Chapter 1, Concept 1.1 & Chapter 20, Skill 20.1

Subject matter problems are the heart of college writing. A thesis statement is the main point a writer wants to make in an essay. What is the question that lies behind the thesis? What is the problem or issue that the writer is wrestling with? Experienced writers immerse themselves in subject matter questions in pursuit of answers or solutions.

Shared problems unite writers and readers. A good, interesting question is at the heart of good writing.

Where do problems come from? Good questions do not always have right answers. The kinds of questions that stimulate the writing most valued in college are open-ended questions that focus on unknowns or invite multiple points of view. A good question sets the writer on the path of inquiry, critical thinking, analysis, and argument. You can write about questions or problems that are already “out there” or you can initiate your own.

Argue your own thesis in response to a research question. The best way to produce effective, engaged, and ethically responsible research papers is to begin with a good research question. There is a difference between topic focus and question focus. A topic focus invites you to collect information without a clear purpose. A question focus encourages active construction of meaning. 

Write with your own voice. Think about the topic enough that you form your own opinion and can express your own feelings. You can test the initial feasibility of your research question by considering the following prompts:

• Are you personally interested in this question?
• Is the question both problematic and significant?
• Is the question limited enough for the intended length of your paper?
• Is there a reasonable possibility of finding information on this question based on the time and resources you have available?
• Is the question appropriate for your level of expertise?

Writing Project 7.4

An annotated bibliography includes the writer’s “annotation” or commentary on each source. These annotations can be either summary-only or evaluative.

Summary-only Annotations: Provides a capsule of the source’s contents without any additional comments from the bibliography’s author.

Evaluative Annotations: Adds the author’s critique or assessment of the work, including comments about the source’s rhetorical context, its particular strengths or weaknesses, and its usefulness or value.

Annotations can vary in length. Short annotations that are only a few sentences long are most common when there are multiple entries. Long annotations can be up to 150 words and are more detailed analyses or fuller summaries. Long annotations can make an annotated bibliography too long if there are numerous entries. Reading articles rhetorically and writing annotated bibliographies helps us become more engaged in the research and really prompt us to think in exploratory ways.

Each entry of an annotated bibliography has 2 parts, a bibliographic citation and an evaluative annotation. A bibliographic citation should cite the source in either MLA or APA format. An evaluative annotation usually includes 3 parts:

• Rhetorical information-includes the source’s rhetorical context (genre,purpose, and audience). Are there any biases to be noted?
• A summary of the source’s content.-Summarize the source’s actual argument whenever possible.
• The writer’s evaluation of the source-what are the source’s particular strengths and weaknesses? How useful is the source for specific purposes? How might the writer use the source in a research project?

A critical preface explains the scope and purpose of the bibliography. Highlight your critical thinking and show the way that you conducted your research. Include:

• A contextual overview that shows the purpose of the annotated bibliography and suggests its value and significance for the reader.
• The research question posed by the author.
• The dates during which the bibliography was compiled.
• An overview of the number of items in the bibliography and the kinds of material included.

The key to producing a good annotated bibliography is to take good research notes as you read.

Sections: 2.2, 2.3, 17.4 & 17.10

A strong thesis statement surprises readers with something new or challenging. Your answers to your subject-matter question becomes your thesis statement. A strong thesis usually contains an element of uncertainty, risk, or challenge. A thesis is something to be quarreled with. A strong thesis surprises the reader with a new, unexpected, different, or challenging view of the writer's topic. There are two suggested ways written in the text to create a surprising thesis.

1. Trying to change your reader's view of your subject. 

2. Giving your thesis tension.

To change your reader's view of your subject, you must first imagine how the reader would view the subject before reading your essay. Then, you can articulate how you aim to change that view. 

For example: Before reading my essay, my readers think this way about my topic. After reading it, my readers will think this way. You can enlarge your reader's view by introducing new points and information. You can clarify your readers view of something that was previously fuzzy, tentative, or uncertain. You can restructure readers' whole view of a subject.

The old/new contract is when the thesis comes at the end of the introduction. What precedes the thesis is the explanation of the problem that she is addressing or the conversation that she is joining. This is also called the, "problem-before-thesis-structure." Start the introduction with a question to hook the readers. Features of an effective introduction include...

• Topic area and context
• A direct or implied question
• An indication of how the question invites tension, evoked controversy, or is otherwise problematic.
• An indication of how the question is significant or worth examining.
• The writer's thesis, which brings something new to the audience.

Start and end with the "big picture" through effective titles, introduction, and conclusion. Do not make broad generalizations in your introduction. 

Suggestions for effective titles:

• State or imply the question that your essay addresses. 
• State or imply, often in abbreviated form, your thesis.

For good closed-form introductions, present something old or something already known, and something new or something the audience did not previously know, that may surprise them. 

Problem equals old information. Thesis equals new information. 

Typical elements of a closed-form introduction:

• An opening attention-grabber. 
• Explanation of the question to be investigated. 
• Background information. 
• A preview of where your paper is heading.

Use occasional open-form elements to create voice in closed-form prose.