Conclusions in comparative article analysis

[bec]

Anyone know how to structure them?

...i have a sac tomorrow so it's a bit late but any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Mao]

there was a thread on that....

http://vcenotes.com/forum/index.php/topic,3139.0.html

[bec]

thanks

[jsimmo]

SO…. You have written your Comparative Media Analysis SAC essay and now you are up to the CONCLUSION!!!

Critical Ingredients in a Conclusion:

•   Sum up the main viewpoints and overall effects of the three articles!
•   Which, therefore, is more likely to persuade?

NOTE: there is no one correct answer! Provided you justify your viewpoint logically and eloquently you will be fine!!!! 


NOTE: in the main body paragraphs, when discussing the intended effects... it is not necessary to specify them in the conclusion.

[mark_alec]

•   Which, therefore, is more likely to persuade?

Unless the task has changed since last year, you should *not* evaluate the arguments, as that is not the question...

In a coherent piece of prose, analyse the ways in which the authors present their point of view.

A summary should not be included unless you offer new content.

[costargh]

What is a "Comparative Media Analysis" then?
"Compare"!!!

Some schools may tackle it differently but I agree with 'jsimmo'. Evaluate which article/author has used language in the best way to persuade. It is very difficult to compare language usage if you have no evaluation at all.

Anyways if you choose not to then thats your choice. Speak to your teacher, because in the end all you  have to do it appease them.

[jsimmo]

•   Which, therefore, is more likely to persuade?

Unless the task has changed since last year, you should *not* evaluate the arguments, as that is not the question...

In a coherent piece of prose, analyse the ways in which the authors present their point of view.

A summary should not be included unless you offer new content.

Like costa said, the actual point of a COMPARative article is to just do that... 'compare'. You should 'compare' which one is most likely to persuade (in the conlcusion) but not state which one you agree or disagree with.

Anyways if you choose not to then thats your choice. Speak to your teacher, because in the end all you  have to do it appease them.

Good point.

[mark_alec]

What is a "Comparative Media Analysis" then?
"Compare"!!!

Yes, compare and contrast, but do not evaluate.

It is very easy to compare two different texts without evaluating them. They may both portray <something> in the same manner, they may both use similar techniques to elicit a positive response to their point of view.

If you look at the statement for the work, you will see that it does not ask you to evaluate. This was drilled into us by my English teacher last year.

[jsimmo]

What is a "Comparative Media Analysis" then?
"Compare"!!!

Yes, compare and contrast, but do not evaluate.

It is very easy to compare two different texts without evaluating them. They may both portray <something> in the same manner, they may both use similar techniques to elicit a positive response to their point of view.

If you look at the statement for the work, you will see that it does not ask you to evaluate. This was drilled into us by my English teacher last year.

What is so wrong about evaluating the articles?

They may both portray <something> in the same manner, they may both use similar techniques to elicit a positive response to their point of view.

That would be very unlikely as it would be almost impossible to actually 'compare' the two articles.. The point of the comparative analysis is to compare two articles against eachother as to how they persuade the intended audience. What I am saying is that you can't say what you like or what would have been better, but you can say that 'article a is more likely to persuade the intended audience because they use blah...'

I'm also saying you dont have to evaluate them but it's possible.

Anyway, do what your teacher asks but it may be different in the exam.

[mark_alec]

That would be very unlikely as it would be almost impossible to actually 'compare' the two articles.. The point of the comparative analysis is to compare two articles against eachother as to how they persuade the intended audience. What I am saying is that you can't say what you like or what would have been better, but you can say that 'article a is more likely to persuade the intended audience because they use blah...'

Please read the sample 'high-scoring responses' on pages 8-9 in http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/english/englishassess/2007/english_assessrep_07.pdf and you will see where I get my ideas from...

[jsimmo]

Okay, i'm not trying to have an argument with you but what I have been told by my own english teacher and have heard Ross Huggard (assessor) say is that it is possible to comment on which article appears to be more persuasive in terms of persuading the 'intended audience'. Those responses are only 'sample responses (two out of thousands)' and it does not say anywhere in that report that you can't or can say which which article is more persuasive.

Nick from this site (English study score: 48) has also posted a possible structure for the language analysis.
Here: http://vcenotes.com/forum/index.php/topic,1392.0.html

and has clearly stated:

CONCLUSION
Recap the key forms of influential language
You may wish to briefly compare the relative impact of each piece on the intended audience.

In the end it comes down to what you want to do, I am only giving advice to Bec as to how she could write her conclusion.

[Mao]

just an one-off comment, mark_alec got an ass-kicking score for english last year, and i'm pretty damn sure he knows what he's talking about.

comparative analysis is analysis, not evaluation.
In analysis (science or humanities), it is analysing what, how and why. That is, what has been done, how was it done, and why it was done (to what effects).
evaluation, on the other hand, is how well it was done.

if evaluation were promoted in comparative analysis, a lot of people would unconsciously turn them into mini-POV as their attitudes towards that particular issue would impact how they evaluate: they ARE writing with vested interest.
I did that on my first practice, and got told off for doing it.

unless you can control how you do that really well, i'd strongly suggest against it.

[daniel99]

just an one-off comment, mark_alec got an ass-kicking score for english last year, and i'm pretty damn sure he knows what he's talking about.

comparative analysis is analysis, not evaluation.
In analysis (science or humanities), it is analysing what, how and why. That is, what has been done, how was it done, and why it was done (to what effects).
evaluation, on the other hand, is how well it was done.

if evaluation were promoted in comparative analysis, a lot of people would unconsciously turn them into mini-POV as their attitudes towards that particular issue would impact how they evaluate: they ARE writing with vested interest.
I did that on my first practice, and got told off for doing it.

unless you can control how you do that really well, i'd strongly suggest against it.

Mao, I am quite sure jsimmo also knows what he is talking about. I have also been informed by my english teacher it is possible to state which article would appear to be more persuasive. In regards to what you said about it becomming a mini POV... everyone's analysis essay is their own opinion about how they see that article persuading. Everyones article will not and should not be the same, so in a way it is a students OWN opinion about the articles persuasive techniques.

[mark_alec]

everyone's analysis essay is their own opinion about how they see that article persuading.

I agree with this, as everyone will read the pieces differently and note different impacts on the audience due to the techniques used.

If you do decide to go down the route of discussing which source was more persuasive, just remember that: content is strongly persuasive, but is not what should be analysed in your piece, so any conclusion based upon techniques of language is an incomplete conclusion.

[costargh]

If I was to compare the articles and evaluate which one is more like to persuade I would say something such as:

" [Insert article here] by [insert author here] may appear to be more persuasive than the [insert article here] because the article by [the first author] offers statistics and expert opinion which makes his/her argument more credible while the [second article] is highly emotive and lacks any real knowledge of the content which may come across as a weakness in an attempt to persuade the audience."

I WOUDLNT say something like:

In my opinion the article by blah blah is better because he uses statistics and evidence which makes his argument seem stronger in contrast to the relatively poor argument presented by 2nd author which at times seemed very bias and stupid in my view"

Note the differences