Thursday, April 28, 2011
Questions/Concerns About Paper
The topic of my argumentative research analysis is "Biocolonialism," i.e. the movement to create an international regime for intellectual property rights on the inner sanctums of life itself; my viewpoint is in support of the indigenous organizers who oppose this movement. (1) Because my subject is very complex, my paper is currently jammed with information about my topic. I am working to include more of my own analysis within the final draft; however, my rough draft is a bit too confusing, and I am concerned that I'm still struggling to find a balance within my paper. (2) Moreover, interwoven info about the various organizations (WTO, WIPO, UNPFII, IPCB and so on) and agreements/frameworks (CBD, UNDRIP, TRIPS, etc) that play a role in ongoing negotiations for my topic leave most people quite perplexed, so I am still trying to make the discussion on biocolonialism more accessible in my paper. How do I break it down in that way? (3) I need a stronger introduction to my paper. I always write my introduction last, but I would appreciate suggestions on how to create a strong introduction for an argumentative research analysis paper. Thanks.
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After reading the paper, I agree it was a bit confusing but that's because I don't know a lot about all the organizations and frameworks. What if you looked at published articles that deal with "confusing" subjects on politics to see how they write for an audience with little information on that subject? If that makes any sense...
ReplyDeleteIn response to your concerns:
ReplyDelete1. The target audience (as you have stated) is ignorant of your topic and the information contained within. Utilize this as an advantage and extra pages that could be written out as to the explanation of said concepts.
2. This is an area that is very difficult to help with. The K.I.S.S. method (Keep It Simple, Stupid) is normally the most effective way of getting your point across as well as mainting the level of expertise desired. If a certain organization or term would be too complex to explain and require another literal paper to break it down, give a real world parallel of something else that the idea is synonymous to and that should alleviate problems with understanding.
3. Remember that for anything that is written, something must be convinced to the audience. Make something that people have to care about.
1. For more confusing aspects, try minimizing your use of quotes and paraphrase instead. This will put it in your own words and hopefully help the everyday reader who in unaware of this topic (me included) follow your logic and claims more easily. Also, if you break up the information with your analysis of it, this might make it seem less dense while simultaneously working to support and argue your main claim.
ReplyDelete2. David has a good suggestion here. Make sure to evaluate all organizations and frameworks and the information you include about each. What is essential to your argument? What needs more/less of a focus? Is there anything that can be eliminated and not affect your overall argument?
3. Look back to the introduction exercises we did in class (starting off with an interesting related fact, personal experience, narrative, or hypothetical situation). There should be a powerpoint or document on BB that covers this. With such a dense topic, a lighter intro might serve your essay well to introduce your reader to the topic and catch their interest before delving into your argument. Maybe paint a picture of the negative aspects of biocolonialism with a story that readers would relate to.