MbShea@PWP@English@UMCP

Morning!

Articles have beginnings, middles, and ends. Think Lemon-shaped. Interestingly, beginnings and ends have similarities. We have a number of options; look at these seven strategies for opening (Google doc based on CAIN, Rice University). Some rough thoughts about formality and audience type:

News article openings are good for the lay audience.  Why?  Several strategies:

• highly visual
• interesting case
• hook with tidbit of interesting information
• topic (timely)

For technical audiences, open with

• review of logos (detail of costs, population size, enormity of problem)
• controversy
• new application or breaking news

We hook the reader at the beginning. Being successful here relies on thinking about our readers. Science and technical readers are not leisure readers! Let's look at this recent article in PloS One about writing scientific prose. In Science, two scientists talk about how they read articles. Ruben writes with a somewhat lighthearted approach while Pain responds to his piece with her approach. Read the comments. Peek into the strategies of technical readers.

Arrangement matters in the IMRAD article. Here is one "bible" of writing (and reading) scientific prose:  Mayfield Guide (open access courtesy of MIT). Now, let's look/review at the basic parts of the IMRAD article using these elements from Mayfield. (Take-away? Your opening will be different from the IMRAD opening but looking at these links will help you improve as a reader): 

• • 3.4.1 Introduction
    • 3.4.1.1 Problem Statement
    • 3.4.1.2 Purpose
    • 3.4.1.3 Scope

(In-class, brief discussion about the ETHOS paragraph.  Please ask or type questions.)

1. If you cannot find a first author author bio, focus on the last author. Let's review the conventions on order in authors. Here is a thoughtful NCBI/NIH article on first author conventions. Two additional resources are this 2010 open access piece at Science and this 2012 Nature short guidance article.
2. You can also rely on the process of peer review and the journal ethos. One way is to consider the journal's impact factor. This is a crude tool and is like a baseball bat driving a safety pin into fabric. 
3. You can look at citations BUT consider the boundaries between scientific publisher ecosystems.
4. Look up article in PubMed (a National Library of Medicine project, part of NIH).
5. For tech/data sci pieces, you can explore the GitHub and/or Stack Exchange activity.
6. Try the last name at Science Daily or Phys.org.

Writing craft lesson on article titles and journal names. Italics sourround article titles, while journal titles are italicized.  as carrying the ethos of peer review. USE ITALICS! Do NOT put the long title of this article in your paragraph.) Let's discuss these two samples, familiar to you from last week-->

Kaspari s work on traditional, plant-based pigments in Romania, "A ethnographic field study approach to farmer accounts of their Morello cherry arboculture: the difference in local cherry liquors begins with horticultral sections stemming from the laste middle ages." This research article appears in the Journal of Food Science. Her 2010 ethnographic study is based on interviews with 250 families in ten villages.  

In a 2010 study on Morello (sour cherry tree) cultivars, ethnographic researcher Kaspari found a number of genetic subtypes,  some in use for hundreds of years.  Appearing in the Journal of Food Science (July, 2012), this ethnographic analysis …..

Hello.  Happy partial eclipse day to us all.

Housekeeping:

• I am enjoying reading your coffee cup memos (35% turned in by today).
• Be sure (subject is understood: you; is command structure+direct address) to complete your ER Reviewing Task that is a brief reflection on the prewriting of others.
• We will have an ER Writing Task on this Friday (to be posted in ELMS calendar/your inbox later today) that asks you to 
  • write one or two ABT statements about your research article and reflect on possible beginnings.
    • Cognitive wedge of your article analysis will include three items:
      • an audience-friendly opening, 
      • ABT statement that captures the main message of the article, and 
      • comments on the professional ethos of the first author.

Back to Olson's ABT work of last week: this is a framing technique that helps you understand the primary reason that the article has exigence (deserves attention).  When the writer understands the main message (think narrative), then, the writer can arrange, select content, use tools to support a reader within their writing. To sum what to do and why: Use the

1. And, but, therefore pattern of narrative from Randy Olson
2. Why? ABT structure helps you see the main message (overall take-away)and supporting evidence (three or four items you select from the paper). 

Let's look at a Google document overview with many environmental ABT statements in environmental science (link to Google Presentation set). 

Clipped here from your reading grid (get in there!):

TaDAH!, in (2015 NYT) Andrew Revkin’s words (channeling Randy Olson, Trey Parker, and Aristotle), now write these for each article: BEGIN QUOTE

______ and _____, but _____, therefore ______.

Every story can be reduced to this single structure. I can tell you the story of a little girl living on a farm in Kansas AND her life is boring, BUT one day a tornado sweeps her away to the land of Oz, THEREFORE she must undertake a journey to find her way home.   Mb here:END QUOTE.

Now, let's shift to another critical analysis tool: how counting out for the reader respects "bin theory" from memory studies. Also in your readind grid is (in the right-hand column, page.2 of 4)

Recall the “power of three, four, or seven” of George Miller (1956) BUT also look at this 2012 Science Daily summary of “four is magical” ; bottom line?

