1. Analysis of Rhetorical
Structure
Tips for completing the best possible journal entry
so that you can reuse it as part of your Research
a Current Debate Essay
2. Assignment Description
This entry will offer an analysis of one or more of the articles you will use
for your Research a Current Debate essay. It is to be a 400+ word essay
in itself that includes: a brief summary of the text, an overview of its
rhetorical structure, and a clear interpretation or judgment on the efficacy
of that structure. It will NOT include your personal opinion or viewpoint on
the content. These elements should be well balanced – the summary
should be minimal and more words should be dedicated to the overview
of rhetorical structure and interpretation or judgment. This entry should
not use first person pronouns. The only source that must be used and
cited APA style at the end is the text being analyzed, though you are
welcome to include other sources if you wish.
3. Presentation Map
• Slides 4-8 provide a more detailed description
of the assignment reviewing what each
paragraph of the essay-style entry must
contain.
• Slides 9-17 explain how the essay-style entry
requirements differ depending on whether you
are analyzing one or more than one article
4. Introduction: summary
Include a brief summary of the text.
This should be in your introduction or in
a “background” paragraph immediately
following your introduction. It should
take about 3 sentences.
5. Thesis
The final judgment (see slide 7) should
be your THESIS, with the rest of essay
serving to support and defend that
judgment.
6. Body ¶s: Analysis
This is the body of the essay and will
include analysis of the elements of
rhetoric in the article(s). It should quote
the authors often, in very brief bits,
noting language, tone, and other
details.
7. Conclusion: judgment
It will NOT include your personal
opinion or viewpoint on the content –
you are only assessing the quality of
the argument(s) presented to you.
Consequently, this essay should not
use first person pronouns.
8. Formatting
This essay should use APA style
parenthetical in-text citations.
The only source that must be used and
cited APA style at the end is the text
being analyzed, though you are
welcome to include other sources if you
wish.
9. Topic?
Are you writing about one of the essays, or
a few?
If one, you will focus on all aspects of
its rhetorical structure
If more than one, you will compare one
aspect of rhetorical structure present in
each
10. If one, your introduction will
include answers to the
following…
What is your writer’s central claim?
What is his/her major premise?
What are some minor premises?
11. If one, your thesis will
include answers to the
following…
Is your writer’s conclusion valid
based on the quality of his
argument?
What, if any, limitations are
there to this validity?
12. If one, your entry will
include answers to the
following…
What data does your writer
use?
What what other facts?
What concepts?
13. If one, your entry might
include answers to the
following…
What assumptions does your
writer make?
What what is his/her frame of
reference?
14. If you compare more than one
article, your introduction will
include answers to the
following…
Which aspects of the writers’ arguments interest
you the most:
The data and facts chosen by each?
The frame of reference chosen by each?
The concepts (laws, theories… etc.) chosen by
each?
15. If you compare more than one
article, your thesis will include
an answer to ONE of the
following…
Which author is better at using:
The data and facts?
The frame of reference?
The concepts (laws, theories… etc.)?
16. If you compare more than one
article, your entry will include
answers to ONE of the
following…
What are the similarities in the way the
author uses:
The data and facts?
The frame of reference?
The concepts (laws, theories… etc.)?
17. If you compare more than one
article, your entry will include
answers to ONE of the
following…
What are the differences in the way the
author uses:
The data and facts?
The frame of reference?
The concepts (laws, theories… etc.)?
