Analytical Writing in 3 Simple Steps

Summary

This video script offers a straightforward guide to analytical writing, emphasizing the importance of focused attention on a single subject. It outlines the process of analysis through three key questions: 'What?', 'So what?', and 'How do you know?' The script uses the example of a pen to illustrate breaking down an object into its parts and explaining their roles. It encourages specificity in identifying details, explaining their significance, and validating one's analysis. The speaker also provides a real-life example of academic analysis, demonstrating how to effectively communicate an author's ethos.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Analysis is a common type of analytical writing that requires focused attention to detail rather than broad research.
• 📚 The goal of analysis is to explain how something works by breaking it down into its individual parts and explaining their roles.
• 🖊️ Analyzing a pen involves identifying each part and explaining how it contributes to the pen's purpose of writing.
• 🔑 The first step in analysis is to document the individual pieces of the object being analyzed, focusing on specific details.
• 🔍 When identifying details, look for patterns or significant details that contribute most to the object's overall purpose.
• 📝 The second step is to explain the significance of those details to the readers and how they work towards the object's purpose.
• 🤔 The 'so what' question is crucial as it delves into why the identified details matter in the context of the analysis.
• 📈 To show readers how you know your analysis is valid, explain the logical steps of your interpretation and thought process.
• 📑 In academic writing, it's important to show your work and thought process to validate your analysis for the readers.
• 🎓 Even complex analyses, like those in a PhD program, follow the same basic process of answering 'what', 'so what', and 'how do you know'.

Q & A

What is the main focus of analytical writing?

The main focus of analytical writing is to explain how something works by breaking it down into its individual parts and explaining the role each piece plays in contributing to the object's overall purpose.

What are the three key questions that guide the process of analysis?

The three key questions that guide the process of analysis are: 'What', 'So what', and 'How do you know'.

Why is focused attention to detail important in analytical writing?

Focused attention to detail is important in analytical writing because it allows for a deep and thoughtful examination of a single subject, which is necessary for breaking down and understanding the individual components and their significance.

How does the process of analysis differ from research writing?

The process of analysis differs from research writing in that it requires focused attention on a single subject to break it down and understand its parts, rather than collecting information from multiple sources.

What should be the goal when identifying details during analysis?

The goal when identifying details during analysis should be to focus on the most significant details that contribute to the overall purpose of the object being analyzed, and to be as specific as possible.

Why is it important to explain the significance of details in analytical writing?

It is important to explain the significance of details in analytical writing to show readers how those details work and contribute to the object's overall purpose, which helps to provide a more convincing and meaningful analysis.

How does one answer the 'So what' question in an analysis?

To answer the 'So what' question in an analysis, one should explain why the identified details matter in terms of the object's overall purpose and how they contribute to that purpose.

What does the 'How do you know' question require in an analytical paper?

The 'How do you know' question requires the analyst to show their readers the logical steps taken to interpret the details, explaining the thought process and providing evidence to support the analysis.

Why is it necessary to show the thought process in an analysis?

It is necessary to show the thought process in an analysis to make the implicit explicit for the readers, ensuring that they understand the reasoning behind the analysis and can follow the logic used to interpret the details.

Can you provide an example of how to answer the three key questions in an analytical paragraph?

An example of answering the three key questions in an analytical paragraph could be: 'What' by listing specific details from a text, 'So what' by describing how those details contribute to the creator's persona, and 'How do you know' by explaining the logical connection between the details and the persona.

How does the order of answering the three key questions affect the analytical writing?

The order of answering the three key questions does not necessarily affect the analytical writing as long as all the elements are present in the paragraph. Different orders can be used as long as they effectively convey the analysis.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Introduction to Analytical Writing

The paragraph introduces the concept of analytical writing, emphasizing its commonality in academic settings. It contrasts analysis with research writing, highlighting the need for focused attention on a single subject rather than gathering information from various sources. The speaker assures that despite its initial complexity, analysis is straightforward and involves answering three key questions: 'what', 'so what', and 'how do you know'. The goal of analysis is to explain how something functions by breaking it down into its components and explaining their roles. Using a pen as an example, the speaker illustrates how each part contributes to the pen's purpose of writing. The paragraph concludes by encouraging a detailed and specific approach to identifying and explaining the significance of these components.

05:01

🎯 The Significance of Specific Details in Analysis

This paragraph delves into the importance of specificity when identifying details in an analysis. It stresses the need to focus on the most significant details that contribute to the overall purpose of the object being analyzed. The speaker advises against merely listing every detail, but instead, to concentrate on those that are most relevant. The paragraph also discusses the importance of explaining the significance of these details to the audience, using the example of a pen's nib transferring ink to paper. The speaker emphasizes that an analyst should not only point out details but also explain how they work and why they matter, ensuring that the analysis is convincing and informative. The paragraph concludes with a reminder to show the reader the thought process behind the analysis, making the implicit explicit and validating the analysis with logical reasoning.

