RNW Q1&Q2

• Evaluative statements are judgments given by a reader that explain the strengths and weaknesses of a text using a set of criteria. It may be about the logic used by the author, the properties of a text, or the quality of the claims and arguments presented. 
• Remember to be objective and formal when writing evaluative statements.
• There are two types of evaluative statements:

  • Assertions
  • Counterclaims
• An assertion is a kind evaluative statement that expresses the quality of a text, or parts of a text.
• assertion answers the question "What can you say about a text?"
• Assertion

  "The text attempts to convince the reader that marijuana is a "gateway drug" that leads the users to venture into much harder drugs. This intention is clearly stated in this sentence: 'Marijuana is the seed from which the scourge of drug abuse grows.'"
• Reporting verbs

  The text...                                                                                             

  attempts to explain...  

  describes the process...       

  used (a technique, a method)...               

  failed to explain...      

  lacks a discussion on...
• Descriptive words

  The text... 

  is comprehensive...

  is detailed...

  is up-to-date...

  is successful...

  is insightful...
• Use hedging words or words that signal careful assumptions to make a statement look less absolute.
• What do you call these hedging words?

  Modals: may, might, can, could, would, should
• What do you call these hedging words?

  Adverbs: perhaps, possibly, probably, etc
• What do you call these hedging words?

  Approximators: approximately, roughly, about, often, occasionally, some, etc
• Remember, to express evaluative statements politely and respectfully.
• A counterclaim is a critical response that contradicts the claim found in a text. 
• Claim is a statement that asserts that something is true.
• Counterclaim is a claim that contradicts the initial claim made by an author
• Firsthand research is research you have conducted yourself such as interviews, experiments, surveys, or personal experiences and anecdotes.
• Secondhand research is research you are getting from various texts that have been supplied and compiled by others such as books, periodicals, and Web sites.
• METHODS OF INCORPORATING AN EVIDENCE

  • Quotation
  • Paraphrase
  • Summary
• Some words to use as signal phrases are: argued, asserted, emphasized, explained, observed, suggested, and wrote.
• Quotation

  It is anything from a word to several sentences taken word-for-word from the original source and enclosed in quotation marks.
• Use quotation if:

  • You are relying on the reputation of the writer of the original source to give authority or credibility to your paper.
• Use quotation if:

  • The original wording is so remarkable that paraphrasing would diminish it.
• Paraphrase

  It is a rephrasing in your own voice and sentence structure of one portion of the original source and is about the same length as the original sentence or sentences you are paraphrasing.
• Summary

  It is shorter than the original source and gives the text’s central idea in your own words.
• When you summarize another writer’s idea to use as evidence in a paper of your own, you are taking the essence of the writer’s idea and stating it more briefly, with less detail and explanation, than in the original.
• HOW DO I KNOW IF A SOURCE IS CREDIBLE?

  1. Who is the author?
  2. How recent is the source? 
  3. What is the author's purpose?
  4. What type of sources does your audience value? 
  5. Be especially careful when evaluating Internet sources!
• A book review or article critique is an academic paper that presents a reader's analysis, interpretation, and judgment about a book or an article.
• Bibliographical Entry

  Identify the details of the book or article that was reviewed or critiqued.
• Bibliographical Entry

  Leòn-Portilla, Miguel. Aztec Thought and Culture: A Study of the Ancient Nahuatl ......Mind. Translated by Jack Emory Davis. Norman: University of Oklahoma ......Press, 1963
• Introduction

  • Provide the background or context of the text.
  • Identify the text and its author/s. 
  • Identify the text's genre, style, etc.
  • Write your purpose (scope and limitation) in writing the review or critique.
• Content Summary

  • Summarize the main idea of the text.
  • Identify the book or article's purpose/intention.
• Evaluation/Analysis

  • Provide your general and specific comments about the book or article.
  • Highlight its relevance, contribution, and importance of the book or article to the current understanding of the subject being talked about.
• Evaluation/Analysis

  • Critique the strengths and weaknesses of its claims and pieces of evidence. 
  • Give commendations or recommendations about the text. 
  • Cite sources that will prove your claims or counterclaims in the text.
• Conclusion

  • Synthesis all the points you presented.
  • Restate your overall opinion of the text.
• References

  • Cite all the works you used in the review or critique

   
• Assertion or Counterclaim?

  The text seems to lack evidence to support the conclusion made about native English speakers being poor language learners.
• Assertion or Counterclaim?

  The author probably overlooked the correct spelling of the instructor's name. 
• Assertion or Counterclaim?

  The text assumes that racism has been resolved and is no longer relevant in today's time. However, evidence suggests that racism is still a societal problem that everyone faces.
• Assertion or Counterclaim?

  The author concluded that studying homosexuality causes people to become gay. However, the author seems to forget that LGBT people were rather afraid to come out as gays due to systemic intimidation, ridicule, and violence. According to the American Psychological Association (2014), this stigma makes LGBT members conform to gender norms. Studying homosexuality does not make people gay, it rather makes gay people more empowered.