Colleen M. Richardson

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Week 7: Justifying Evaluations

As we approach the end of this class, you will be reading less and writing more.  It is important to remember the goals that you have set for yourself.     Etzioni talks about the importance of school, and the fact that McDonald's provides few skills which will be useful in like.  Check out the MCC food service some time.  These workers have skill and variety in their jobs.

Important Considerations in Writing an Evaluative Paper

Thesis

Precisely where in your essay do you present your thesis?

Does your thesis address a problematic issue about your topic or does it merely restate a self-evident position?

Does your essay have a title that introduces your reader to your topic and, perhaps,

to your thesis?

Argument

Do you gracefully make clear your "plan of attack," your method of organization, either in advance or as you go?

Does each generalization, assertion, or inference follow clearly from the last, or are there logical gaps or weaknesses in transition?

Are there points at which your intended audience would likely be unclear, or confused, about what you are trying to say?

Do you avoid unnecessary repetition of ideas?

Are there points at which your argument is dubious or unconvincing because you have not explained your ideas fully or have not added sufficient evidence?

Do you analyze and interpret, rather than merely summarize, a plot, a critical approach, or a cultural context?

Do you define key terms?

Have you adequately supported your position by citations to the primary text(s)?

Evidence

Are all generalizations, assertions, and inferences supported by specific evidence, in the form of either actual quotations or precise references to primary or secondary sources?

When you use a quotation, have you analyzed its significance to your position?