10.3–Content
James Francis, Jr.
Organization of content is slightly different than the technical aspects of formatting, but it still follows the same understanding that a sample document can help you consider how to arrange your writing without following the exact structure of the sample. When organizing content within a document, the text should flow (transition from one point to the next) with clarity of communication. If you follow a sample document’s organization and general setup too closely without concern for how your writing needs to be original, the content might not seem logical, fluid, or relevant to the assignment guidelines. Here is an example that demonstrates reporting findings from primary research (note: all sources and in-text citations have been created for sample-use only):
| Sample Report Text |
|---|
| Once the survey period concluded, we tallied the final numbers and discovered more people liked the design with the blue background as opposed to the orange background. The color selection follows what Hinojosa mentioned in her article about orange causing a soporific effect (a tendency toward sleepiness and often boredom). As a result—from the surveys and research expert—we propose the new team uniforms use the selected design with a blue background for the next season. |
| Student Report Text |
| When our survey period ended, we counted the final numbers and discovered more people liked the garlic toppings instead of the cinnamon toppings. The more-savory food topping selection agrees with what Pham detailed in their source about people having an aversion to mixing toppings—like cinnamon—that cause effluvia. In conclusion, we recommend the pizza restaurant making the cinnamon topping a specialty item instead of a main-menu offering for patrons. |
By reproducing the same organization and delivery of the sample report text, the student’s work leaves out important, vital elements—documentation for the source, along with details and description to clarify the writing—and they inadvertently plagiarize content. Always remember that samples are not examples of perfect writing because that concept does not exist; you must ask yourself what is and is not effective about the sample writing in order to consider how to avoid missteps—like not crediting a source—and how to translate a helpful writing strategy—such as providing a definition for transparency—into your own materials. Here is the revised student report:
| Student Report Text (revised) |
|---|
| We counted the final numbers at the close of the survey period and the results showed patrons of the pizza restaurant favored the garlic toppings over the cinnamon toppings, 72-28 (Figure 2.3). Supporting this finding, Pham (2019) claims, “Foodies prefer foods that taste and smell good because both senses have to be satisfied in the eating process” (p. 62). Based on our research, we recommend Pop’s Pizzeria making the cinnamon topping a specialty item instead of a main-menu offering, which will allow the establishment to simultaneously reduce the amount of product purchased each season and spending. |
The revised content provides much more detailed, specific content to present the research findings; the survey results and academic source are properly documented; and the content offers a reason behind the recommendation. The student reviewed the effectiveness of the sample’s organization and content and constructed their own report writing relevant to their project. And if you find yourself working with analysis instead of reporting, we can find similar ways to avoid replicating sample material organization and content delivery. Here is an example that demonstrates film analysis; the sample covers the text the student has been tasked to analyze:
| Sample Analysis Text |
|---|
| Dee Rees’ Pariah contains symbols for the audience to unlock. One of those symbols is coded in the attire of the characters. Alike rejects stereotypical engendered clothing articles like dresses and the color pink for young girls. Instead, she prefers a do-rag, a ball cap, and baggy, comfortable clothes. She does this to access and present a more recognized masculine aesthetic to attract a potential love interest. De Santos writes, “People often use clothing to create a conversation concerning gender that they cannot put into words for fear of being ostracized” (37). |
| Student Analysis Text |
| In Pariah, we are provided symbolism throughout the film. The main character’s preferred name serves as a reminder that she exists as the “other” in the story. Alike prefers “Lee” instead of the name she was assigned at birth. This is ironic because she is completely unlike any of her immediate family members. She uses “Lee” to help demonstrate her masculine identity to attract other girls. Nakai is quoted as saying, “Some LGBTQ youth, upon coming into adulthood, disclose that their assigned names do not complement their self-identifies” (70). |
The student’s text mimics the exact sentence arrangement, presentation of discussion elements, and tone of the sample. Following the sample’s arrangement so closely makes the content sound choppy; the sentences are properly formatted, but they don’t seem to connect to each other to create a fluid discussion. Mirroring the sample analysis too closely also robs the student’s work of having a unique voice to setup the analysis and incorporates secondary source material without fully integrating the quote. In the end, the writing becomes ineffective toward communicating its message to the reader. Here is the revised student analysis:
| Student Analysis Text (revised) |
|---|
| In Pariah (2011), the main character’s preferred name serves as a symbol that she exists as the “other” against additional characters in the film. Unlike her mother, father, and sister, Alike prefers “Lee” (the pronunciation of the second syllable in her name) instead of the name she was assigned at birth. The spelling of her assigned name is ironic because she is completely unlike her family members, and she prefers “Lee” because it feels more suitable to her understanding of butch-lesbian identity to attract other girls. The importance of naming and its connection to identify is further explored in “Nomenclature and the Self” by Dakoda Nakai. The writer claims, “Some LGBTQ youth, upon coming into adulthood, disclose that their assigned names do not complement their self-identifies” (Nakai 70). As a coming-of-age film, Pariah demonstrates the disparate nature of naming and identity though Lee/Alike. |
The revised content reveals analysis that is more connected structurally, which allows the student’s voice to clearly communicate its message and develop a full conversation with the incorporated secondary source. The content of your document, whether it be handout, report, essay, novel, or other, needs to be unique—written from your perspective to respond to what the assignment requires and what the rhetorical situation demands. Organize your writing according to what the assignment guidelines stipulate, how you feel the text would be best represented, and in a manner that it connects clearly with your intended audience. When the organization is effective, the content of the document can equally accomplish its goals of communicating to the audience in the appropriate rhetorical mode.
Attribution:
Francis Jr., James. “Using Sample Documents Effectively: Content.” In Surface and Subtext: Literature, Research, Writing. 3rd ed. Edited by Claire Carly-Miles, Sarah LeMire, Kathy Christie Anders, Nicole Hagstrom-Schmidt, R. Paul Cooper, and Matt McKinney. College Station: Texas A&M University, 2024. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
