Posted: April 17th, 2016

Is there anything in this analysis that could have been left out without losing its effect?

To be clear: Your readers should not know what your position is about the subject. Your readers should only know whether or not you felt the article was reasonable, well-developed, fair, etc. Do not include personal opinion or personal judgments about the subject matter. Do not include personal narrative.

This analysis should be presented in the form of a single essay, complete with a title page, an introduction, three body paragraphs (purpose, approach, and effectiveness), a conclusion, and a full References page.

Your analysis should meet the following criteria:

Is based on a current topic and/or event; is between 300-500 words in length, not including the title page, abstract (if used), and References page; includes direct quotations and paraphrased passages from the text; uses attributive tags that not only work to convey the mood of the writer, but establish him or her as an authority in the field of study; avoids personal opinion; is written clearly, concisely, and accurately; is written solely in third-person; includes a References page; has been closely edited so that it contains few or no mechanical errors; is ordered with a title page, an introduction, three body paragraphs (purpose, approach, and effectiveness), a conclusion, and a full References page.

Note that no one writes a polished essay in a single sitting. Start early and give yourself time for multiple revisions.

Analysis Checklist

As you work on your analysis, it is a good idea to keep the following questions in mind:

How does this analysis meet the assignment criteria? How close do you feel your analysis reflected the presentation of the original argument? Does this analysis use effective transitions as it progresses from paragraph to paragraph? Does this analysis avoid personal opinion, casual language, or first or second person language? Is there anything in this analysis that could have been left out without losing its effect? Is there anything else that could have been added to this analysis to make it feel more complete? Is this analysis based on a current topic? Grading Criteria Assignments Maximum Points Meets or exceeds established assignment criteria 40 Demonstrates an understanding of lesson concepts 20 Clearly present well-reasoned ideas and concepts 30 Mechanics, punctuation, sentence structure, spelling that affects clarity, and citation of sources as needed 10 Total 100