This is a self-reflection of my writing process for my exploratory essay assignment.

While completing the exploratory essay as the second assignment of the course, I learned to evaluate the sources that the author used. In writing the exploratory essay, I was able to use the rhetorical situations of genre, exigence, purpose, position, and audience. I will also evaluate the rhetorical situations regarding the accomplishment of the course learning outcomes. 

The genre of my exploratory is an analysis of nonfiction writing. My essay aimed to evaluate the sources used by Judith A. Carney’s article, “African Rice in the Columbian Exchange”. Being introduced to writing an exploratory essay, I had no experience in writing an analysis of a source in a nonfiction writing. My strategy in analyzing the sources included handwritten annotations on the article itself. With the annotations, I was able to utilize an outline to construct my structure of the essay. My outline included a structural process of how Carney utilized each source and the effectiveness of the source. It made the process of analysis more manageable when it came to writing. Therefore, I was able to use my strategy of annotation and outlines to accomplish the course learning outcomes of reading and drafting my essay. 

In writing this essay, the exigence that motivated me to write this essay was that I wanted to show my own point of view of the article. I wanted to show that Carney’s use of the sources were not as reliable as it seems. In order to convey this, I had to evaluate each chosen source and explain it in what I deemed as inefficient. I found it difficult because it was completely in my own opinion, but I also had to provide evidence to back up my claims. To work around this, I was able to apply critical thinking skills and ask questions of, “what am I not seeing in this source?” and “what if I was able to ask the author a question about the sources she used?”. It was able to help me determine my view of her sources.

The purpose for writing this essay was that I wanted to display my position with clarity and evidence. To accomplish this, I had to look at both sides of whether or not her sources were efficient or inefficient. Ultimately, I had planned my position for her use of inefficient sources. I approached the method of discussing the required questions of what, how, and the effectiveness of the sources were used in. Using these three questions as a guideline, I was able to justify my purpose and position.  

The position of my exploratory essay was to show that Carney’s use of inefficient sources downplayed parts of her themes in her article. When I was planning my outline for this essay, I found it difficult to establish a position because it was difficult to evaluate the sources that she used. The reason why I choose to state that Carney’s article had sources that questioned her credibility was that as I was going over the sources in my annotations, I had listed multiple questions that I found confusing in how it was able to support her themes. Writing these questions was extremely helpful because I was able to back up my claims through my point of view. I accomplished the course learning outcomes of revising and editing with comments from my instructor. However, I believe that I still lack clarity in some of my points as my instructor had given feedback in improving my essay. I want to improve on my clarity so that it can further justify my position in the essay. 

The potential audience for this essay would be informing the audience of Carney’s article that some sources can be ineffective. While trying to convey to my potential audiences, I was able to engage in the collaborative and social aspects of the writing process. Through peer review and the usage of the online group discussions, my peers were able to review my outline and give suggestions that I can follow and what I needed to change. My peers gave feedback on my first draft on what I needed to convey to the readers better. I used this peer review opportunity to think about the audience that I am writing to. Essentially my peers would be the readers that read the article without knowledge of the sources, in which my essay would aim to inform the readers of its possible inaccuracy. 

From writing this exploratory essay, I was able to develop strategies that I would have never been able to utilize. I learned that I had to be open-minded and explore new ways of writing because this exploratory essay was a challenge. Using the rhetorical situations of genre, exigence, purpose, position, and audience, I was also able to accomplish course learning outcomes. I hope that I can continue to develop strategies and improve on my writing skills.