position

Is the authors opinion clear? Does the author include and/or critique other viewpoints?
Are other viewpoints presented as critique of the authors viewpoint so that the author
can refute them? Or are these viewpoints simply presented? How does the author position
this piece? In other words, does the piece refer to current events, personal experience,
and/or a review of research or discussions on the topic to show how this piece "fits into
the conversation" about this topic?

5-Research/Sources

How great a role do previous research and sources play? When references are used, which
ones receive the most discussion? Which ones the least? Why might some references
warrant more discussion than others? Are authors or studies ever referred to without
formal introductions or explanations? Where?

6-Proof/Evidence

What type of proof, if any, is used to defend conclusions or main ideas in the text (e.g.,
references to other works, interpretations of other works, original research, personal
experience, author's opinions, critical analysis, etc.)? Try to name every type of proof
that is offered.

Is one type of proof used more often than another or to the exclusion of all others? If so,
which one? Why might this type of proof be used more? What type of analysis is the proof
subject to, if any? In other words, does the author simply present something as a fact?
Does the author argue for a conclusion's validity? Does s/he analyze a piece of information
in a certain way? Does s/he ever qualify their argument? What kind of proof seems to
carry the most weight? What proof is the most authoritative in terms of the audience
accepting it without question? The least?

7-Organization

Is the text broken up by sub-headings? If so, what are they? If not, construct a "backwards
outline" in which you list the different parts of the text and what purpose they serve.
Why might information be presented in this order? Does it begin with background
information or context, definition of terms, etc.? What needs of the reader are the
authors attempting to meet by presenting the information in this order? Where (if
anywhere) is the authors position on the topic made clear: at the beginning, end, or only
by implication? What can you conclude about the reason for the texts given
organizational pattern? Is the organization driven more by the content (the information
that needs to be presented), by the authors' argument, by the needs of the audience, or
by some combination of the three? For example, an author may use chronological
organization because the order of events is important or so the reader can follow the
steps of a process when trying to use the process.

8-Style

Look at the pronouns in the text. Does the author ever refer to other readers or include
them by using "we"? Why or why not? Look at a "chunk" of approximately ten sentences.
What percentage (roughly) of your "chunk" could be considered technical terminology or
jargon? (Technical terminology or jargon are words or uses of words that are understood
in a particular way by a certain community. For instance, the word "crash" has a
particular meaning for emergency room personnel that is different from common usage.)
Are these technical terms ever explained? Which ones receive an explanation and which
do not? Why would the author choose to explain the ones s/he did? What percentage
(roughly) of your "chunk" could be considered informal or conversational language? What
purpose does this informal tone seem to serve in the text? In considering the authors
word choice (diction), are there any phrases or words that are particularly telling of the
authors values or underlying assumptions? (For example, if the author uses the term
"relationship" without qualifying it as "monogamous" or "heterosexual," then that shows
they assume relationships are monogamous and heterosexual rather than including the
possibility of other types of relationships.) List and explain them. Finally, look at other
aspects of style such as sentence structure/complexity, figurative language, rhetorical
questions, etc.

Adapted from Source:

https://writing.colostate.edu/guides/teaching/co301aman/pop7b3.cfm