Effective Persuasion
Developing Persuasive Documents
Overview
This presentation will cover:
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The persuasive context
The role of the audience
What to research and cite
How to establish your
credibility
What is Persuasive Writing?
Definition: persuasive writing…
seeks to convince its readers to embrace the
point-of-view presented by appealing to the
audience’s reason and understanding through
argument and/or entreaty.
Persuasive Genres
You encounter persuasion every day.
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TV Commercials
Letters to the Editor
Junk mail
Magazine ads
College brochures
Can you think of other persuasive contexts?
Steps for Effective Persuasion
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Understand your audience
Support your opinion
Know the various sides of your issue
Respectfully address other points of view
Find common ground with your audience
Establish your credibility
When to Persuade an Audience
• Your organization needs funding for a
project
• Your boss wants you to make
recommendations for a course of action
• You need to shift someone’s current point
of view to build common ground so action
can be taken
Understanding Your Audience
• Who is your audience?
• What beliefs do they hold about the topic?
• What disagreements might arise between you
and your audience?
• How can you refute counterarguments with
respect?
Understanding Your Audience
What concerns does your audience face?
For example:
– Do they have limited funds to distribute?
– Do they feel the topic directly affects
them?
– How much time do they have to consider
your document?
Understanding Your Audience
• Help your audience relate to your topic
• Appeal to their hearts as well as their
minds.
– Use anecdotes when appropriate
– Paint your topic in with plenty of detail
– Involve the reader’s senses in these
sections
Researching an Issue
• Become familiar with all sides of an issue.
-find common ground
-understand the history of the topic
-predict the counterarguments your
audience might make
-find strong support for your own
perspective
Researching an Issue
• Find common ground with your audience
For example:
Point of Opposition: You might support a
war, whereas your audience might not.
Common ground: Both sides want to see
their troops come home.
Researching an Issue
• Predict counterarguments
Example:
Your Argument: Organic produce from local
Farmers’ Markets is better than store-bought
produce.
The Opposition: Organic produce is too
expensive.
Researching an Issue
One Possible Counterargument:
Organic produce is higher in nutritional
value than store-bought produce and is
also free of pesticides, making it a better
value. Also, store-bought produce travels
thousands of miles, and the cost of
gasoline affects the prices of food on
supermarket shelves.
Support Your Perspective
• Appeal to the audience’s reason
– Use statistics and reputable studies
• Cite experts on the topic
– Do they back up what you say?
– Do they refute the other side?
Cite Sources with Some Clout
• Which source would a reader find more
credible?
– The New York Times
– http://www.myopinion.com
• Which person would a reader be more likely
to believe?
– Joe Smith from Fort Wayne, IN
– Dr. Susan Worth, Prof. of Criminology at
Purdue University
Establish Credibility
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Cite credible sources
Cite sources correctly and thoroughly
Use professional language (and design)
Edit out all errors
Cite Sources Ethically
Don’t misrepresent a quote or leave out
important information.
Misquote: “Crime rates were down by 2002,”
according to Dr. Smith.
Actual quote: “Crime rates were down by
2002, but steadily began climbing again a year
later,” said to Dr. Smith.
Tactics to Avoid
• Don’t lecture or talk down to your
audience
• Don’t make threats or “bully” your reader
• Don’t employ guilt trips
• Be careful if using the
second person, “you”
Have More Questions?
• Visit us at the Writing Lab
– Heavilon Hall 226
– 4-3723
– http://owl.english.purdue.edu/writinglab
• Visit us online at the OWL
– http://owl.english.purdue.edu
Now… what do I do?
RESEARCH PAPER
METHODOLOGY
Methodology
ORGANIZE your notes as you go. Color is great!
Assign a color to a source. Take notes in
that color and write citations in that color.
FIND sources
DECIDE what you think.
SYNTHESIZE your thoughts and sources.
FORM a thesis.
Methodology
Form an outline. Decide on your strategy
for organization.
Multiple drafts. Write a bit, then ask a
question, don’t waste time rewriting
the exact same information over and
over. Write in sections according to
outline.
Ask opinions. Let people read your writing.
Fill the holes. Let people ask questions.
Do MORE research when you
have those opinions in order
to address holes in your research!
Methodology
Keep track of sources all the way through
your research in MLA format. USE COLOR!
NOTES – write down where you found info,
works referenced/research log
OUTLINE – write down what you used
DRAFTS - in text citations
FINAL – DON’T use color on the best copy.
USE COLOR!!!
Colorful Notes – Each source is assigned a color, notes
are taken in that color, source citation is written in correct
format on the first page of the notes for that source. Keep
track of what page you are on. When you change source,
Change color and Write the new source citation in the
correct Format.
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit. New York: Ballentine, 1937.
Gloin tells Bilbo that he can call himself an “expert treasure
hunter” instead of a “burglar” in order to make Bilbo feel better about
the Situation and his own image of himself.
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings. NewYork: Ballentine,
1942.
Frodo tells Bilbo that he “lost” the ring in order to make Bilbo
feel better about not having it, while not destroying Bilbo with the
truth. This protects Bilbo’s image and confidence.
RUBRIC
OUTLINE
Thesis is its own section of the outline.
Should be sophisticated : multiple views in
one section/paragraph
Color coded by source
Revised organization – order should be
appropriate for purpose
Thorough, including thesis and topic sentences
Your thoughts should be evident, not just topic
*Quotes should be included
RUBRIC
Drafts –
Work in sections according to outline.
Each section must be peer edited.
Do not move forward without teacher approval.
Make sure to check at each stage if more
research is needed
RUBRIC
After the outline and drafts are completed,
TYPE your paper in MLA format.
If you use Easybib or Noodle tools, you will
have to change the format. It is not automatic.
ALSO… GIGO (garbage in, garbage out)
Turn an electronic copy in by email.
Helpful Research Information
What do professional researchers do?:
http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/technique/historical-research-checklist/
http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/technique/dos-and-donts/
http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/technique/written-items-checklist/
http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/technique/printed-items/
http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/investigations/