The Science Of Scientific Writing    Set 7     Set 7-AssessingSecond pageThird pageFourth pageExampleExercise 1Exercise 2Exercise 3Exercise 4Exercise 5Exercise 6Final Page Set 7.

Course Home

OVERVIEW: The way to well-written science

How to do the Course

 

PART I: Paragraphs and Sentences

SET A: Paragraphs: The Maps Behind Them

SET B: Paragraphs: Using Maps to Meet Readers' Expectations

SET C: Paragraphs with Something Extra: Points and Tails

SET D: The Generic Section: Expectations and Maps as Blueprints

SET E: Scientific Sections: The Methods and Results

SET F: Scientific Sections: The Discussion

SET G : Scientific Sections: The Introduction

SET H : Sentences

SET I : The Paper as a Whole

 

 

PART II: The Paper and its Sections

Introduction

SET 1: Argument Parts

SET 2: Indicator Words

SET 3: Refining Claims

SET 4: Locating Arguments in Prose

SET 5: Rationale's Essay Planner

SET 6: Evidence in Arguments: Basis Boxes

SET 7: Assessing

SET 8: More on Assessing

SET 9: Analysis Maps

SET 10: Assessing Again

Synthesis 1: Position-Early Paragraphs

Synthesis 2: Position-Final Paragraphs

Synthesis 3: Writing a Discussion I

Synthesis 4: Writing a Discussion II


Exercise 1

In the Set 6 quiz you made some assessments about the degree of support that a basis gives a claim.  Now let's show your basis box assessments on a Rationale Reasoning map.

1. Drag this map onto your workspace and evaluate just the basis box (leave the reason and position as they are for now).

Drag this onto the workspace

Drag this image onto the workspace to proceed.  You must be using the inbuilt browser in Rationale 1.3 or later.

Hints

  • Read down the map to understand the argument, then evaluate only the basis box
  • Ask yourself: how reliable is this source of information? And what support does this basis provide for the claim above it?
  • We're not asking whether Grandpa did say it - we're asking whether his saying it is sufficient evidence for us to believe it
  • Don't be too gullible - Grandpa's recalling something that happened nearly 80 years ago when he was a boy
  • Don't be excessively skeptical  - we shouldn't assume Grandpa's feeble-minded or a liar without evidence for that
  • Select the basis box, go to the 'Evaluate' section of the ribbon and click the box that reflects your assessment
  • Note: if icons and coloring don't appear on your map, go to the 'View' ribbon and check the 'shading' and 'markers' boxes.

2. Check your work against the model.

 

 

Content of this page drawn in whole or part from the Austhink Rationale Exercises with permission from Austhink.