How to Write an Analysis
As a student, you should know how to write an analysis because your teacher or lecturer will ask you to write it at some point during your academic career. The term analysis usually has two major elements. First, it implies to break something down into ideas or parts. Second, it means to describe or discuss the parts using a method or a viewpoint. For instance, if you are required to read a text and write its analysis, you have to choose several important or main ideas from the text and discuss each of them using a specific view point, method or theory. Therefore writing an analysis is breaking down a piece of work and discussing the parts using a specific viewpoint or method. Click on the link here for more information.
An analysis differs from other forms of writing because it is primarily concerned with providing an explanation for something in newer or greater details using a specific or unique view point while most forms of writing are concerned with making an evaluation or argument. However, there are assignments that may require you to use analysis in evaluating something or arguing a specific point. However, when writing a simple analysis, you simply explain something from your unique view point.
Essence of knowing how to write an analysis
Writing a good analysis requires creativity. This is because you must connect different bits of ideas or language together in a way that shows something that was not expressed openly or something that was unexpected by the audience. You do this while creating connections that readers might not see by evaluating the work as a whole or by just looking at the smaller pieces. Writing an analysis is mostly about finding the unexpected contradictions. You must determine if there are conflicts and tensions that emerge when the work is broken down to pieces yet they cannot be seen by just looking at the work from the surface.
Note that writing an analysis is not simply stating the obvious or writing a summary. You have to think about the work or subject carefully and in details. Additionally, you have to go over the subject or piece that you are analyzing severally observing it closely to notice a new aspect each time you study it. Follow the writingcenter.uci.edu for more details. To write such a piece, you need guidelines on how to write an analysis especially if it is your first time to write one.
Steps to follow when writing an analysis
Preparation
Familiarize yourself with the subject or work under analysis
You must start by conducting a research on the subject that you are analyzing. If you are required to analyze a piece of literally work, start by studying it. This will enable you to determine the angle that your analysis should follow. You will know the overall gist, feelings and impressions of the work during the first reading.
Organize your ideas or thoughts
Once you have read and re-read the work, you can now tell what the work feels like. As such, you can now make notes regarding the basics of your writing. Find the meanings of words that might be unfamiliar to you while doing this.
Divide the work into segments
If you are required to write an analysis of a long piece of work, divide it into essential elements. This is an important part to note as you master basic steps on how to write an analysis. Remember that analyzing partly means breaking down something. Therefore, break down the work by segmenting it. If for instance you are required to analyze a poem, break it down into stanzas then lines and then phrases. If you are required to analyze an essay, divide it into paragraphs and lines. If you are writing a film analysis, break the film down into shots, scenes, dialogues, characters and sound elements.
Format the independent parts of your analysis
After dividing the work into sections, analyze them independently. Understand the input of each part towards the success of the entire work or subject. Take notes of different ideas that you generate while doing this.
Reassemble the preliminary analysis
Using your indulgence to various parts of the entire work, try to pull in to your comprehension of the entire work. What implication does the summary of individual parts generate? This is a challenging stage in the process of writing an analysis.
To get over it, try to answer these questions:
- What is the creator of the work trying to say?
- How does he/she get the message or thought across?
- Why is the idea noteworthy?
Writing the first draft
Draft your introductory thesis and supporting points
After preparing yourself to write the analysis, you can now come up with the first draft. Start by drafting a preliminary thesis that sums up the interpretations of the work. Have specific points that support your thesis. While writing a text analysis, supporting points should come from the work’s elements and your reasoned comprehension of the elements. However, the elements have to connect rationally to each other.
Outline your analysis
While outlining your analysis, focus on the points that you want your analysis to make rather than on the structure of what you are required to analyze. Simply put, your work should not be a line-by-line presentation or summary of the sections of the work under analysis. Instead, it should highlight the elements that bring forth the interpretation that you want to present while covering them logically.
Come up with the first draft
Draw from the ideas that you generated during the preparation stage to come up with your first draft of the analysis. At this stage, do not worry about the introduction. Instead, start the analysis with your thesis followed by the paragraphs of the body. Thus, do not focus more on how to write an analysis but on what to include in an analysis.
Write the second draft
Based on innovative ideas or thoughts that you may have generated, improve your thesis statement. Also write an introduction that contextualizes your thesis. Paraphrase or indicate clearly anything that you quote from the piece under analysis. Refine transitions in the entire analysis. Delete or add materials where necessary to make your points clear and precise. Avoid repetition in your analysis.
Sum up your analysis
Streamline the analysis
Work on the paragraphs of your analysis, merge sentences and delete others where necessary. Ensure that ideas have a consistent flow.
Edit your analysis
Verify punctuation, spelling and ensure grammatical accuracy. Make sure that your analysis presents the actual ideas and thoughts in your preferred viewpoint as required by the analysis writing assignment.
Bonus tips on how to write an analysis
- While writing the analysis, break the work under analysis down and then think about how each part contributes towards the success of the entire work. However, be careful not to simply summarize the work. Instead, go past telling readers what you are analyzing or talking about and describe why and how the elements that make it function.See more here by visiting the link here.
- Choose evidence wisely and ask yourself questions about the evidence that you choose in relation to the context of the work under analysis and the argument that you are making.
- Be explicit since there are different ways of interpreting evidence. Show your readers how your evidence connects to the argument.
- Avoid patterns of empty or weak analysis. There are sentences that will fill your analysis without answering the question that the analysis is required to answer. Such sentences will affect your credibility as a writer. Avoid or remove them while editing your analysis. Get more information at lsa.umich.edu.
- Answer the analysis question. Each analysis assignment has unique instructions. Your analysis should strive to follow the given instructions in answering the analysis question. Choose a tone to use in your argument, introduce evidence and something new that the audience may have not noticed while studying the work as whole.
- Use analysis samples as your writing guides. Using well written analysis samples will enable you to determine how you can present ideas and thoughts in the best way possible. You can easily find sample analysis essays online.
Here are links to analysis samples:
- BMW Porter’s five forces analysis
- PESTEL analysis of Sony Corporation
- Artifact analysis
From such analysis samples, you can see how writers divide the original works into sections and analyze them carefully and in details. This makes the elements that make the entire work more visible and understandable to the audience. You can use such samples too as illustrations on how to organize your analysis.
We can help you with your analysis
If you face difficulties while writing your analysis, get in touch with us for immediate assistance. You can also visit our homepage for additional information regarding our writing services. Alternatively, keep reading for more guidelines on how to write an analysis and analysis samples on our blog.
Sources
http://www.lsa.umich.edu/sweetland/undergraduate/writingguides/howcanicreatestrongeranalysis
http://www.roanestate.edu/owl/Analysis.html
http://www.writingcenter.uci.edu/what-is-analysis-and-why-does-my-writing-instructor-keep-asking-for-it-part-i/
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~jewel001/CollegeWriting/WRITEREAD/Analysis/default.htm