Seargeant 1

Julia Seargeant
Professor Kimberly Strickland
ENGL 1010
August 8, 2014
Self Assessment
The assignment that is being posted is my Issue Exploration Paper (IEP) and accompanying
Annotated Bibliography. My IEP is about the power of change, specifically how to change oneself. Many
people get stuck in the ho-hum existence of life when it isnt necessary and certainly isnt fulfilling. Yet,
it doesnt have to be that way and this paper illustrates how it can be different. In preparing the IEP, as
well as other coursework for this class, four critical components of writing were reinforced to me.
The first is to know your topic. It is nearly impossible to research something you dont
understand or with which you have had little-to-no experience; and then translate it into a cohesive and
compelling document whereby your goal is to influence the reader to come to your conclusion. As such,
having knowledge of your topic is essential.
Second, you must know your intended audience. Writing about a topic which you have
knowledge and understanding is moot unless you realize to whom you are writing. Throughout this
course, I read several papers that, while the writer clearly knew the topic, s/he didnt comprehend how
to translate that to the reader. Sometimes it felt like the writer was talking at the reader instead of to
or even with for that matter.
And that leads me to the third component for a well written piece: flow. If you know your topic
and your audience, then write for clarity. It has been reaffirmed to me in this class how important flow is
to the written word. Paragraphs that are cohesive and fluid help the reader to formulate his/her own
understanding of what is being communicated. If these paragraphs are jumbled or unconnected then it
is near impossible for the reader to determine what message the writer wants to convey.
Seargeant 2

Finally, the fourth component is the vital, but often lacking skill of self-editing. Throughout the
course there were opportunities for peer review which I noted to be beneficial to those unskilled in
editing their own work. It is a necessary first step to understanding the revision process. However, in my
case, my papers were not peer reviewed and I had to determine what corrections needed to be made
including content, flow, format and grammar/spelling. The ability to edit ones own work is highly
valuable.
These four critical components are essential to any kind of writing. Writing is a part of everyday
life. Whether or not one has a job in a seemingly non-written occupation, such as math or science, I
guarantee writing effectively is required. Understanding and applying the concepts taught in this course
will enable each of us to be successful in this area of his or her future career.