As a Biology major, I don’t have many classes that ask for research papers. Sure, I’ll have the occasional paragraph to write about explaining the effects of titration or perhaps describing the synapomorphies of two species in a phylogenic tree. Though, I am looking to add Anthropology as my second major next year, maybe even choosing to minor in English. Needless to say, while I don’t do a lot of writing now, I think I’ll be seeing quite a few essay prompts in my future.
Source: Giphy
As part of my C&I class, which is an Anthropology-based course focusing on peace and violence, we read articles. These articles range from light reading to I-need-my-thesaurus-and-dictionary type reading. Most assignments land closer to the latter. I’ve needed to teach myself how to read again in order to understand what I’m supposed to be grasping. I think I may have found a connection between BEAM writing and these confusing essays…
By understanding what sections I’m reading- background, exhibit, argument, and method- I can define the subject of the paragraph.
Background
If I see that a section is mostly background information, I can tell that this is information that I’m supposed to know, but it is not the author’s main subject in question. The background information is useful, sure, but it not knowing all the dates and statistics doesn’t diminish the effect that the complete essay has.
Exhibit
When the author uses a source as an exhibit I can usually assume that he agrees with the source’s point of view. The exhibit, or evidence as I mistakenly call it, takes me one step closer to seeing what the author’s point is. Without the evidence, also, I would have a harder time taking the author at his or her word. Evidence, in my opinion, builds credibility and I like knowing that the author whose essay I’m reading for a grade has a clue.
Argument
The argument is where the fun stuff kicks in. When I see an argument come up, I can finally determine what the essay is trying to convince me of. At this point, I star the section or highlight important parts to remind myself, in bold, flashing lights, that this is the information I need to dig into. This is the pot of gold.
Method
The method in an essay is singularly the most difficult item to find. The method is the text that governs the author’s way of thinking. I would put a simpler definition but in all honesty, I don’t think there is one. To find the method, I have to analyze and try to think in terms of the author’s knowledge. If I see that he or she defines things a certain way or has an opinion that is distinguished in a certain field, I can come to conclusions about his or her knowledge.
All in All…
I’m still working on the finer details of BEAM reading, but I think that it could be an asset when I read more complicated articles. Translation: I need BEAM to help me get through my Anthropology class in one piece.