What is Kantz’s view in writing an effective research paper?
A research paper must have the topic in which anybody can argue about and your audience can understand what side you are in. Choosing a topic is an important part to writing a research paper because it is what a writer feels they can discuss and know they will provide knowledge of their own. Also, finding as many helpful sources possible based on the topic will build proof and persuasion into an argument.
The argumentative paper needs sources as evidence for an argument. Such evidence mostly involves quotes. This helps the writer apply to ethos, pathos, or logos depending on where the quotes come from. Most people refer to a direct citation coming from books because; usually books are what provide enough information to what one argues. A writer may strengthen their paper by applying to ethos when quoting a person considered famous for having the knowledge of a certain topic because the audience can see that the person provides proof to the writer’s argument. However, the writer must be precautious of where they are getting the sources from because the sources’ author should be known for what he/she is in favor of.
Yet, when looking for sources, they must not be read as a narrative because it will lead to a misunderstanding on what one is arguing. The main point to writing a strong research paper is by having information well-proven by quotes that do not simply state the fact but what has already tried to be proved before. When integrating a quote, it does not necessarily need to be paraphrased but described in detail for better support, forming an informative paragraph. The paragraphs must be connected by keeping the genuine argument and maintaining a direct and persuasive style of writing.
The Kantz’s main view in writing an effective research paper is behind the sources and how they are explained. The sources must be descriptive, persuasive, and supportive for the reader to understand the writer’s purpose in favoring their argument.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Q & R 5
What methods can be used to help students use textual sources persuasively or more efficiently?
Well after reading the article that Kantz wrote, I know without a doubt that many students fall under this category myself included. The problem that a lot of students have is that when they read material presented to them they are just use to summarizing what they read and that is all. A lot of things come into effect when writing. Students just read think of a main idea then write it onto paper which isn’t necessarily correct. Sometime students don’t understand the material but they continue to write as if they did according to Kantz. Not all sources that are read are not accurate and when students read them they get the impression that they are so they use that as reference not knowing that what they use is wrong. All Kantz is trying to refer is that students need to be learned how to do this in order to become better writers and not just do basic summarization.
Jaime A
q&r 5
Why students have problem writing persuasive researched papers?
“Helping Students Use Textual Sources Persuasively” by Margaret Kantz, talks about the importance that students should know how to use textbooks to write a research paper and to understand how to teach students to write persuasively and thus the students would be able to achieve this common problem.
The difficulty of writing these papers comes from the way the students do not read correctly and the way they perceive the text they are reading. Kantz shows three reasons why the students have a problem beginning with the part that they do not understand the text. The first reason is that many students misunderstand the text or reading because they try to see them as stories to make a better understanding but the opposite happens. The second reason is which I think that is the most common because before reading this paper I had this problem; many students believe all what they read in the books, so they think all the sources they got are truthful in which case is not. And finally, the third reason is that students do not understand that “the facts are a kind of claim and are often used persuasively in so-called objective writing to create impression”
What students need to do is to read source text with rhetorical reading. Every student needs to make a reading technique and use it when they are reading but in a way that their mind work to give them something more to say. Analyze the text so that they come with original ideas too.
Q&5: Why is it important to know the difference between a research paper and a narrative essay?
Many students who try to complete a research paper fail to do so because they stick the pattern of narrative essays. In the article “Helping Students Use Textual Sources Persuasively,” Margret Kantz presents to us the example of a college sophomore writing student named Shirley. Shirley writes a research paper for her English class about the Battle of Agincourt. However, her professor, Dr. Boyer, gives her paper a C. Shirley made the mistake of not analyzing her paper, and basically just summarized what she read in her sources. “Shirley collated these facts into her own version, noting but not discussing discrepant details, borrowing what she assumed was to be her sources’ purpose of retelling the story, and modeling the narrative structure of her paper on that of her sources.”(75).
