Cornell Notes O E A Writing Strategy ObservationEvidenceAnalysis

Cornell Notes: O. E. A. Writing Strategy Observation-Evidence-Analysis

What is O. E. A. ? ¥ O. E. A is a writing strategy that will help you to become a better writer. ¥O = Observation ¥ E= Evidence ¥ A= Analysis

Why is O. E. A. important? ¥ ¥ ¥ When students apply this strategy, they improve their in-depth analytical writing skills. The skills involved in O. E. A. , or analytical writing, help students develop as critical thinkers and as learners. This type of writing helps students solve problems, extend their understanding of a subject, and make changes that benefit society. Good writers apply the O. E. A. writing strategy to all subjects, not just English, to demonstrate what they learned on an assigned topic.

O = Observation ¥ ¥ An observation is a clearly stated interpretation you make about a story, poem, novel, play, etc. An observation is NOT a definitive truth or plot detail. Rather, it is a logical conclusion you have made about the text that you will prove using direct evidence. The observation should make some sort of claim about your topic. The only difference between an observation and a topic sentence is that it is possible to have more than one observation per paragraph.

Observation Continued ¥ An observation is: ¥ ¥ The bones of the catacombs symbolize the oncoming death of Fortunato. An observation is NOT: ¥ The character of Fortunato is a connoisseur of wine. The non-observation is so widely accepted that your essay would not say anything new or interesting! ¥

E = Evidence ¥ Evidence is what you use to prove the claim you made in your observation. ¥ Evidence must relate directly to the claim. requires you to be familiar with the text, so you can quickly find the most appropriate evidence for the job.

Evidence Continued ¥ ¥ You CANNOT just add a quotation from the text and expect it to prove anything— especially while standing alone. You need to consider the context of the main text: ¥ Though your reader will be familiar with the text you are writing about, it is necessary to give a little background information to help the reader better understand where the quotation comes from. This can be done briefly, as a lead-in to your quotation, or in its own sentence prior to the quotation.

Evidence Continued ¥ ¥ NO “I think therefore I am. ” --This example lacks context. Your reader will become confused. YES Philosopher Rene Descartes once proclaimed, “I think therefore I am” changing the way human kind thinks about logic and existence. --This example properly integrates the quotation. Its brief explanation helps readers to understand the connection and purpose of the quotation in relation to your analysis as a whole.

A = Analysis ¥ ¥ The hardest part of any paper but also the most important! Analysis is showing how the evidence proves the claim you made in your observation. Analysis should imply why your analysis is worth mentioning at all Sum up your analysis by relating it back to your observation