Evaluating Scholarly Writing

Authorities in every academic discipline share certain expectations and norms for publication in their scholarly journals and texts. While specialists in some disciplines uphold a strict standard of academic writing, other experts allow a more flexible rhetorical style. In general, however, academic writers strive to influence their discourse communities by following the expected norms.

While communities of scholars strive to ensure quality in their disciplines, they also recognize a certain level of subjectivity in determining the quality of academic writing. Analyzing each author’s quality of evidence, awareness of the target audience, and potential for personal bias will help you determine the appropriateness of books, articles, and other documents that you read. For this Assignment, you evaluate a scholarly article. As you review articles, consider the ways that the different backgrounds of the authors and their readers may affect both the creation and the interpretation of the writing.

To prepare:

• Select an article from either the Walden Library or the Internet related to public policy and administration and your field of interest.
• Consider how different audiences could interpret the selected article. Pay particular attention to the quality of evidence that the author presents.

By Day 7

Submit a 1-page evaluation of the article you selected. In your evaluation, be sure to do the following:

• Evaluate the quality of evidence, appropriateness of the content and writing style for the target audience, and the author’s potential bias. Then, explain whether the article meets professional standards for scholarly writing and why.
• Explain how various audiences might perceive the author’s intent and message.
• Explain how you might revise the article to make it more appropriate for an international audience.