I think that students have a habit of sticking to their comfort zone, and that is to stick to what they know best. Many find it challenging to make the transition from a narrative to a research. According to the article, this is known as writer-based prose which is when a student “organizes what should be an expository analysis as a narrative especially when she writes a narrative about how she did her research” (78). I think students need to understand that there is a lot more to researching, than just summarizing what we think is correct. Because Shirley did not quite know the difference, she failed to meet the research paper requirements and got a C on her research paper.
Many students who try to complete a research paper fail to do so because they stick the pattern of narrative essays. In the article “Helping Students Use Textual Sources Persuasively,” Margret Kantz presents to us the example of a college sophomore writing student named Shirley. Shirley writes a research paper for her English class about the Battle of Agincourt. However, her professor, Dr. Boyer, gives her paper a C. Shirley made the mistake of not analyzing her paper, and basically just summarized what she read in her sources. “Shirley collated these facts into her own version, noting but not discussing discrepant details, borrowing what she assumed was to be her sources’ purpose of retelling the story, and modeling the narrative structure of her paper on that of her sources.”(75).
I think that students have a habit of sticking to their comfort zone, and that is to stick to what they know best. Many find it challenging to make the transition from a narrative to a research. According to the article, this is known as writer-based prose which is when a student “organizes what should be an expository analysis as a narrative especially when she writes a narrative about how she did her research” (78). I think students need to understand that there is a lot more to researching, than just summarizing what we think is correct. Because Shirley did not quite know the difference, she failed to meet the research paper requirements and got a C on her research paper.
Q & R 5
Q & R 5: How important is the way a student uses a text in a writing-from-sources task?
When writing original papers based on textual sources, students may find some difficulties that may not allow the successful fulfillment of the task the teacher is asking for. One of those difficulties is the way students use the different sources which they are going to refer to when writing the paper. It is very important for each student to make a good use of each one of the sources; otherwise it will become an obstacle and a factor of frustration.
Most of the times, when asked to use different sources in order to write an essay on a certain topic, students tend to use the information from the sources, take a bit of information from here and another bit from there to make not a new one but the same story, the only thing that changes is the way it looks like. As Kantz stated: “a writing-from-sources task can be as simple as collating a body of facts from a few short texts…into a new text that reproduces the structure, tone, and purpose of the originals” (Kantz 76).
The way the student uses the textual sources will influence in the originality of the essay he or she is working on. In order to be original or to build original arguments one must write what one thinks. A good thing for a student to do, as Kantz suggested, is to learn to think of the sources as existing to solve problems and intended for a particular audience, by doing so it will be much easier to think of things to say (Kantz 84). That would be a good use of the sources which also would avoid plagiarism. Sometimes students do not know how to identify the purpose nor the intended audience of a text thus we get frustrated and tend to copy or reproduce in our papers what was found in the source. The problem here is not wanting to plagiarize but the lack of strategies to develop own ideas. The needed strategies had not been taught either, which is a shame because when the students face high-level writings and readings is so difficult and frustrating to fulfill the requirements of each assignment.
I think that what influences the way a student uses the sources is the will of the student to work on the task, the effort he or she wants to put on. If the students do not want to work hard, the laziness will take them to copy from others. It is easier to take other’s ideas as owns than to create original ones.
I believe that the way students use the sources available is one of the most important aspects in order to accomplish the writing task successfully. If the student uses them in a wrong way, the sources will only be an obstacle; but if a good use of the sources is done, it will be easier to be original and to create an original paper.
When writing original papers based on textual sources, students may find some difficulties that may not allow the successful fulfillment of the task the teacher is asking for. One of those difficulties is the way students use the different sources which they are going to refer to when writing the paper. It is very important for each student to make a good use of each one of the sources; otherwise it will become an obstacle and a factor of frustration.
Most of the times, when asked to use different sources in order to write an essay on a certain topic, students tend to use the information from the sources, take a bit of information from here and another bit from there to make not a new one but the same story, the only thing that changes is the way it looks like. As Kantz stated: “a writing-from-sources task can be as simple as collating a body of facts from a few short texts…into a new text that reproduces the structure, tone, and purpose of the originals” (Kantz 76).
