Note to instructors
This exercise is designed to encourage students to engage more closely with the
literature they are exploring. It is most effective for an assignment that asks
students to deal with a contradiction, conflict, or comparison in the literature, e.g.,
two opposing theories, two contradictory arguments, two different poems, etc.
The exercise asks students to re-read several sources and look for specific
differences and/or similarities between the sources. It encourages students to 1)
highlight specific evidence (quotes, examples) that elucidate these differences, and
2) to start thinking about what these differences mean (i.e., the first analytical
steps). This evidence gathering exercise is a good springboard for stimulating
analytical ideas. It is also a great precursor for an in-class discussion.
The exercise could be modified to deal with more than two sources. For example,
students might read several sources on each side of a debate, and group their
evidence by topic/stance. The evidence table could also be modified to have an
extra column if there are three different theories/sources.
This document is intended to serve as a shared resource for instructors in the Harvard
community. Please feel free to download and adapt it for your course. If your students
ask about its origin, please attribute it to the Harvard College Writing Program.
Handout for students
Close analysis of the literature
This exercise is designed to assist you in looking more closely at the literature in
preparation for writing your assignment.
Please re-read ______ and ______. In doing so, pay close attention to the arguments
being made and the evidence presented to support these arguments.
Your goal is to collect evidence that elucidates the disagreement/differences
between the two articles/sources. These disagreements may be of all types –
different assumptions, different ethical frameworks, different methodologies,
different historical frameworks, different writing styles, etc. You may also identify
similarities between the two sources. As you read, note the following:

EVIDENCE: Note specific differences/similarities between the two sources.
How do the articles/sources deal with the same or similar concepts?

SPECIFIC EVIDENCE: Make note of specific quotes or examples that
elucidate the differences/similarities. Be sure to record page numbers so
that you can 1) find these quotes/examples again as you develop your
argument, and 2) properly cite quotes/examples in the essay.

ANALYSIS: Go beyond the evidence and start thinking about what these
differences tell you. Think about the nature of the disagreement, i.e., what
underlies or drives the disagreement? Analyze what the
disagreement/agreement reveals about the debate/writers. Your ultimate
task is not just to describe how the sources are difference, but why these
differences matter.
Use the attached table to organize your thoughts regarding the disagreement at
hand. Note that columns 2 and 3 give specific evidence/quotes from the sources,
while column 1 describes what these different pieces of evidence reveal/represent.
Table: Close analysis of the literature
Analysis – What
this difference /
similarity tells
you
Article #1
Argument & Evidence
Article #2
Argument & Evidence