Friday, November 12, 2010

ENC 1101-086 ESSAY3: PROCESS ANALYSIS

Dr. Hand
ENC 1101-086
Essay 3: Process Analysis—650-800 words
First draft due: November 1
Second draft due: November 8
Final draft (plus all previous drafts and a process memo): November 15

Any missing materials will result in a deduction of points. 

This assignment asks you to write a process analysis.  A process analysis is just like it sounds: it analyzes a process.  For example, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., analyzes the process of hair treatments he became familiar with growing up and observing his mother’s hair-dressing practices (Patterns, 300-305).  Dave Barry’s essay, “Terminal Logic,” examines the process of air travel, with the aim of both amusing readers and persuading them that not all airport security measures are effective or useful (290-292).  Your process analysis should explain a process and inform and/or persuade readers about the process itself and your position regarding the process.   

Read the ideas on Patterns page 327, particularly numbers 1, 4, 11, 12, 13, and 16.  Think about these suggestions, and brainstorm.  Write a list of several different topics.  Beside each topic, identify your aim.  Looking at number 16, my topic might be “the best way to grill a burger.”  My aim would be to inform and persuade my readers.  Looking at number 12, my topic might be “Finnish Christmas rituals,” where my aim would be to inform my readers. 

This essay requires that you do research on your process.  Find at least 3 sources and create an annotated bibliography.  Provide the bibliographical entry in MLA style, and beneath each entry provide a 2-3 sentence description of the information you  found in the source.  Sources might range from reference books to magazine articles to personal interviews.  Sources should be authoritative, trustworthy, and acceptable within a scholarly community.  Unidentified websites, Wikipedia, and personal blogs are example of unacceptable sources. 

Citations from sources should be in quotation marks.  Do NOT paraphrase.  Paraphrasing blurs the lines between what comes from the source and what comes from you.  If I can’t distinguish between your words and the source’s, or if I feel like you are paraphrasing without crediting a source, I will conclude that you are plagiarizing (attempting to pass off another’s words or ideas as your own), and you will fail the assignment and/or the course.

Remember: write clearly and concisely; organize your information into paragraphs with clear main ideas and supporting details; provide your statement of purpose or thesis up front; do not include general or extraneous information anywhere in your paper; think about your aims and audience as you write; use appropriate and specific language; display critical thinking; provide quotations from sources to illustrate your points; include an effective introduction and conclusion.     

No comments:

Post a Comment