In This Chapter
Why Respond?
You may be wondering why college-level reading has different expectations than the reading you may have done in previous courses or in high school. Why do students need to take the time to analyze and respond to the texts they encounter?
In part, college students need to learn to read actively and critically because they are much more likely to be using texts that they find on their own. With the wealth of information available online, it’s important that students make sure that the resources they’re using are authoritative, relevant, and appropriate for the specific writing task.
As the chart below shows, the types of texts students will encounter in college are often different than the texts they were asked to read in high school. In high school, most of your reading was likely either literary texts, textbooks, or reference resources. In college, you’ll be required to read and understand argumentative analysis, various types of research, and even self-selected materials.
Because college students use a larger variety of texts, it becomes even more important for them to check the validity of those texts before using them as supporting evidence in their own work.
How to Respond
We have already looked at ways to analyze texts for the strength of their arguments and for their rhetorical appropriateness. But how do you respond to texts appropriately for college courses?
College-level writing requires students to dig deeper. It’s not enough to simply say whether you agree/disagree or like/dislike a text.
Detecting Bias
Academic writing should be unbiased and correct. This means that the sources an academic writer uses must also be free from bias and mistakes.
As you read, think about who the author is and what their background might be. You often will not be familiar with an author, so it’s important to do some basic online searches to determine if they have a well known political leaning or if any of their previous works can give you clues about possible bias.
Consider where the text has been published. Various publications have different biases, some more than others. Scholarly journals pride themselves on being neutral, objective resources, but some internet resources and other popular media are created for audiences with specific biases. People with more conservative viewpoints are served by Fox News, while those with more left-leaning or liberal viewpoints might gravitate toward MSNBC.
If you are unfamiliar with the source or the author, you should do a few quick searches to make sure they are not known for having a particular bias. You may be unaware of their bias, but your professor likely will be aware of this information.
The Medias Bias Chart is one resource you can use to determine the bias of a publication or media outlet. Remember that few sources are ever completely neutral. A publication’s bias does not immediately disqualify it from use in academic writing. Instead, a writer can demonstrate their awareness of possible bias to build their own credibility.
Students can also begin determining bias by asking questions of the text.
Questions to Determine Possible Bias
- Who is the author?
- When was the sources written? Where was it published?
- Why was this written/what was the author’s intention?
- Does the author seem to be trying to convince you of something? And if so, what and why?
- What information does the author ignore or leave out to make their point?
Taking the time to think about these questions can help you interact with the text on a deeper level.
Remember that not all bias is intentional. Sometimes bias is a product of the writer’s or the text’s situation. For example, the historical events of the time period might play a role in the opinions and perspectives an author might have. Consider same-sex marriage in the United States: In the early 2000s, polls revealed that the majority of the public disapproved of the idea of gay marriage, so articles from that time would most likely reflect that opinion. However, opinions would soon change, as the public became more accustomed to the idea of same-sex couples marrying. Therefore, articles on the topic today would differ in position, tone, and argument.
Challenge What You Read
Engaged, critical readers will do more than identify the main idea of the text. Engaged readers don’t simply agree or disagree with the text. They ask questions.
While your initial reaction to the text is a good place to start, it is never where engaged readers and strong writers end.
Academic writers think deeply about why they like or dislike a text using their knowledge about argument and rhetoric. Responding to a text is a type of argument, and arguments need to be more than opinion.
As you formulate your response to a text, think about the evidence for that response:
Questions to Determine Textual Limitations
- Does the text show bias against race, gender, class, age, or some other group or belief?
- Is the text factually incorrect? Does it rely on unfounded assumptions?
- Does the text contain mistakes in the writing? Are their typos, too many facts, or too many opinions?
- Does the writer understand and meet their audience’s needs?
- Does the evidence seem authoritative, relevant, and appropriate for the text’s rhetorical situation?
- Does the text ignore counter arguments?
Think about what the text is missing or what the author is leaving out? Where is there room for more information?
Remember, just because something is published doesn’t make it appropriate to use in all situations. Just because an article is published online doesn’t make it a valid source. In an age where anyone can create a website that appears legitimate, writers need to be sure that the resources they rely on are authoritative, relevant, and appropriate.
Reflect on Your Reading
- How often did you critically analyze the sources or texts you’ve used in past class assignments? How did you know which sources you could trust?
- Why might the rhetorical situation of the college classroom change the requirements for student source use? Think about the audience (your professor), context, and purpose of the writing you might do for your college courses? How does that situation create different expectations for the texts and resources you might use in your essays? How do your college professors differ from your high school teachers?
Adapted from “Responding to Texts” by Charlotte Morgan and Kim Rush