A Troubleshooting Guide

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A Well-Presented Subject

My readers don’t understand the subject or see why it is important.

  • Reconsider what your readers already know, and provide additional background if necessary.
  • Try providing examples or an anecdote to interest readers in the subject.
  • Quote authorities and explain research findings, including statistics, to demonstrate the subject’s importance–that it is widespread and significant.
  • Use visuals–graphs, tables, photographs, or screen shots–to make the subject more vivid.
  • Review your research to see if you can add anything to help clarify the subject for your readers, or do some additional research.
  • Pose the subject directly or indirectly as a why question, and then answer it.
Table 9.25: A TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
A Well-Supported Causal Analysis

My readers don’t understand which of the causes I am arguing are the most plausible.

  • Be explicit about which causes are the ones you think are most plausible, and why you think so.
  • Use a thesis and forecasting statement followed by topic sentences with key terms to announce your main causes.

My readers do not find my causal analysis convincing.

  • Whenever possible, explain how the cause-effect relationship works, backing up your explanation with appropriate support.
  • Cite more credible experts, being sure to give their credentials.
  • Cite research studies and statistics rather than limiting yourself to examples and anecdotes.
  • Review your sources to make sure they are varied, or do additional focused research to fill in where your analysis is weak.
  • Make sure your sources are cited properly.
An Effective Response to Objections and Alternative Causes

My readers do not think my responses are effective.

  • Respond directly to criticism of your reasoning by showing that you are not mistaking correlation or chronology for causation.
  • Demonstrate that you understand the complexity of the cause-effect relationship you are analyzing, for example, by indicating how your cause relates to other contributing causes.
  • If your readers think you have overlooked an objection, consider it seriously and do further research to respond to it if necessary.
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A Clear, Logical Organization

My readers think my analysis is not clear or logical.

  • If readers have difficulty finding the thesis statement or topic sentences, consider revising them.
  • Add a forecasting statement early in the essay to help guide readers.
  • Review your use of transitions, and consider adding transitions to make the logical relationships among sentences and paragraphs clear to readers.
  • Refer to visuals explicitly (for example, by adding the direction, ‘see fig. 1’), and include a caption tying each visual to the text discussion.
  • Outline your essay to review its structure, and move, add, or delete sections as necessary to strengthen coherence.