Post #3

Much of our assigned reading this week from The Craft of Research contained aspects of writing that have been covered many times in practice and instruction, but it is always important to remind ourselves that we need to be clear and use support in our written and verbal claims. I had never heard the title “warrants” in any of my writing instruction up until this point, but I recognize the general concept and recognize that it is an area of writing I must treat carefully.

For many writers, the problem with warrants occurs when they leave them out of their writing because they assume that the connections between the points being made are clear to the readers. I feel like I fall on the opposite end of the spectrum from this total assumption of understanding; I tend to over-qualify claims and definitions in my argument. When I read a journal article, I appreciate the author providing definitions for terms or context for an author’s work, especially if I am not as familiar with the time period, author, or writing style as I probably should be to read the article. When I write with my target audience (right now, teachers and in the future, other scholars in my general field) in mind, I attempt to only provide information or warrants that would not be obvious to me if I were reading an article on the same topic written by another author. I am very thankful when I read these types of explanations in the numerous journal articles I read in graduate school and in the articles I’ve read over the years. The problem for me occurs when I try to consider my article outside of the context of Salinger, American literature, or 20th century literature. Leaving out warrants and definitions can be detrimental to all readers, but I feel like including too much information (context, definitions, warrants) can decrease my authority because my essay appears too simplistic or patronizing. Once again, as I feel like I am constantly saying to myself in this blog and in everyday academic life, I must find a way to find the balance that many academic scholars have found through time, practice, and feedback.