Three or four, plus perhaps subclusters of related ideas for a total of seven is a good strategy for audience cognition and memory.

Is dreary today but rain is necessary for plants and people.  We are sure glad for rain gardens to help with flooding, soil loss, and even pollution remediation.

Let's start with some due dates:

1. Tonight! Last ER Reviewing Task for the coffee cup memo. GET IN THERE.
2. Friday, I open up the coffee cup parking lot and you have one week.
3. Friday, I will also open up a short assignment for your article review, Assignment 3
   1. You will need the abstract of your desired piece.
4. Number 3 means you have an article now or will have one by Friday. Must be peer reviewed article of your choice.  For comp sci/data sci students, please email me because your field publishes differently than many expert disciplines.

Now, on to more work thinking about transitions between paragraphs and even document sections. We have two metaphors for this.  First up?  muffin tin.

In the muffin tin metaphor, we chunk information into the tins, which is natural and good. We divide complex information to conquer the complexity.  Doing this heaving cognitive lifting is necessary for analysis and even uses of the information.  However, muffin tin "scoops" of information are largely the type of information that is joined by the conjunctive and. We have yet to introduction the powerful (also wakes up reader cognition) conjunctives of but (however) and or (contrast or choices or options). We have yet to introduce the power of therefore, where we create meaning and actions based on meaning.  See the video below from Randy Olson.

One of Aristotle's canons for writing is ARRANGEMENT.  The order and "chunking" of information matters very much for reader cognition and receptivity to what you write.

Now, the (Lego) train metaphor, where the cars are different, helping us think about and, but, or, and toward the end (caboose) of therefore.

Now, to the exciting and somewhat potty-mouthed Randy Olson, marine biologist, filmmaker, and science communication evangelist. (NOTE: Video fixed at 3:20, Monday)

Randy's work is the and, but, therefore framework, which we call ABT.  

Let's think a bit about peer reviewed research articles and link this topic to ABT statements/framework:

1. This google slide set about the research article.
2. Keep a running grid  on your reading. Copy this google doc to your drive.  Reading IS essential to writing. Again, this is part of my case for labor grades. ABT statement is previewed here.

Light post today.  Topics that I touch upon include this list of most of your skills/approaches by now.  Also, you have an Eli Review post due tonight.  Recall that you are supporting each other.  I implore you to be on time for each other.

In no particular order-->

• Commas help clarify details and complexity for readers
  • Oxford comma YES
  • commas set off appositives (think bunny paws but also recall that parentheses and dashes work, too)
    • Caution: try to keep subject and verb together most of the time aka the Lego snap
  • that-which distinction; basically (you can punctuate clearly, even if you are not sure)
    • , which takes a comma
    • that does not take a comma
• Counting out helps readers (and writers) keep track of where they are!) Imagine you, as a student, taking notes. You use the counting words to transfer to note cards, even deciding the number of cards.
• Definitions/descriptions are essentially in most documents and are skillfully placesd early on; additionally, 
  • within later portions, equally skillfully, as nested phrases often in appositives. More on that in Assignment 3.
  • stasis 2 is the definition/description step in Stasis theory (a way to conquer complexity)
  • definitions/descriptions are also the lion's share of description work, prior to analysis. Recall that distinction?  And, people tend to describe more fully than they analyze.  Make sure you include analysis in your documents.  
• Cognitive wedge -- begin at the bottom of the hill and work up!
• Metadiscourse -- the language hovering above the content that helps readers keep their wits
  • counting out 
  • voice changes that direct reader toward meaning and cognitive flow
• Strategic use of I/me/my and We/our to bring the reader in (creates warmth as well as wakes up reader)
• Third person voice for most reporting, summarizing, quoting, paraphrasing of technical information.
• Ethical move: Show your work!
  • begin with conjecture (stasis 1), which is a question (working hypothesis) in most cases
  • reveal analytical frame, which is also a way to limit the discussion
  • show decision criteria, i.e. LCA
• Be ethical, reflecting the norms of science
  • at end, acknowledge the other frame and the reasonableness of another way to plot the problem
  • note the limits of one solution only, which is part of "people biases"
    • we need to solve more than one problem at a time
    • people are complex, especially in society
• Be ethical in the norms of work
  • offer to do more (short memo)
  • hint at other research you did that does not appear in memo/document
  • try to be future oriented, including about directions in science/technology
• Topic sentences in paragraphs are signposts to the reader
  • can allow readers to skim
  • reveal paragraph content
  • help readers hang on to meaningful content, before they enter more complexity
• Topic sentences are a kind of transition element, too, from the paragraphs/sentences that come before.

NEW class content! Speaking of transitions, we can look at tight and losoe transitions in this two-part Google doc presentation.

• tight transitions tend to be the same word or same phrase to pivot to new content
• loose transitions expand the word or phrase choices BUT still carry the linking sense for reader to new content.

