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Compare / Contrast
Introduction
As consumers, we compare products to make buying decisions. For instance, shoppers might compare the ingredient lists of different kinds of foods to determine which food is healthier to purchase. When buying a new cell phone, purchasers might compare what kind of tech each phone option offers. Major buying decisions, such as cars, may even factor in such details as warranty coverage and how much insurance will cost—in addition to the other features a car might offer like heated seats and automatic start. Examining the pros and cons by comparing two things helps consumers draw conclusions about which product will provide the best option for them.
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Similarly, academic writers using comparison and contrast to examine more than one view. Weighing two sides of a debate helps the scholars see more than one perspective and shows readers the writer did the research before picking a side or proposing a solution. Understanding both sides surrounding an issue in a debate allows writers to make judgments and take a position, propose a solution to a problem, call for action in an issue under debate, and suggest areas of future research to build upon what scholars have already done.
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Genre conventions vary between scholarly and popular sources. Both types of research can be used in academic writing. Although, scholarly research relies on peer review and feedback from experts in the field of study ensure validity and research ethics, popular resources can useful for sharing personal narratives or establishing emotional appeals. Academic writers should rely on peer-reviewed research (scholarly sources), but as student writers, your goal for this assignment is to compare popular and scholarly source genres to gain insights into the similarities and differences in conventions used within each genre and how each can offer insights to research in different ways.
Assignment
Locate 2 sources--1 popular and 1 scholarly-- on a topic, such as a topic you may select for the persuasive essay. choose one scholarly peer-reviewed article and one popular article. Compare-contrast the genre conventions each source uses to communicate messages on the same topic. What similarities do you notice? How are the 2 types of work different?
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Before getting started, evaluate both articles for credibility and relevance. Then, closely read each article and apply critical reading to take notes. Compare the similarities between the two articles and contrast the differences that set each article apart. Consider using a graphic organizer to place responses side-by-side for a parallel analysis. consider the following questions for your analysis:
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How do the authors establish credibility?
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In what ways does each of the articles use language?
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What kind of evidence does each article present to support their points?
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Consider differences in the explanations of methodology. ​
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Examine how data is introduced and cited.
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Describe the language style and tone.
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Who are the audiences for each article? How can you tell? ​
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Why do you think the authors made the choices they did?
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In what ways might each type of article uniquely contribute to your research?
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What limitations might limit your use?
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Use the framework of structure, language, and reference to analyze how the scholarly article compares to the popular article.
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The purpose of this assignment is to think critically about how and why writers use the same information in different ways depending on the genre conventions and rhetorical implications of audience and purpose. The audience of this essay is primarily the instructor, but peers may benefit from the insights about the similarities and differences of scholarly and popular genres from analysis performed by peers.
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Organization
Compare/contrast genres can vary in terms of organization. Get a sense of the genre conventions and different structures for organizing before getting started by reading at least 2 of the selections below:
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Mark Twain's short essay "Two Ways of Seeing a River" uses a whole by whole approach. First, Twain explains his view of the river as a riverboat passenger, young and excited to get to take a boat ride. Then, Twain shows the river through the eyes of a riverboat driver, concerned for the safety of his passengers. Both offer rich description of the Mississippi through different perspectives from the same person.
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Mike Rose's opinion piece uses comparison contrast to argue in favor educational opportunities to the poor and underprivileged. His structure breaks down the opportunities differences between the privileged and the poor. Citation: Rose, Mike. “What College Can Mean to the Other America.” Chronicle of Higher Education, vol. 58, no. 4, 16 Sept. 2011, p. A76.
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Nicholas Carr wrote a comparison about the effects of technology asking, "Does the Internet Make You Dumber?" Carr uses a part by part approach to contrast studies showing different responses in different technology use situations.
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In "Mother Tongue," Amy Tan compares her mother's first language with her second language to show how dialects can influence perceptions. Tan uses examples of different views Tan, Amy. “Mother Tongue.” Home Is Where The Heart Dwells, Harvard, 06 Feb. 2008, https://blogs.harvard.edu/guorui/2008/02/06/mother-tongue-by-amy-tan/.
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Although you might not decide on a structure right away, selecting the option you envision using and create an outline by establishing headers for the conventions you plan to use.
Introduction
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The introduction should state the topic you are researching and offer a brief overview of why you selected the articles to compare.
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At the end of the introduction, state the thesis. The thesis is like a roadmap to your reader showing your reader how your essay will be structured. Like a contract, the thesis is an agreement between you and the reader about what you are going to show them (or what the reader can expect to see--same thing, but different perspectives). The thesis should identify the works or types of works being compared and the reason for comparison. The thesis could also make a claim about the comparison and the significance of genre considerations for this essay.
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Body
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The body of the essay should feature the elements of your articles you plan to focus on for comparison. Break down each point of comparison into component parts. Look at each element of comparison and note the significance of each point. The points you choose for your analysis should become your supporting points for your thesis.
Although several types of organization are available, the 2 main structures of organization are the block or whole-by-whole method and the alternating or part-by-part method. The block or whole-by-whole method means the writer discusses one element entirely before moving onto the other element. In this assignment, the block method would consist of talking about 1 article first, then the other article. For instance, if the comparison features points about the author's credibility, the methodology used, and reviewers, the block breakdown would look like this:
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Article 1
Point 1
Point 2
Point 3
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Article 2
Point 1
Point 2
Point 3
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In an alternating or part-by-part method, the writer might organize points based on each element of analysis. For instance, examining the credentials of each author in a paragraph instead of examining the article as a whole would represent a part-by-part comparison. The alternating breakdown would look like this:
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Article 1 Comparison 1
Article 2 Comparison 1
Article 1 Comparison 2
Article 2 Comparison 2
Article 1 Comparison 3
Article 2 Comparison 3
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or
Comparison 1
article 1
article 2
Comparison 2
article 2
article 2
Comparison 3
article 1
article 2
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These methods depend on the writer's style but can be driven by the writer's purpose and which style best lays out the information to show similarities and differences.
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Transitions\
Signaling to your reader that you are shifting from one point of comparison to another requires the use of transition words. Transitions show your reader how you want the reader to move from one part of the text to another. Here is a brief chart to show you an example of transition words:
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Conclusion
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In the conclusion, mention the main takeaways you want your audience to note about your comparison. Summarizing your main points reinforces the points you want to make for your reader and reminds the reader what you just said. Then, offer insights based on your analysis. Explain to your reader which elements weighed heavily in your decisions about using the sources and identify some aha moments in your learning. Consider talking about how both articles are useful for different writing purposes or discussing ways genre helps you determine relevance. What did you learn about the ways the different types sources report research? How did the author's credentials contribute to the authority of the article? Discoveries about these elements help readers consider the use of different genre conventions.
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Format & Style Guidelines
Essays should be approximately 1000 words or about 3 complete pages. Two sources must be used--no more, no less. Apply APA or MLA style should guide formatting and citations. Cover pages and References or Works Cited pages do not count as word and page count.
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Quantity does not equal quality. Writing must demonstrate clearly connected ideas and should be in your own voice. Third person point of view is appropriate for this type of writing situation.