READING ACTIVELY AND THINKING CRITICALLY

Reading and thinking critically about process analysis requires you to read the selection and reflect on its meaning, consider it in terms of your own experience, and, finally, examine and challenge the author’s attitude as it is shown in the selection. (For more on reading actively, see Chapter 3; for more on thinking critically, see Chapter 4.)

WHAT TO LOOK FOR, HIGHLIGHT, AND ANNOTATE

Use these guidelines to read process analyses effectively.

  1. Preview. Preview the essay to get an overview of its content and organization.
  2. Identify the process. Read the essay through. Highlight the thesis statement, and try to discover why the writer believes the process is important or useful.
  3. Understand the steps in the process. Reread the essay, highlighting or underlining each step or set of steps. Using a different colored highlighter or an asterisk (*), mark steps that the author identifies as possibly difficult or troublesome. Circle new terms as you encounter them. Look for difficulties you might experience in the process or questions you may need to ask about it. For a complex or especially important process, try the following: (For more on previewing, see Chapter 3.)
    • Explain each step in your own words, without referring to the text.
    • Imagine yourself carrying out the process as you read.
    • Annotate any sections that summarize complex steps.

    Hint: Outlining the process or drawing a graphic organizer can help you understand complex processes.

  4. Think about the meaning. Reread the essay once again, this time concentrating on its meaning by answer the following questions:
    • What is the writer’s purpose in writing this essay? For what audience is it intended? What techniques does the writer use to achieve his or her purpose with this audience?
    • How clearly is the process described? Have any steps been left out or glossed over? Could you repeat the process or explain it to someone after having read this essay several times?
  5. Consider your reactions. Consider how the essay relates to your own experience. In what situations can you use or apply the information? Are there other processes similar to the one described in the essay? How are these processes the same as and different from the one in the essay?

ANALYZING PROCESS ANALYSIS

Although most process analyses are straightforward and informative, you should always consider the author’s motives for writing and evaluate the author’s level of expertise before accepting his or her advice. Use the following questions to think critically about process analysis.

What are the writer’s motives? As you read, ask why the writer wants readers to understand or carry out this process and what his or her motive is. Sometimes a writer has a hidden motive for explaining a process. For example, a writer opposed to the death penalty may use graphic details about the process of executing a prisoner to shock readers and persuade them to oppose the death penalty. Even a how-to article on a noncontroversial topic can have a hidden agenda, such as one titled “How to Lose Ten Pounds” that was written by the owner of a weight-loss clinic.

Is the writer knowledgeable and experienced? Following the advice of someone who is not qualified to give it can be a waste of time or even dangerous. When you read a process analysis, consider whether the writer has sufficient knowledge about or experience with the process. Check the author’s credentials, and consider whether he or she supports assertions with evidence and quotes from reliable sources and authorities.

Have any steps or important details been omitted? Authors have to make assumptions about their readers’ knowledge and experience. For example, in “Shitty First Drafts,” Lamott assumes that readers have an interest in writing; she does not explain the writing terminology she uses and seems to assume that readers know something about writing and the writing process. If writers assume that their readers have more knowledge than they actually have, the audience may not understand the essay or may be unable to carry out the process.