Both types of transitions carry a sense of logical progression to this craft choice.  Transition craft moves help keep a cognitive thread going for the reader.  Another way to imagine this is via a Schoolhouse Rock Video. Thie one helpes us think about a transition strategyy based on three conjuction words:  to think about the job of conjunctions, which are really places of joining/meeting.  Why this video?  And, but, or -- these are the most common metadiscourse jobs of transitions.  When we move to a new paragraph, we tend to be saying "Dear reader, here is

1. additional information (AND)
2. counter or hedging information or limitation (BUT)
3. additional information that offers the fork-in-the-road type (OR, not and).

Good morning, hot beverage-obsessed!

We approach spring break, which splits up our drafting/reviewing/revising.  Never fear, I will support you through this.  I hope you can cogitate upon the problem during the break. Nothing improves thinking/writing more than time, punctuated by insight and consideration.

One resource, especially for those who want to work ahead is this Q&A document from previous sections. The Google doc is locked but the questions are perennial.

Now, let's talk about thinking.  Here are few points about why this recommendation memo is so hard-->

• incommensurability -- without common measure (option seven-minute video explainer)
• life cycle assessment/analysis (LCA) -- a cradle-to-grave analysis that primarily uses the frame of energy efficient.
  • Note: LCA analysis also has boundaries.  For example, LCA experts (I am one, actually), note aspects like national, international, and even regional boundaries (geographic).  We also deal with the problem of problem framing, sometimes calling this pre-analytical condition a boundary edge. For example, LCA work is starting to consider human health aspects, though this work is new and without many data sets to work with.
    • I am aware of emerging LCA work (Germany, primarily, with EU colleagues) on material accumulation chains, that now encompass the physical limits of recycling, landfilling, incineration, and the like.  Think: solid waste is pollution that takes space when we sink the material.
    • I am also aware of efforts to look at the ocean, with particular problems for both climate change (ocean warming is part of planetary warming) and accumulation of ocean plastic.  A sub area of concern here is bioaccumulation in food chains/food security/human health.
• human problem-solving is complex and we do truly need to work on more than one problem at a time
  • however, our analysis typically must drill down to details and portions of problems
  • later, we can attempt synthesis and priority areas for human problem-solving
• human problem require knowledge from the social sciences and the humanities.  One conjecture would be why do we keep using single-use disposal options when we KNOW that these choices have serious environmental outcome that harm us all?
  • You can look at the free rider problem (explains a rational for that behavior) from economics and
  • the idea of nudging people in complex systems toward pro-social behavior

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Now, many examples about the Oxford comma and why/how you should use in 99% of all writing. TLDR? Use the Oxford comma.  We start with the book inscription example, classic; I was taught with the first example, circa 1978.

To my parents, Ayn Rand and God.

To my parents, J.K. Rowling and God.

To my parents, Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart.

Now, we move to problems in newsprint. However, we should note that the paper and magazine style choices do not require an Oxford comma (will elaborate in class). In a newspaper account of a documentary about Merle Haggard:

Among those interviewed were his two ex-wives, Kris Kristofferson and Robert Duvall.

These two preceding examples are from Theresa and Nielson Hayden. Here is another doosie that cries out for a serial or Oxford comma. Many of these examples appear in the serial comma entry at Wikipedia. I can attest, as both a student and teacher, that these examples and similar ones appeared in teaching contexts even before they were placed in Wikipedia.  I am sourcing these, again, as object lessons in citation, giving credit, sharing common knowledge, and building ethos with you.

The Times once published an unintentionally humorous description of a Peter Ustinov documentary, noting that

"highlights of his global tour include encounters with Nelson Mandela, an 800-year-old demigod and a dildo collector."

Now, to be clear, the serial comma does not always solve ambiguity problems, again captured in Wikipedia:

They went to Oregon with Betty, a maid and a cook –

• They went to Oregon with Betty, who was a maid and a cook. (One person)
• They went to Oregon with Betty, both a maid and a cook. (One person)
• They went to Oregon with Betty, a maid and cook. (One person)
• They went to Oregon with Betty (a maid) and a cook. (Two people)
• They went to Oregon with Betty, a maid, and with a cook. (Two people)
• They went to Oregon with Betty – a maid – and a cook. (Two people)
• They went to Oregon with the maid Betty and a cook. (Two people)
• They went to Oregon with a cook and Betty, a maid. (Two people)
• They went to Oregon with Betty as well as a maid and a cook. (Three people)
• They went to Oregon with Betty and a maid and a cook. (Three people)
• They went to Oregon with Betty, one maid and a cook. (Three people)
• They went to Oregon with a maid, a cook, and Betty. (Three people)

I use italics to help you focus on nuance meaning.  Punctuation helps us with nuance, however imperfectly.

We can also look at the grocery list problem (me and so many teachers, not necessarily Wikipedia): 

buying  bread, jam, coffee, cream, juice, eggs, and bacon. VS

eating toast and jam, coffee and cream, juice, and bacon and eggs

Finally, we have a theme song to remember this punctuation convention.