Paragraph 1: Summary
In summary writing, you demonstrate your understanding and interpretation of a text. The rhetorical purpose of a summary is to explain a text is to an audience who may not be familiar with the text. For this assignment, imagine your audience is comprised of English 112 teachers and students who have not read this specific article. To achieve this overarching purpose, your summary will need to make the following moves:
Identify the text by author and title
Identify the author’s research questions, discuss the purpose of the study, and write a bit about the contexts for this research.
Explain the author’s research method. (What kind of data did the author collect? And how did he/she collect it?)
Discuss the findings of the study. (At what conclusion does the author arrive? What is the author’s overarching argument? )
Second Paragraph: Critical Response
In the second paragraph, you will discuss the implications of the study, the questions which the study raises, and opportunities for further research.
Why is this study important? And to whom is it important? You will want to discuss the implications of the article as they relate to specific audiences and contexts.
How does this study contribute to ongoing conversations about language, literacy, and writing practices?
What are the limitations of this study? How might you critique this study?
What questions does the study raise? Specifically, what kinds of new research questions are raised? How might a researcher in writing studies use this study as a springboard for a new research project?