Article Analysis –Questions to Consider

You do not have to address every question below. Instead, you should consider carefully which questions are most relevant to your article.

Introduction: How to Map Explanation and Other Factual Writing

All explanatory and argumentative writing begins with a mission: What do you want to communicate? It considers the points to be made to accomplish this mission (subject + purpose + audience = strategy).

Consider these Questions:

Is the writer explaining, persuading, or offering his/her own experience? For what reason are these offered to you? What do you think the writer wants you to do with this information?

What has the writer you've selected chosen to do, paragraph by paragraph? How does s/he do it? Why?

Additional Questions (adapted from The Informed Writer, 5th ed. by Charles Bazerman)

“Technique is present in every choice made by the writer at every stage of creation. Thus, to observe the technique of any writer, you must use everything you know about reading and writing, about how people present themselves through words, and about how thoughts are shaped….” C. Bazerman

Checklist of Techniques

Relationship between the Writer and Reader

Does the writer ask or expect the reader to do anything? How does the writer make sure that the reader follows the discussion? Does the writer engage the reader through humor, drama, or unusual examples? Is the writer’s “personality” apparent or invisible? (Writers can come across with energy and wit

or nearly disappear into the page, as in a manual or some textbooks.) If a personality is evident, how would you describe it? How is it suited to the topic and other writing strategies?

How much knowledge does the writer assume the reader has?

Overall Structure

Describe the opening. (Hook, Lead?) Does it work? Why? What holds the article together as a whole? How does one paragraph lead to the next? If classic transition words are not used, what “glue”

stands in their place? Does the text progress by chronological narration? By grouping related topics? Through steps of

a logical argument? By comparison? Association? Repetition? By Accumulation of detail? By the breaking down of the subject into parts? Or by a combination of these?

Content Choices

What parts of the subject are discussed by the author in great detail? What parts are summarized? (Why?)

What statements does the writer assume as given (and therefore does not back up with extensive support)?

What relevant topics are ignored? What topics could have been discussed but were not?

Expansion of Topics

In what ways are individual topics developed? Are arguments, evidence and details given? Are anecdotes told?

Is the reader asked to believe certain ideas or to take certain actions? Is the reader asked to imagine consequences?

Does the expansion of statements adequately support the statements? (Tip: Unlike science or math, writing rarely “PROVES” anything. Avoid this word and use words such as “supports,” “suggests” or “leads to the conclusion.”)

Does the expansion of statements help the reader to understand? Keep the reader interested and amused? Obscure the issues? Develop implications? (Or some combination of these?)

Choice of Evidence and References

What types of information are used to support main statements: statistics, anecdotes, quotations, original observations, scientific theories or findings, legal or philosophical principles, definitions, appeals to emotion, appeals to the imagination, appeals to common sense? (Review Aristotle’s 3 Appeals too).

Does the writer fall into any Traps in Logic? (Review the handouts on Logical Traps and Fallacies to be posted this week)

Sentence Structure and Word Choice (Consider the writer’s general tendencies)

Are the sentences short or long? Simple or complex? Do the sentences describe actions? Describe physical qualities? Do they relate to actual events

or to abstract ideas? Do they discuss only abstractions? Are the words short or long? Common or unusual? General or technical? Emotionally charged,

matter-of-fact and rational, or scientifically objective? What role do mood words play?

***As you can see, if you follow this list point by point, your analysis will end oddly and abruptly with mood words. Be sure to create your own plan and strategies for how to present your findings. Use an order of discussion that makes sense to your article and plan. Do not forget to wrap it all up in a conclusion!