to writing an evaluation
• Finding a Topic
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You’re entering an argument of evaluation when you:
make a judgment about quality: Citizen Kane is probably the finest film ever made by an American director.
challenge such a judgment: Citizen Kane is vastly overrated by most film critics.
construct a ranking or comparison: Citizen Kane is a more intellectually challenging movie than Casablanca.
explore criteria that might be used in making evaluative judgments: Criteria for judging films are evolving as the production and audiences of films become ever more international.
Issues of evaluation crop up everywhere — in the judgments you make about public figures or policies; in the choices you make about instructors and courses; in the recommendations you offer about books, films, or television programs; in the preferences you exercise in choosing products, activities, or charities. Evaluations typically use terms that indicate value or rank — good/bad, effective/ineffective, best/worst, competent/incompetent, successful/unsuccessful. When you can choose a topic for an evaluation, consider writing about something on which others regularly ask your opinion or advice.
• Researching Your Topic
You can research issues of evaluation by using the following sources:
journals, reviews, and magazines (for current political and social issues)
books (for assessing judgments about history, policy, etc.)
biographies (for assessing people)
research reports and scientific studies
books, magazines, and Web sites for consumers
periodicals and Web sites that cover entertainment and sports
blogs and social media sites that explore current topics
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Surveys and polls can be useful in uncovering public attitudes: What kinds of movies are young people seeing today? Who are the most admired people in the country? What activities or businesses are thriving or waning? You’ll discover that Web sites, newsgroups, and blogs thrive on evaluation. (Ever receive an invitation to “like” something on social media?) Browse these public forums for ideas, and, when possible, explore your own topic ideas there. But remember that all sources need to be evaluated themselves; examine each source carefully, making sure that it is legitimate and credible.
• Formulating a Claim
After exploring your subject, try to draw up a full and specific claim that lets readers know where you stand and on what criteria you’ll base your judgments. Come up with a thesis that’s challenging enough to attract readers’ attention. In developing a thesis, you might begin with questions like these:
What exactly is my opinion? Where do I stand?
Can I make my judgment more clear-cut?
Do I need to narrow or qualify my claim?
By what standards will I make my judgment?
Will readers accept my criteria, or will I have to defend them, too? What criteria might others offer?
What evidence or major reasons can I offer in support of my evaluation?
For a conventional evaluation, your thesis should be a complete statement. In one sentence, make a claim of evaluation and state the reasons that support it. Be sure your claim is specific. Anticipate the questions readers might have: Who? What? Where? Under what conditions? With what exceptions? In all cases? Don’t expect readers to guess where you stand.
For a more exploratory argument, you might begin (and even end) with questions about the process of evaluation itself. What are the qualities we seek — or ought to — in our political leaders? What does it say about our cultural values when we find so many viewers entertained by so-called reality shows on television? What might be the criteria for collegiate athletic programs consistent with the values of higher education? Projects that explore topics like these might not begin with straightforward theses or have the intention to persuade readers.
• Examples of Evaluative Claims
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Though they may never receive Oscars for their work, Tom Cruise and Keanu Reeves deserve credit as actors who have succeeded in a wider range of film roles than most of their contemporaries.
People are returning to cities because they find life there more civilized than in the suburbs.
Lena Dunham’s writing and acting on Girls is the most honest presentation of the lives of twentysomething women today.
Jimmy Carter has been highly praised for his work as a former president of the United States, but history may show that even his much-derided term in office laid the groundwork for the foreign policy and economic successes now attributed to later administrations.
Young adults today are shying away from diving into the housing market because they no longer believe that homeownership is a key element in economic success.
• Preparing a Proposal
If your instructor asks you to prepare a proposal for your project, here’s a format that may help:
State your thesis completely. If you’re having trouble doing so, try outlining it in Toulmin terms:
Claim:
Reason(s):
Warrant(s):
Alternatively, you might describe your intention to explore a particular question of evaluation in your project, with the thesis perhaps coming later.