10:01

📚 Practical Application of Analytical Writing

The final paragraph provides a real-life example of academic analysis, demonstrating how the speaker analyzed a 'Physics Girl' video to explain the creator's communication of her ethos or persona. The speaker shows how specific details from the video were used to answer the three key questions of analysis: 'what', 'so what', and 'how do you know'. The paragraph concludes by reinforcing that analysis is a straightforward process that requires answering these questions, and it does not necessarily require external research. The speaker invites questions and suggestions for future topics, emphasizing the goal of helping the audience with their writing. The paragraph ends with an encouragement to continue learning about effective and meaningful writing.

Keywords

💡Analytical Writing

Analytical writing is a form of writing that involves breaking down a subject into its components to understand its nature and function. In the video, the speaker emphasizes that this type of writing is different from research writing, requiring focused attention on a single subject rather than collecting information from various sources. The script uses the example of analyzing a pen to illustrate how each part contributes to its overall purpose of writing.

💡Rhetorical Analysis

Rhetorical analysis is a method of analyzing the persuasive techniques used by a speaker or writer. The video mentions this type of analysis as an example of the broader category of analytical writing. It suggests that understanding how an author uses language to persuade readers is a key aspect of rhetorical analysis.

💡Literary Analysis

Literary analysis involves examining a literary work to understand its themes, characters, and literary devices. The script briefly mentions literary analysis as another form of analytical writing, suggesting that it requires a deep and detailed examination of a text's elements.

💡Focused Attention

Focused attention refers to the concentrated effort required to analyze a subject in depth. The video script highlights that analytical writing demands focused attention to detail, which contrasts with the broader information-gathering approach of research writing.

💡Significant Details

Significant details are the particular aspects of a subject that are most important for understanding its function or message. The speaker in the video instructs viewers to focus on these details when analyzing a subject, as they are crucial for explaining how the subject works or what it conveys.

💡Patterns

Patterns refer to the consistent elements or techniques used by a creator or author. The script suggests looking for patterns as a way to identify significant details in an analysis, as they can point to the most meaningful aspects of a subject.

💡Purpose

Purpose, in the context of the video, refers to the intended function or goal of the subject being analyzed. The speaker explains that the goal of analysis is to explain how a subject works by focusing on the details that contribute most to its purpose.

💡So What

The term 'so what' is used in the video to denote the question that an analyst must answer to explain the significance of the details they've identified. It's about demonstrating why the details matter in relation to the overall purpose or message of the subject being analyzed.

💡How Do You Know

This phrase is used to emphasize the need for analysts to justify their interpretations and conclusions. The video script suggests that analysts should clearly explain their thought process and the logic behind their analysis to establish its validity.

💡Ethos

Ethos, in the context of the video, refers to the character or credibility that a speaker or writer establishes with their audience. The speaker uses an example from a 'Physics Girl' video to illustrate how the creator communicates her ethos or persona to her audience through her choice of details.

💡Persona

Persona, as mentioned in the video, is the image or identity that a creator or author projects to their audience. The script uses the 'Physics Girl' video as an example to show how the creator constructs an authoritative yet relatable persona through her presentation.

Highlights

Analytical writing is a common type of academic writing that requires focused attention to detail.

Analysis involves answering three key questions: what, so what, and how do you know.

The goal of analysis is to explain how something works by breaking it down into its individual parts.

Analyzing a pen involves explaining how each part contributes to its overall purpose of writing.

The first step of analysis is to document the individual pieces of the thing being analyzed.

Details should be as specific as possible to make the analysis convincing.

Focus on the most significant details that contribute to the overall purpose of the object being analyzed.

The second step is to explain the significance of those details to the readers.

Explain how the details contribute to the object's overall purpose.

The 'so what' question addresses why the details matter in the context of the object's purpose.

The final step is to show readers how the analysis is valid by explaining the thought process.

Academic writing requires showing your work and explaining how you derived your conclusions.

A real-life example of academic analysis is provided to illustrate the process.

The example shows how to answer the three key questions in an analytical paragraph.

The order of answering the questions can vary as long as all elements are present.

Analysis can be challenging initially but is straightforward once you understand the three questions.

The speaker invites questions and topics for future discussions on writing.

