Wrestling With The Draft

In class this week, we started to go through our rough drafts for our research paper. We were asked to take two different colored highlighters and analyze our paper.

With the first highlighter we were told to mark the parts in which you were a less active author, these are the parts that are not your own voice. Examples include: facts, quotes sources, any ideas of information that belongs to someone else.

Next, using the second highlighter, we were told to mark the parts in which you were a more active author. These are the parts that are your own voice, opinion, ideas, analysis, commentary and synthesis.

Once both these steps were complete, we were asked the following questions:

1.     Which color dominates?

2.     Are you turning over too much of the text to your sources?

3.     Are you ignoring them and rattling on too much about what you think?

4.     Or does your source use seem appropriate to support your purpose?

After reflecting on my own personal rough draft I noticed that my colors were extremely even, which I would like to change in order to have more of my own voice. There were big chunks of my own voice followed by big chunks of other people’s views; there was no connection between the two, which was an eye opener for me. I need to find a way to connect my voice while using my sources to strengthen and argue my point of view. My quotations were just randomly placed with very little thought, information and analysis on them. I didn’t find my self rattling on about my own views, I actually found my self not speaking enough about my own view and depending to much on my sources to explain my point of view. However the content of my sources were extremely insightful and appropriate, which does in fact support the purpose of my writing.

As you can see I critically analyzed my rough draft which now allows me to go back and improve my paper where I see fit.  I advise you to apply this exercise, as it is extremely insightful.

Love, Serve, Repeat.