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| Pasternak, Leonid. "Throes of Creation" 9/16/15 via Wikipedia. Public Domain license. |
Not Relevant:
I don't think that the section on thesis statements is very relevant to this project. A QRG doesn't, and shouldn't express a defined opinion on the topic. Its purpose is simply to explain all sides of a controversy in a way that is accessible to the general public.
Relevant:
The section on PIE paragraphs is useful because it's important to have logical organization in a QRG and not to include too much in each section. Sections should be broken up logically and should only cover a single point (or sometimes a couple points).
The organization section is also useful because arranging ideas both intuitively for the reader, and in a way that most effectively conveys the information is key for crafting a good QRG.
The conclusion section is also important, because it covers how to provide a larger context and importance of the issue for your readers.
The emphasis on being intentional with every decision and sentence is valuable. Every sentence should be advancing the mission of the QRG. Cut the bullshit!
Reflection: I read Lia's and Austin's posts on drafting, and I found that all three of our ideas about what parts of the reading were relevant or not relevant varied greatly. The most valuable thing for me in reading their posts was hearing Lia's opinion on the importance of the section about thesis statements. She thinks that the process of coming up with thesis statements can help us organize our thoughts and make sure that we have direction even if we don't end up writing it explicitly in the QRG.
I totally agree with you on the thesis statement, for me, a QRG's introductory paragraph replaces the thesis. I also agree with how useful the revising section was, because even though the QRG is informal it still needs to make sense and flow to the reader.
ReplyDeleteI'll join Joy in saying that the thesis part doesn't quite ring true for a supposedly unbiased document like the QRG. I think you got it very right when you noted how important the conclusion is, especially for putting things into a larger context.
ReplyDeleteLove the attitude at the end!
The last paragraph is golden. I think that really captures the essence of a QRG. It should provide the most useful information without being wordy or over-explained. I hadn't thought of this, so thanks! I agree with you that the PIE form can be really useful. I had never used it before but I actually found it very helpful.
ReplyDelete