•What overall purpose(s) does the text serve? Is its intent to answer a question, pose a problem, add to research on a given topic, introduce a new idea, argue a
point, etc.? How can you tell? •Where did this text originally appear? What, from the context in which it appeared or the article itself, can you tell about its
audience? For example, are they experts in the topic, novices? Do you feel you are part of the intended audience? How can you tell? • Are there any particular biases
exhibited in the text? Provide examples that illuminate these biases. • What is the subject of the text? What themes does the text explore/reflect? • What types of
evidence are used? What does this suggest about the author′s assumptions regarding the audience? What does the choice of evidence tell you about what is valued in the
humanities? • What strategies does the writer use? Examples of strategies include argument, inductive/deductive reasoning, narration, analysis, application of theory.
• Assess the style of the piece. List examples of techniques (figurative language, repetition, complex sentences, etc.) and specialized vocabulary. If specialized
vocabulary is used, is it explained or are readers expected to know it?