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Motivating coherence

Motivating coherence. Presented by Katherine McGee. Today I will talk about motivating coherence. Boring, right?. So, how do we fix it?. Shared Context Problem Solution. Shared context. Provides background Qualifies or rejects a “truth” “Literature review”. problem. “But,” “However”

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Motivating coherence

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  1. Motivating coherence Presented by Katherine McGee

  2. Today I will talk about motivating coherence.

  3. Boring, right?

  4. So, how do we fix it? • Shared Context • Problem • Solution

  5. Shared context • Provides background • Qualifies or rejects a “truth” • “Literature review”

  6. problem • “But,” “However” • Two parts • Condition, situation, or recurring event • Consequence/Cost • Two kinds • Practical – a problem that makes people unhappy • Conceptual – something we don’t know or understand

  7. Conceptual problems • “Cost” = “something more important that we do not understand but want to, because we do not understand the first thing” (Williams 90). • Solve with information • Explain what your readers don’t know and what they should want to know • Tell your readers why they should care

  8. solution • Offer a solution • For practical problems, encourage the reader to take action • For conceptual problems, tell the readers what you want them to understand or believe

  9. The “hook” • A quotation • A Startling Fact • An Anecdote

  10. Diagnose and revise • Is the problem practical or conceptual? • Where does your introduction end? • Can you identify the shared context, problem, and solution/claim? • How did you transition from shared context to problem? • Can you identify the condition and cost? • Have you answered the question, “So what?” • Can you identify your claim?

  11. conclusions • Restate your main point • Re-answer “So what?”—ideally in a new way • Suggest that, even if solved, there will still be problems • Tie back in to your “hook”

  12. Thus . . . In academic writing, we often struggle with how to introduce our topics. However, there is a solution. In Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace, Joseph M. Williams offers us a way to begin papers by “motivating coherence.” Through establishing a shared context with our audience, setting up a problem, and then offering a solution, we can get our readers more involved with our topics by helping them to care about our content.

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