Transcripts

analysis it sounds hard but it's

actually pretty simple

hi there it's great to have you here if

you do much writing in school chances

are that you'll end up doing some kind

of analytical writing you might be doing

a rhetorical analysis or a literary

analysis or who knows what else kind of

analysis the point is that analysis is a

common type of analytical writing and it

can be tricky at first because it

requires a different kind of attention

or discipline when compared to other

things like research writing instead of

going out into the world and finding

sources while doing research analysis

requires focused attention to detail you

think deeply and thoughtfully about a

single thing rather than going out and

collecting information from a lot of

different places and because that kind

of focused attention is unfamiliar to a

lot of people at first it can be hard to

know where to get started with analysis

the good news though is that analysis is

fairly simple and it really just

involves answering three questions what

so what and how do you know today I want

to show you how to answer those

questions and write a really fantastic

analytical paper but before we do that I

think it's worth spending some time to

get on the same page about what the goal

of analysis really is

at its most basic analysis is a process

of explaining how something works by

breaking it down into its individual

parts and then explaining the role that

each piece plays in contributing to that

object's overall purpose so for example

we could analyze a pen by pulling apart

its separate pieces and then explaining

how each piece contributes to the Pen's

overall purpose which of course is to

write and here we can see a pen broken

down and ready for our analytical

Insight you have the barrel this piece

houses all the internal stuff but it

also gives you something to hold on to

and it makes the pen look nice from the

outside the cap keeps ink from leaking

all over the place when you aren't using

the pen and of course the clip lets you

clip your pen onto something like a

pocket for convenient Transportation

moving into the center you have the nib

that's the part that transfers ink to

paper allowing a person to write there's

the grip which a person holds while

writing and the converter which holds

ink so that you can keep writing without

having to dip your pen in an Inkwell

every six letters if our goal is to

analyze the pen and explain how it works

we can identify each individual piece

and explain how that piece contributes

to the overall purpose of writing and at

its most basic that's what analysis is

of course it's not likely that you'll be

writing a paper in which you analyze

something as simple as a pen rhetorical

and literary text can get kind of

complex but the basic process of

analysis Remains the Same and like I

mentioned it happens in three easy steps

[Music]

the first step of analysis is to

document the individual pieces of the

thing you're analyzing break it down cut

it up separate its individual components

our goal is not to see the pen but to

see the individual working pieces of the

pen when you answer the question what

you're telling your readers what you

notice that it's important to be as

specific as possible remember we're

looking for details and the more

specific those details are the more

convincing your analysis will be so for

example if you wanted to say something

about an author's word choice don't just

say the author uses a lot of scientific

and Technical language that might be

true but it doesn't really show readers

the actual details and it doesn't

specifically answer the what question in

order to do that it would be more

effective to say something like the

author uses scientific and Technical

words like lysis hydrophobic and

mitochondria see how this sentence

provides more specific details that's

what we're after when we're doing

analysis be detailed be specific and be

thorough row I've yet to see a writer be

too specific but I've seen countless

writers not be specific enough of course

your job is not just to list every

specific detail that you notice more

than likely you'll have limited space to

write your analysis and a bulleted list

of every specific detail by themselves

would be pretty uninformative and kind

of boring

so as you prepare to write your analysis

you'll want to focus on the most

significant details in the thing that

you're analyzing you aren't going to be

able to talk about everything so you'll

need to draw your reader's attention to

the most important things and in order

to do that you might Begin by looking

for patterns in the thing that you're

analyzing are there things that the

Creator or author does consistently if

so those patterns might point you to the

most significant details or there might

be places where the author violates

their patterns and does something

unusual these are also a likely place to

find significant details whatever the

object you're analyzing remember that

your job is to explain how the overall

object functions so focus on the details

that contribute the most to that purpose

for example when we were talking about

the pen we focused most on the details

that help the pen to function we didn't

spend a lot of time talking about

aesthetic decorations or colors because

our objective was to explain how the pen

works not how it looks so think about

the overall purpose of your analysis

analysis and then focus on the details

that contribute the most to that purpose

and again be as specific as possible

[Music]

