Abu Sayeed
English 21007
Prof. Rodwell
March 14, 2019
Lab Reports Analysis Essay Reflection
The writing strategies I used to write the compare and contrast essay is brainstorming. I have created a Venn diagram for each section of the report to brainstorm ideas and the technique was slightly different because every time when I brainstorm ideas I write down lists of the things that I know about the topics. However, writing the compare and contrast essay I used the Venn diagram to develop my writing strategies because I have never used the Venn diagram to brainstorm ideas. The purpose of creating a Venn diagram to determine the similarity and difference between each section of the lab report. I believe the strategy was effective because creating the Venn diagram I can see the similarities and differences between the three lab reports visually. Also, the technique was useful to stay within the scope of the assignment because the task of the assignment was writing a rhetorical analysis on the similarities and differences between qualities of each section of the lab report. Thus, creating a Venn diagram help me to easily identify the strategy each author used while they were writing the lab reports. Also, creating the Venn diagram my writing process becomes very easy because I know the differences and similarities between each section of the lab report and then all I have to do is to explain how effective were each section of the report.
Then I used the outline as my writing strategy because writing outline helps me to organize my thoughts and gives me a brief overview of the structure of the essay. The strategy was really helpful to write better because creating the formal outlines writing becomes easier since I have already written down my thoughts and then all I have to do is transform those ideas into a bigger paragraph. Also, I find the technique helpful to stay within the scope of the assignment because creating an outline I can see whether I’m on topic or off topic. When I do not write down the outline I get confused and I do not know where to begin. In my first memo reflection, I indicated that I skipped the outline and I wrote down ideas come to my mind regarding arm desk; therefore, my memo was little off topic. If I create the outline to plan out things, then my memo would come out much better. Therefore, I used an outline to write better compare and contrasts essay because ideas do not stay long in the mind and the outlines also remind me what to focus on my writing.
The assignment helped me to achieve course learning outcomes, strengthen my source use practices, especially paraphrasing quotes from the original lab reports. For example, the actual quote said: “future research should examine the cumulative effects of violent video games on aggressive behaviors and aggression-related thoughts and feelings over a more extended period of time”. However, I paraphrased the quote and said that Hasan suggests that the next researchers should perform an experiment on aggressive related thoughts after prolong playing games. Throughout the essay I paraphrased quotes effectively from the actual reports to strengthen my argument; therefore, I achieve one of the course learning outcomes.
The assignment helped me to achieve another course learning outcome is formulate and articulate a stance in my writing. For example, I said a statement that Carnagey and Hasan’s abstracts are well written because these psychologists consider everyone as their audience, and reading the abstract the audience would have brief ideas about each section of the lab report. Based on the statement my audience can understand that I am taking Hasan and Carnagy’s side in the abstraction of the lab report to claim that their abstracts section better than the Uhlmann and Swanson. Throughout the compare and contrast essay, I have expressed my position for each section of the lab report. Therefore, I believe that I have taken stance throughout the essay to fulfill the course learning outcomes.
