Self Evaluation

Throughout this semester I have broadened my horizons to new aspects of writing and
research. I have had the opportunity to to explore different aspects of rhetorical analysis
and begin to apply it to my own writing and research. This learned applicatio will allow
me to further my skill set and be able to transfer these skills into my future profession and
aspirations. As seen in the E-Portfolio, I have evidence of the progression of my
rhetorical and research skills. My progression ranges from what I was capable of at the
beginning of the semester, which is not very much, to what I am now able to do due to
this classes education. When putting all of my developed skills together, I able to utilize
them and form a research space where I would rhetorically analyze sources and
ultimately form a final research paper.
Rhetorical Analysis
When performing the various types of writing I had done in this class, I would
need to be an active rhetor to ensure that I was able to form my analysis clearly.
Throughout the semester we looked at the various contexts and aspects of the rhetorical
situation;the rhetor, the exigence, the audience, and constraints . First, in order to be a
successful rhetor I would need to work in conjunction with the restraints put before me.
An example of one of these restraints would a word count limit. I would need to be
flexible to ensure that I stayed on track and at the same time was able to form my analysis
in a limited amount of words as to accommodate the constraints. Next when keeping the
constraints in mind I would analyze the rhetors exigence. I would begin to analyze what
motivated the rhetor to enter this conversation and begin to put forth their argument. This
would allow me to see where the rhetor was coming from when they were writing a
specific piece. This allowed me to understand their argument and begin to enter the
conversation as a rhetor myself. When entering a conversation, I would need to do some
analysis as to who my audience was. In the specific case of my research paper I was
writing to my fellow classmates. This was an important part of the rhetorical context in
that I would need to form my writing in a way that my peers could understand and also
be entertained by. Keeping my audience in mind would allow me to stay on track and
also look at my work from their perspective.
Research Beginings
When beginning to look at my research territory I needed to make a claim and a thesis.
Early to the game I learned from some of our readings and discussions that I would need
to make a flexible thesis as I would mostly be changing it as the research process went.
This variability in my thesis was mainly due to the sources I was coming across and the
various viewpoints being discussed. From our class readings in The Everyday Writer,
Understanding Rhetoric, and the other readings in From Critical Thinking to Argument, I
learned how to rhetorically analyze these sources. This gave me the ability to understand
and see how they could aid a position in my research paper. By performing much

research on various sources I was able to determine if the source was able to fit into my
research and help me to form my argument. In my e-portfolio I have included my Digital
Paper Trail and also the sources I used in my research paper as my references. From these
documents we can see that had a variety of different sources with different viewpoints
and opinions. When aligning my thesis with my discovered sources, it starting to become
more dynamic and this allowed me to end up having a strong thesis with lots of supports.
In the end I was able to form a strong and supportive list of sources and references. I was
able to apply knowledge learned in class and in our readings to get my ultimate list of
sources.
Research Process and Formation
Along with the sources mentioned above, my research consisted of much more
organization and dynamics. I used multiple preliminary steps to allow myself to become
more organized and understanding with my research space. Initially I constructed a
research map that consisted of information such as my initial questions, topics of
research, and my research timeline. This played a vital role in my research process
because it kept me on track with not only my topic but also my timeline. I was able to
schedule in events I had during the semester and designate time for my research in order
to ensure completion of my research. This proved to be a great idea as in past research
processes I tended to just jump into a blank word document and begin typing. This shows
that I am able to use the learned skill and knowledge gained from this class in a
productive way. The research map was a piece of my research dossier. My research
dossier was also a new aspect of writing I had learned this semester. The research dossier
was overall a way for me to validate my research claim and ensure that I was giving
understanding to my research. My research dossier showed the many aspects of my
research such as purpose, intended audience, types of sources, documentation style, etc.
The dossier would allow one of my peers to understand my research space and also what
I was planning on doing with my research. I also performed specific rhetorical analysis of
one of my sources which can be seen in my e portfolio. In this rhetorical analysis I
provide in depth analysis that allows me to show that I understand where the author is
coming from and also begin to see the relevance of this text to my research. After the
analysis I was able to conclude that that specific source was very effective and helped to
support my research immensely. Moving along in my research process, I next formed a
two minute verbal pitch that I presented to my peers. This pitch allowed me to put some
information out into the class and also give my audience a taste of what I have been
researching. I was able to share my area of research and how I was going about analyzing
that research. This was a helpful tool to see how my audience would react to my work.
Lastly I began to work on the actual research paper itself. This was the last step before I
presented this paper and a TED talk as my research in a whole. By doing all of the
previous steps mentioned, I was able to streamline that information into my paper. I
began to fill my paper with claims about my research topic and then began to implement

many pieces of support in the form of evidence sources. In the end this process turned out
very well, allowing me to grow as a researcher and writer.
Proven Improvement
When putting my writing career into perspective, I can confidently say that this class time
period has been the most productive and educating. I have gone from a novice writer who
provided virtually no rhetorical analysis to his work, to becoming an educated rhetor who
applies skills to his research. I may not have become perfect in every aspect of the class
but overall I feel confident in my ability to produce persuasive arguments for academic
contexts.