but identifying specific details is of

course only part of the job anyone can

take apart a pen or notice details in a

poem or advertisement but an analyst

goes one step further by explaining the

significance of those details to their

readers by showing them how those

details work so again we didn't just

point out the nib of the pen we

explained that the nib transfers ink

from the pen to the paper helping the

pen to do its job of writing so when you

identify important details on the thing

that you're analyzing the next step is

to spend some time explaining how those

details contribute to the object's

overall purpose for example how do the

scenes in an advertisement of a car

racing through the forest motivate the

viewers to go by that car or how does

the rhyme pattern in a poem contribute

to the poet's feeling of Joy often I'll

see less experienced analysts only

partially explain the significance of

the details often they'll say what they

mean but they don't go as far as to

explain how they work to contribute to

the purpose of the object for example

they might say something like the author

uses scientific and Technical words like

lysis hydrophobic and mitochondria these

words show that they know about science

this isn't bad writing but it's only

part of the analytical job remember the

question now is so what why do these

Details Matter it's true that they show

that the author is knowledgeable but why

does that matter so what this analysis

could go a step further by saying

something like the author uses

scientific and Technical words like

lysis hydrophobic and mitochondria these

words show that they are knowledgeable a

move that prompts readers to trust them

and believe their message see how this

sentence goes a step further and

explains why those Details Matter in

terms of the object's overall purpose

the words are not just a demonstration

of the author's knowledge they have a

purpose one of getting readers to trust

the author or you could say something

like the Rhythm in this poem a mix of

trokies and dactyls evokes the feel of

nursery rhymes and then go on to explain

why that pattern Matters by saying this

Rhythm complements the nostalgic tone of

the poem bringing readers back to their

childhood

again don't just point out the details

and don't explain them in isolation show

your readers why those Details Matter by

explaining how they work and how they

contribute to the overall purpose of the

thing you're analyzing and it's worth

remembering that how you answer the so

what question will depend on the kind of

analysis that you're doing for example

if you're doing rhetorical analysis and

let's be honest why would you want to do

any other kind the purpose of your

analysis will be to explain the

significance of those details in terms

of how they motivate the audience to do

what the author wants them to do

and finally once you've spent some time

to identify the details and explain

their significance it's important to

show your readers how you know that your

analysis is in fact valid this step gets

us back to one of the primary purposes

of academic writing your readers don't

just want to know what you know they

want to know how you know it they want

to see where your knowledge comes from

and how you got it so take a little time

to explain the logical steps that you

took to interpret the details in the way

that you did If This Were a math problem

I'd be telling you to show your work put

your thought process on the page so that

your readers can see it so going back to

our sample analysis if we read this we

could say that's fine this is what you

know but how do you know it what leads

you to believe that the nursery rhyme

rhythm is nostalgic or evokes childhood

you could show your work or make that

thought process explicit by saying

something like this

the Rhythm in this poem a mix of trokies

and dactyls evokes the feel of nursery

rhymes nursery rhymes are a common

fixture in early childhood literature so

the poet's use of those rhythms brings

back reader's memory of the nursery

rhymes they learned as children thereby

enhancing the nostalgic tone of the

peace now I understand that this might

feel like a little bit of a tedious

process but remember that you've spent a

good long time analyzing this object and

your readers haven't what may feel

obvious to you might not be so obvious

to them so make sure that your readers

get it by taking the time to explain

your thought process show your readers

how you know something and you'll make

it much more likely that they understand

your analysis in the way that you intend

your job as an analyst is to show your

readers the things that they might

Overlook and to make the implicit

explicit so even if you're reasoning for

how you know feels obvious say it

explicitly so that nobody can miss it so

even if how you know something feels

like it would be obvious say it

explicitly so that nobody can miss it

now before we quit I just want to show

you a real life example of academic

analysis so that you can see how it

works in the wild and also to show you

that I'm not making this stuff up so

here's part of an analytical paragraph

that I wrote when I was finishing up PhD

School the focus of this paragraph is to

analyze a physics girl video and to

explain how she communicates her ethos

or her Persona to her audience with some

minor adjustments to include information

that shows up elsewhere in the paragraph

we can see answers to all three

questions in this one passage what do we

notice well we get a good list of

specific details from the video so what

we get a description of what those

details contribute to the Creator's

overall Persona that's why those Details

Matter and how do I know well the

paragraph concludes with an explanation

of how those details contribute to the

purpose of constructing an authoritative

but relatable persona it's as easy as

that even for someone working on a PhD

so see you're already doing real serious

academic work work and all it takes is

answering three simple questions also

just as a reminder you do need to answer

these three questions probably in just

about every paragraph that you write but

you don't need to answer them in the

same order every time as you can see in

the paragraph we just talked about I

answered those questions in a different

order and that's totally fine as long as

the pieces are there you'll be in good

shape

so that's it for today like I said in

the beginning analysis can be a little

tricky at first because it's a different

kind of skill compared to the research

papers that we might be more used to

writing but the reality is that analysis

is easy peasy you just have to answer

three simple questions and you don't

even have to go to the library or the

library website to find the answers

before you go let me know if you have

any questions or if there's some other

writing topic that you'd like me to talk

about my goal is to be helpful to you so

don't be shy about letting me know how

to do that best in the meantime we're

always talking about writing and how to

make it more effective and meaningful so

I hope you'll stick around to see some

of the other things that we've already

talked about either way though thanks

for spending this time with me happy

analyzing and I'll see you next week

foreign

[Music]