Explain why this issue deserves attention. What’s at stake?
Identify whom you hope to reach through your argument and why these readers would be interested in it.
Briefly discuss the key challenges you anticipate in preparing your argument.
Determine what research strategies you’ll use. What sources do you expect to consult?
• Considering Format and Media
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Your instructor may specify that you use a particular format and/or medium. If not, ask yourself these questions to help you make a good choice:
What format is most appropriate for your argument of evaluation? Does it call for an academic essay, a report, an infographic, a brochure, or something else?
What medium is most appropriate for your argument? Would it be best delivered orally to a live audience? Presented as an audio essay or podcast? Presented in print only or in print with illustrations?
Will you need visuals, such as moving or still images, maps, graphs, charts — and what function will they play in your argument? Make sure they are not just “added on” but are necessary components of the argument.
• Thinking about Organization
Your evaluation will likely include elements such as the following:
an evaluative claim that makes a judgment about a person, idea, or object
the criterion or criteria by which you’ll measure your subject
an explanation or justification of the criteria (if necessary)
evidence that the particular subject meets or falls short of the stated criteria
consideration of alternative views and counterarguments
All these elements may be present in arguments of evaluation, but they won’t follow a specific order. In addition, you’ll often need an opening paragraph to explain what you’re evaluating and why. Tell readers why they should care about your subject and take your opinion seriously.
• Getting and Giving Response: Questions for Peer Response
Your instructor may assign you to a group for the purpose of reading and responding to each other’s drafts. If not, ask for responses from serious readers or consultants at a writing center. Use the following questions to evaluate a colleague’s draft. Be sure to illustrate your comments with examples; specific comments help more than general observations.
The Claim
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Is the claim an argument of evaluation? Does it make a judgment about something?
Does the claim establish clearly what’s being evaluated?
Is the claim too sweeping? Does it need to be qualified?
Will the criteria used in the evaluation be clear to readers? Do the criteria need to be defined more precisely?
Are the criteria appropriate ones to use for this evaluation? Are they controversial? Should they be defended?
Evidence for the Claim
Is enough evidence provided to show that what’s being evaluated meets the established criteria? If not, what additional evidence is needed?
Is the evidence in support of the claim simply announced, or are its significance and appropriateness analyzed? Is more detailed discussion needed?
Are any objections readers might have to the claim, criteria, or evidence adequately addressed?
What kinds of sources are cited? How credible and persuasive will they be to readers? What other kinds of sources might work better?
Are all quotations introduced with appropriate signal phrases (such as “As Tyson argues, ...”) and blended smoothly into the writer’s sentences?
Are all visual sources labeled, introduced, and commented upon?
Organization and Style
How are the parts of the argument organized? Is this organization effective?
Will readers understand the relationships among the claims, supporting reasons, warrants, and evidence? If not, how might those connections be clearer? Is the function of every visual clear? Are more transitions needed? Would headings or graphic devices help?
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Are the transitions or links from point to point, sentence to sentence, and paragraph to paragraph clear and effective? If not, how could they be improved?
Are all visuals carefully integrated into the text? Is each visual introduced and commented on to point out its significance? Is each visual labeled as a figure or a table and given a caption as well as a citation?
Is the style suited to the subject? Is it too formal, casual, or technical? Can it be improved?
Which sentences seem effective? Which ones seem weaker, and how could they be improved? Should short sentences be combined, and any longer ones be broken up?
How effective are the paragraphs? Too short or too long? How can they be improved?
Which words or phrases seem effective? Do any seem vague or inappropriate for the audience or the writer’s purpose? Are technical or unfamiliar terms defined?
Spelling, Punctuation, Mechanics, Documentation, and Format
Are there any errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and the like?
Is the documentation appropriate and consistent? (See Chapter 22.)
Does the paper or project follow an appropriate format? Is it appropriately designed and attractively presented?