IWE: Genre Analysis and Reverse Outlining

Summary

In this Purdue Writing Lab video, Heather discusses two key strategies: genre analysis and reverse outlining. These tools are designed to help writers understand the structure and purpose of different writing styles, aiding in both drafting and revision. Heather explains how genre analysis involves breaking down sample texts to understand their components, while reverse outlining helps writers evaluate the organization and effectiveness of their own work. The video includes practical exercises and examples, empowering viewers to enhance their writing by identifying strengths and growth areas. It concludes with encouraging tips for revision.

Takeaways

• 📚 Genre analysis helps in understanding different components of a writing genre by examining its structure and style.
• 🔄 Reverse outlining is a revision tool used to reflect on and improve your own writing by evaluating the big-picture organization.
• 📝 Genre analysis breaks writing into parts to reveal conventions, audience, and purpose, aiding in the writing process for unfamiliar genres.
• 🔍 The CaRS model, which stands for Creating a Research Space, is commonly used in STEM introductions and has three rhetorical moves: establishing territory, establishing position, and occupying a position.
• 📊 Analyzing texts globally focuses on understanding major aspects like the thesis, audience engagement, and text organization.
• 🔎 Local-level analysis emphasizes sentence structure, word choice, and specific techniques like hedging, while also evaluating the active or passive voice.
• 🛠 Reverse outlining allows writers to summarize what each paragraph says and does, helping to identify logical progression and alignment with the main argument.
• 📖 Example-based learning: genre analysis uses sample texts to understand conventions, which can then be replicated in new writing projects.
• 🔗 Reverse outlining helps connect each paragraph to the main thesis, ensuring that every section supports the overall argument effectively.
• 🖍 Annotating your writing or other texts with ‘saying’ and ‘doing’ notes can highlight content organization strengths and reveal areas for improvement.

Q & A

What is genre analysis, according to the video?

Genre analysis is a method of studying and breaking down different genres of writing to understand their conventions and expectations. It allows writers to examine the components of a particular style or type of writing and apply that understanding to their own work.

How can genre analysis help in the drafting stage of a thesis or dissertation?

In the drafting stage, genre analysis can help writers understand the different components of successful writing in their field, guiding them in structuring their work more effectively and understanding the conventions they need to follow.

What is reverse outlining and how is it different from regular outlining?

Reverse outlining is a revision tool used after completing a draft. Unlike regular outlining, which organizes ideas before writing, reverse outlining helps identify the main ideas and structure of an already written text, allowing writers to see how well their paragraphs support their argument and pinpoint areas for improvement.

What is the CaRS model and how is it used in academic writing?

The CaRS model, which stands for 'Creating a Research Space,' is a framework used to write introductions in STEM-specific academic writing. It consists of three rhetorical moves: establishing a territory (the 'what'), establishing a position (the 'why'), and occupying a position (the 'how').

What is the first step in reverse outlining, as explained in the video?

The first step in reverse outlining is summarizing the content of each paragraph to determine what the paragraph is saying. This helps in understanding the document’s overall structure and organization.

What are global-level concerns in genre analysis?

Global-level concerns in genre analysis refer to the big-picture elements of a document, such as the thesis, organization, audience engagement, and how the argument is structured and supported throughout the text.

What are local-level concerns in genre analysis?

Local-level concerns focus on sentence-level elements, including sentence structure, word choice, the use of active or passive voice, and how concise and clear the writing is. It also involves examining how sentences are connected and the degree of certainty or 'hedging' present in the text.

How can genre analysis help someone tackle a new or unfamiliar type of writing?

Genre analysis helps by breaking down the components of a new writing style or genre, allowing the writer to understand its conventions and expectations. This knowledge can then be applied when creating similar documents, giving the writer more confidence in their approach.

How can reverse outlining help improve a document’s organization?

Reverse outlining helps improve organization by showing whether each paragraph supports the main argument and how well the content flows from one point to the next. Writers can use this method to rearrange paragraphs, clarify ideas, or eliminate content that doesn't contribute to the overall argument.

What is the purpose of annotating a paragraph during genre analysis or reverse outlining?

Annotating a paragraph helps writers critically assess what each section of their writing is saying (content) and doing (function). It aids in evaluating whether the paragraphs align with the document’s purpose and thesis, and whether they effectively support the overall argument.