Organize, Citations, and Outline

ANALYZE THE IMMEDIATE CONTEXT

Examine the Author

• What is the author’s purpose? To change beliefs? To inspire action? To teach about a subject? To praise or blame? To amuse?
• How did the author come to this subject?
• What else did the author write?

Examine the Audience

• Who was the intended audience?
• What were their attitudes and beliefs about the subject?
• What were their attitudes and beliefs about the author?
• What does the author assume about the audience?

Analyze the Broader Context

Examine the Larger Conversation

• Why did this text appear at this particular time?
• What else has been said or written about the subject?
• What was going on at the time that influenced this text?

Examine the Larger Society

• What social, political, and economic influences can you find in the text?

Analyze the Text

Examine the Kind of Text

• What kind of text is it? speech? Essay? Letter? Editorial? Advertisement?
• What is the medium: print? Web site? Voice recording?

Summarize the Content

• What is the author’s main claim or main idea?
• How is the main claim or main idea supported? How is the text organized?

Examine the Appeals

• Ethos: How does the author represent him/herself? How does the author build or fail to build trust?
• Logos: What kinds of facts and evidence does the author use?
• Pathos: How does the author appeal to values shared with the audience?

Examine the Language and Style

• Is the style formal?Informal? Academic?
• Does the author use humor or satire?
• What metaphors are used?

Organize and Write

Before Writing

• Take stock of your initial analysis If your selected text that isn’t working for the assignment, find one that works better
• Look at your notes on the author, the audience, the circumstances of original publication or delivery, what other texts the author was responding to, and what else was going on at the time

Spend some time think about how to organize your analysis

Think about your readers

• How much do readers know about your text? The author? The events surrounding the text? Other texts like it?
• What will readers gain from reading your analysis?

Write An Introduction

• Include a Hook
• Inform your readers about the author and summarize what the website is about
• Include your thesis statement

Thesis Statement

• Make a claim about whether the webpage effectively uses ethos, pathos, and logos

Body Paragraphs-Support the Claim

• Give examples from the text to show how the authors builds credibility with the audience, appeals to their values and beliefs, and convinces them with facts/evidence
• Analyze the author’s style, tone, and language

Additional Sources

• Use the webpage you chose and one additional webpage about the same topic from the same website
• APA in text citations and a Reference page are needed

Write a Conclusion

• Reiterate your thesis using different words
• Close up your supporting points

References (page)

• Proper Format: Name of Organization or Group. (n.d.). Title of web page in sentence case. Retrieved from http://website.ca/full

In-Text Citations
1) Name of organization, date of publication, and page number(s) are placed in brackets at the end of the sentence. For the first page add -a to the date of publication, add -b to the second and -c for the third. When there are no page numbers, refer to the paragraph number or heading within the text.

(Enmax, n.d.-a, “How to Save Electricity,” . 2)
(Enmax, n.d.-b, “Enmax Energy Home,” para. 1)

2) Alternatively, the citation may be integrated into the sentence with a signal phrase and narrative. If lengthy, abbreviate the organization or group name:

According to Enmax (n.d.-a), people can save electricity by planting “well-placed shade trees” which “can reduce your cooling needs by up to 30 percent” (“How to Save Electricity,” para. 2).
Utility companies in Alberta have begun selling home solar energy installations and services. Enmax (n.d.-b) stated they have home solar dealers who help customers “determine the right solar energy system” and “look after all the permitting, installation and commissioning required” (“Enmax Energy Home,” para. 1).

Consider Outlining

Benefits

• Organizes the writer's thoughts and information related to a project or paper
• Helps the writer clarify their ideas
• Structures and organizes large volumes of information and research
• Demonstrate the thinking process behind an essay or report

Reasons

• Helps you organize your ideas
• Presents your material in a logical form
• Shows the relationships among ideas in your writing
• Constructs an ordered overview of your essay
• Groups ideas into main points