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Organizing and Developing Your Draft of the Big Paper

Organizing and Developing Your Draft of the Big Paper. The style of your paper should be an inductive argument. Induction draws conclusions based on examination of the evidence, so it shows your critical thinking at work. Starts with a question , not a thesis statement

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Organizing and Developing Your Draft of the Big Paper

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  1. Organizing and Developing Your Draft of the Big Paper

  2. The style of your paper should be an inductive argument • Induction draws conclusions based on examination of the evidence, so it shows your critical thinking at work. • Starts with a question, not a thesis statement • Evidence is laid out clearly and alternatives are considered according to clear criteria before a conclusion is reached or an action is recommended.

  3. Development • The introduction should probably be less than 10% of your overall length • The conclusion (with your specific recommendation) might be 10%-20% of the length • That means that most of the length of the paper goes into helping readers understand the concepts and assumptions of the Q at I, the implications of various actions, and your rationale for recommending a specific course of action.

  4. Remember that you are making a pitch. There must be a specific point you are trying to sell to your readers. • The answer to your Q at I should be “you need to do X (and Y),” not “this is a big problem and we need to do something about it.” • Remember that you are trying to persuade specific and knowledgeable readers, so make sure a heavypreponderance of your information is from peer-reviewed or disciplinarily-acceptable sources! (Again, a specific audience helps you know what these are!)

  5. The Introduction • This will include CONTEXT, perhaps some F&P CONCEPTS, and a statement of the Q at I. • It needs to set up the CLAIMS you will question as the major part of your analysis of the situation and the ASSUMPTIONS that you are making as propositions in support of your solution. Again, see WA p. 180 ff.

  6. In the Body • Here you need to explore the ASSUMPTIONS surrounding your (and the experts’) thinking on the Q at I. • Use INFORMATION here—Always make sure that you introduce each source with a signal phrase (PH p. 363, 6th ed, or p. 399, 7th ed) and that after you finish using the source, you put a documentation indicator. • Signal phrases should contribute to your ETHOS by giving evaluative cues.(See The Correct Use of Borrowed Information.) • Then EXPLAIN/ ANALYZE/WORK WITH the source! Be the lawyer—tell us what this source’s evidence means to your case! You will probably need to discuss more CONCEPTS here. • Remember SEE-IT! You’re going for scuba depth here; don’t just snorkel!

  7. Once you have laid out the problem, • You need to look at ALTERNATIVES. Look at the IMPLICATIONS and CONSEQUENCES of possible solutions to the problem you are focusing on. Set them out in an order that’s discernible toreaders—use WA 171 ff.and think about what they will expect (most to least obvious, first to last proposed, cheapest to most expensive, whatever). Think about chs. 3-6 of Wilson in terms of how ideas can be sequenced. • Weigh the PROS and CONS for your readers to see. Show your thinking. • Again, use INFORMATION in this section to support your analysis. • Scuba, not skimming or snorkeling!

  8. Finally, you should look at • the SOLUTIONS to the problem. There may be more than one good or plausible solution, and you will need, eventually, to RECOMMEND one. That means that your conclusion must state the answer to your Q at I and really enforce your pitch. • Make sure that your readers understand the rationale for your choice. • Remember: This is not CSI: CRTW, so no surprises in the conclusion: everything here should be set up earlier in the paper.

  9. Documentation • All sourcesused—quotes, paraphrases, summaries, passing references—must be documented. • Documentation MUST include • A signal phrase to show where use begins • A parenthetical citation to show where use ends • A retrieval citation in the Works Cited listing • MLA form is expected unless you clear use of another form with me in advance.

  10. Use the New MLA forms in your Works Cited. Find them at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/. • Always ask me BEFORE you turn something in if you’re not sure about your documentation!

  11. Turning the paper in • Upload to www.turnitin.com • Turn in one hard copy to my office by 5 pm on Reading Day! • No extensions…I will barely be able to get these all checked by the exam. • Revisions are RARELY permitted—at my discretion.

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