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3.  The synthesis should also result in a gap or niche in the conversation, a place where

there’s an omission in the conversation or an idea that could be extended or challenged.

In other words, the writer should give us a new perspective on the conversation. Does

the essay succeed in this aspect? Why or why not? What other perspective could be

added to the conversation?

4.  The essay should also include an argument. For example, those serious about studying

writing should rethink the policies on plagiarism because they are outdated and present

serious conflicts with internet cultures and practices of remix. Does the writer present

an original “claim” or argument about the issue? What evidence does he/she offer to

support this argument? Is more evidence needed? What could be added?

5.  An important part of making an argument is considering counter-evidence, possible

objections to the thesis or claim. Practice reading “against the grain”- that is, try to

come up with objections to the writer’s argument. List them here and provide

suggestions as to how the writer might address those objections.

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6.  Think back to the Porter piece, which offers some consideration of how the concept of 

intertextuality should change pedagogy (education). What Porter is doing here is

thinking of the implications of his argument. Does the writer of this essay offer similar

consideration? What might be the implications of their argument for writing students,

writing teachers and scholars, schools, the general public, etc? List some suggestions for

implications.

7.  Take a look at the essay’s organization, both at the paragraph and essay level. How

effective is this organization? Are there places where additional transitions, topic

sentences, or signposts might help the reader move from one idea to the next? Does the

essay “flow?” Offer constructive suggestions for revision to improve the essay’s

organization.

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8.  An academic essay such as this one calls for somewhat formal language without

excessive colloquial (“slang”) words or phrases. The essay also expects some use of the

specialized language or jargon associated with the issue. Think of the words and

concepts we’ve been learning through our readings (intertextuality, discourse

community, construct, argument, claim, heuristic, etc). Does the author include this

type of language? Does he or she use this type of language in ways that demonstrate an

understanding of the texts we’ve been reading? What concepts are related to the

essay’s topic? What other jargon could they employ?

9.  Take a look at the essay’s documentation, especially within the essay. Does the writer

provide signal phrases (Vetter argues that “...”) to introduce quotes? Does the writer

include a parenthetical reference, that is— a page number to identify the location of the

quote? Are these in-text citations linked to a Works Cited or References page clearly?

Does the writer list all of the sources they use in a Works Cited or References page?