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Oops, science is POWERFUL!
ENGL 390, 390H, and (sometimes) 398V Class Journal
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Lots of stuff on your article
Here is a prose version of the lemon-pear shaped document discussion we had last week:
Documents have beginnings, middles, and ends. For this work, think LEMON-shaped. Here is a good way to arrange your analysis:
Beginning: 1-3 paragraphs that prepare the reader to understand and trust the center portion of your analysis (three or four body paragraphs). Use a cognitive wedge strategy aka "lemon nipple." Think:
-
- Opening (see the seven strategies -- you can combine them.)
- Ethos of lead author
- Definitions/descriptions or backgrounds, which is largely common knowledge.
Middle: 3-4 body paragraphs. Start with one paragraph per point BUT you may need to divide complex material into two shorter but connected (by transition) paragraph. These are your larger paragraphs. You MAY need to nest small definitions -- use the appositive technique -- near the material.
End: Taper off, with some useful information or thoughts for closing. For example, brief critique (this is hard and will NOT count against your work grade-wise), applications, further line of inquiry, implications for society.
New links for class discussion today:
Academic language phrase bank (really useful for analysis and writing). Spend some time here AND save the link. Thank you to the fine folks at Manchester University, UK.
Opening moves for technical documents: (seven ways! With examples.)
Citation/ethos/introduce your lead researcher: in class, we will talk about the conventions of citation in a close read of an article. Basically, the steps are:
- first mention, full name (in the ethos paragraph that also introduces the article).
- (author, date)
- last name throughout
- Example: Marybeth Shea is a professor of technical writing at the University of Maryland. She studies stasis theory in environmental policymaking. Her research article appears in the Journal of Conservation Biology and is the subject of this review (Shea, 2014). Then, in rest of document, refer to the work using the last name:
- Shea's approach...
- Her findings...
- What Shea's inference fails to account for...
Handful of language conventions:
1) That-which: which takes a comma; that does not! See this handout on choosing which and that.
2) What is an appositive?
What is an appositive? A bit of information you insert in between the subject and the verb. You need commas or other sorts of punctuation to set this off. This image of bunny paws can help you remember to do this:
3) Alot v. A lot: Grammar moment: the abomination of alot. alot is not a word. Let's see what this blogger says about remembering to use a lot and not alot(click into image to access her website).
Article review work: reading
Here is the slide set (Google Presentation) we looked at today at through slide 17 or so. We will continue with this on Monday, focusing on IMRAD format.
Read your article this weekend. Seek three or four points that you could use to place in the center portion of a:
- lemon-shaped document
- pear-shaped document
Directions -- everyday until just after spring break
- front matter,
- the heart of the directions (numbered, ordered commands), and
- back matter.
Document design and directions (the next assignment): Here is a guide to planning the directions assignment. We divide the material into three sections: Directions, like the resume, rely on "document design." The way we arrange the material for the audience, context, and purpose is as important as the content.Audience/Context/Purpose -- essential aspects of all documents. In designing directions or procedures documents, think of the audience as a user more than a reader.
Marybeth Shea
More on coffee cup memo
Be 75% done on Friday, for peer review. Then, due for a grade on Monday.
Lesson on paragraphs, here for early in your memo, in the definition/description move where we also need to address context. Skill?: Coherence in a paragraph (sample content but the paragraphs might not be complete for the purposes of your coffee cup paper):
"Meh" paragraph
Plastic and paper cups pose problems for recycling. Ceramic cups are very energy intensive to produce. Recycling seems environmentally-sound. Paper does not degrade deep within most landfills and the plastic coating is also difficult. Not all plastic can be recycled. You need to check the bottom of the container. Landfills are increasingly full. There is a huge "patch" of garbage in the Pacific Ocean.
Note: can you see the compare/contrast move here, even in this meh or necessary draft version?
Better paragraph
Paper and plastic both pose disposal problems. First, not all plastic can be recycled. Check the bottom of the plastic container. "No. 1" and "No. 2" types can be recycled by most facilities. Second, paper does not degrade deep within most landfills because of low oxygen conditions. The plastic coating also interferes with decay. Landfills are increasingly full. There is a huge "patch" of garbage in the Pacific Ocean.
Note: do you see a place for a referral citation, using the Seattle news article posted earlier? Can you find a more general article that you can refer to, about the limits of recycling and landfilling? Recall that this information, now, at this level of detail is common knowledge, even if you do know this. However, many of us do NOT know this, so is courtesy to reader to instruct with a referral link.
Even better paragraph (can you see the re-thinking of content as well as sentence-level revision)
Paper and plastic both pose disposal problems. First, not all plastic can be recycled. Check the bottom of the plastic container. "No. 1" and "No. 2" types can be recycled by most facilities. Second, paper does not degrade deep within most landfills because of low oxygen conditions. The plastic coating also interferes with decay. Landfills are increasingly full, with paper and plastic part of the waste stream. Not all plastic is recycled or landfilled. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) a huge "patch" of garbage in the Pacific Ocean is further evidence of the environmental harm posed by plastic.
Note: do you see a place for a referral citation? Caution, that NRDC piece has been taken down. Keep in mind that even good stuff on the internet goes away. You can use the Charles Moore foundation pages as a referral citation.
==== (pivoting away from definition/desorption to analysis; reveal your decision criteria!)
Life cycle analysis definition paragraph content items:
use a sourcing sentence (signal phrase) like "According to ........Life cycle analysis (LCA) assesses......
Life cycle analysis is the primary decision criteria used in this memo to evaluate our coffee cup choice."
Note that Martin Hocking's work uses LCA to assess the energy intensivity of paper, styrofoam, and ceramic cups.
Charles Moore's work on the fate of ocean plastic focuses on the disposal step of life cycle analysis.
(These last two sentences serve as transitions to the summary paragraphs where you focus on the science of Hocking OR the science of Moore, depending on your recommendation. This is the heart of your memo, the EVALUATION PARA that uses evidence for your claim on which cup is better, given your problem frame)
On the board, in class, we will work out a P1, P2, P3. . . series arrangement where P = Paragraph. Take a picture of this to guide your work.
From 2018: Here is link to a google doc with a jpg of the white board work and an additional copy of thie flow chart.
Marybeth Shea
Link to google doc for Thursday evening office hours. 8-9:30.
NEW: Sunday evening office hours: 6-7:30, in the same google doc.