Writerswhoaren’tpracticedinthisskillmaybelievethattheyareofferingevidencewhentheyarereallyofferingonlyunsubstantiatedclaims.
This quote stood out to me because I sometimes struggle with separating facts from judgment. Either I focus too much on my conclusion without providing adequate evidence, or I provide too much evidence without explaining it and drown out my argument. If I am making claims, I need to be sure to omit my own generalizations and use substantial evidence.
It’sremarkablewhatyouwillnoticeaboutasentenceifyoucopyitout,ratherthanjustunderliningorhighlightingit.Moreover,youwillfindyourselfrememberingtheoriginallanguagethathasstruckyoumostforcefullyin thereading.
Making sure to write and copy down a sentence is a lot more efficient than just highlighting it. Taking the time to consider the message of the sentence will help you gather your thoughts more effectively. It will help inspire better thinking when you carefully analyze what the sentence is saying. One of the earliest pieces of advice I'd received for writing was to make sure to write down sentences because it captures more of your attention.
Whateverkindofevidenceyou’reusing,theemphasisrestsonhowyouusewhatyouhave:how youarticulatewhatit means,andhowcarefullyyoulink theevidencetoyour claims.
Providing evidence without explaining it makes the paper groundless. You still need to explain how it relates to your argument, so the readers are able to accept your claims. This quote stood out to me because I was once advised to provide solid reasoning for the evidence I chose, and since then my papers have been much more cogent.
It’s remarkable what you will notice about a sentenceif you copy it out, rather than just underlining or highlighting it. Moreover,you will find yourself remembering the original language that has struckyou most forcefully in the reading. That way you can continue to ponder keywords and phrases and stay engaged, almost physically, with what the writers have said.
I find this tip to be very helpful. Keeping a commonplace book helps you understand your reading better and is a resource you can always turn to. Readers can draw on their notes and annotations to help them further develop their thinking. Recording things is more effective than simply highlighting it – it resonates with you better.