The way the student uses the textual sources will influence in the originality of the essay he or she is working on. In order to be original or to build original arguments one must write what one thinks. A good thing for a student to do, as Kantz suggested, is to learn to think of the sources as existing to solve problems and intended for a particular audience, by doing so it will be much easier to think of things to say (Kantz 84). That would be a good use of the sources which also would avoid plagiarism. Sometimes students do not know how to identify the purpose nor the intended audience of a text thus we get frustrated and tend to copy or reproduce in our papers what was found in the source. The problem here is not wanting to plagiarize but the lack of strategies to develop own ideas. The needed strategies had not been taught either, which is a shame because when the students face high-level writings and readings is so difficult and frustrating to fulfill the requirements of each assignment.
I think that what influences the way a student uses the sources is the will of the student to work on the task, the effort he or she wants to put on. If the students do not want to work hard, the laziness will take them to copy from others. It is easier to take other’s ideas as owns than to create original ones.
I believe that the way students use the sources available is one of the most important aspects in order to accomplish the writing task successfully. If the student uses them in a wrong way, the sources will only be an obstacle; but if a good use of the sources is done, it will be easier to be original and to create an original paper.
Q&R 5
Why did the student (Shirley) experience difficulty with assignments that required her to write original papers?
According to Kantz, “writing a synthesis can vary in difficulty according to the number and length of the sources, the abstractness or familiarity of the topic, the uses that the writer must make of the material, the degree and quality of original thought required, and the extent to which the sources will supply the structure and purpose of the new paper. “ She is basically saying that people find it easier to write a paper with only one source. When there are multiple sources, it is more difficult to keep your focus on only one thing and people usually get confused because of all the reading that is involved. I honestly think that to be true because when there is less sources, I find that I am more organized with my writing and I can find what I am looking for much easier. It isn’t always this way though; some students might actually find having more sources easier. They have more options from where to get their ideas from and they can actually manage to have all those sources. Overall, I believe Shirley experienced difficulty because of the fact that there were too many sources. She was so used to writing narrative papers and when she is faced with having to write an original paper like that, she could not do it.
According to Kantz, “writing a synthesis can vary in difficulty according to the number and length of the sources, the abstractness or familiarity of the topic, the uses that the writer must make of the material, the degree and quality of original thought required, and the extent to which the sources will supply the structure and purpose of the new paper. “ She is basically saying that people find it easier to write a paper with only one source. When there are multiple sources, it is more difficult to keep your focus on only one thing and people usually get confused because of all the reading that is involved. I honestly think that to be true because when there is less sources, I find that I am more organized with my writing and I can find what I am looking for much easier. It isn’t always this way though; some students might actually find having more sources easier. They have more options from where to get their ideas from and they can actually manage to have all those sources. Overall, I believe Shirley experienced difficulty because of the fact that there were too many sources. She was so used to writing narrative papers and when she is faced with having to write an original paper like that, she could not do it.
Q&R5
How do you organize your writings?
As we learned in “Helping students Use Textual Sources Persuasively” the way that students should avoid writing their informative writings is in a chronological or time based order. Instead, they should organize their ideas in a way that allows them to argue and persuade their audience more efficiently. This means they have to focus mostly on facts.
In my writing I’ve noticed that I am a more analytical writer. I prefer to go down a list of facts and giving explanations to them in order of importance, rather than attempting to tell a story. I believe that when a writer organizes his or her text(s) based on the importance of the different aspects of the topic, the text as a whole becomes a very persuasive argument. Without sources convincing an audience becomes difficult. The writer needs to provide a ground for their ideas to expand, rather than trying to tell a story and avoid using any type of reference to gain credibility and the trust of the audience.
Credibility is, in my opinion, the key part of convincing an audience. If the information that you present is not credible, then quite simply your audience will be skeptical. However, if the writer uses a source form anther more experienced writer, or data from a scientist or statistician who already has a credible name, then the audience automatically is pushed to think that the argument is at least worth hearing. After that the writer has the ability to use the sources that he or she has gathered to the best of their abilities to convince their audience of something. The art of persuasion is based on how well one person can appeal to another, which further means that in order to convince someone you need to get that person to think about a why they should get involved in something.
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