Freeze

Sarah Freeze
Zack De Piero
Writing 2
18 February 2015
The Importance of Scholarly and Non-Academic Sources
When one wants to be enlightened about a particular subject, what type of source does
one turn to? A mainstream media text might be the first type, but what about a scholarly
academic piece? Both texts come from different genres, but their rhetorical features,
conventions, and the authors moves can easily be compared to identify resemblances and

Zack De Piero 2/20/2015 6:26 PM

Comment [1]: For me, this is an effective
start. Questions get people wondering. J

differences. When researching a specific topic for educational purposes or desiring to find more
information simply to become more knowledgeable, one should read both scholarly texts and
non-academic media texts because this gives the reader a well-rounded clearer understanding of
information that he or she would otherwise not have without reading both.
Modern Cat, a magazine that is accessible both on the Internet and through a paid mailing

Zack De Piero 2/20/2015 6:27 PM

Comment [2]: I read ahead just a bit, and
Im wondering where your thesis is

subscription, publishes various articles related to felines, such as The All-Important Play
Sequence. It is a seasonal magazine that is created for the enjoyment and amusement of readers.
The stereotypical audience can be thought to be old single women, or the crazy cat ladies, but
articles are written for all feline owners and anyone who wants to know more about domesticated
cats. It can be used for educational purposes to learn how to be a better pet owner or to simply
cause the reader to smile as he or she browses the pages filled with many feline photos. This
magazine educates people about their kitten friends, and this specific article focuses on cats
playtime. It lays out an explanation regarding why cats stalk, chase, bite, and release scenario
over and over again and let the prey slowly die (Nagelschneider) and offers a suggestion for

Zack De Piero 2/20/2015 6:27 PM

Comment [3]: Scary people.

(Way to identify the stereotypical
audience.)

Freeze 2

the best way to play with them. The author of this article is Mieshelle Nagelschneider who
claims to be the Cat Whisperer. Given the title that she calls herself, she probably is very
knowledgeable about cats and their behaviors, which gives her article credibility. Although select

Zack De Piero 2/20/2015 6:28 PM

Comment [4]: I like how you hedged this
and said probably.

articles are free for viewing online, the authors and publishers produce the magazine in order to
make a profit.
An example of a scholarly academic text is Object play in adult domestic cats: the roles
of habituation and disinhibition from Applied Animal Behavior Science. Applied Animal
Behavior Science is a peer-reviewed journal containing many articles, which are written by
various researchers. According to Rosenberg, Academics write to join scholarly conversations
(93), therefore, the authors consist of a multitude of researchers and the expected audience
includes other scientific scholars. Additionally, readers include students who are doing research
on this topic; for example, a freshman in college who needs to write a research paper on cats
playing behaviors may read this article to use as a source of credible information. The overall
purpose of this article is to conclude that object play by adult cats is usually terminated by
habituation Motivation to play can remain high, however, since if a new object is encountered
within a few minutes of play having been terminated by habituation, it resumes at high intensity
(Hall, et al.). This very specific topic can be helpful for the audience of both students and science
researchers.
Style and tone are other rhetorical features that appear throughout both texts. The tone
and style of the magazine article is causal and includes simple yet descriptive vocabulary, such
as in the phrase your cats menacing stare (Nagelschneider). The article is not written by a
group of individuals who are trying to impress higher scholastic figures, such as in academic
texts, so the terminology is simple; it is designed to be an easy read for the pleasure of the

Zack De Piero 2/20/2015 6:29 PM

Comment [5]: Great tie-in to our
readings. One suggestion, though: it would
likely enhance your piece if you introduced
who Rosenberg is. (Why listen to what this
person has to say, otherwise?)

Freeze 3

readers. Various terms and phrases are set in quotation marks in order to emphasize commonly
technical language related to cats, such as finish the kill or the chase. The article is also
written in first person, which includes the words I and you; the author wants the audience to
feel included in a conversational way. Because this is a magazine article written by a specific
individual, it is acceptable for the author to insert her opinion. An example of this is My

Zack De Piero 2/20/2015 6:30 PM

Comment [6]: Excellent observation of
the linguistic features in the article. I also
like how youre analyzing all of the together
in one paragraph.

favourite is the new Playful Panther, a wand toy designed to simulate erratic prey-like movement
like no other toy Ive seen (Nagelschneider). Another stylistic technique for the article is
breaking it up into small paragraphs that vary in length.
In comparison, the scholarly source has a sophisticated and professional style and tone. It
uses dry and formal terms such as in the statement Analysis was confined to two patterns,
which had been shown to indicate intermediate and high play motivation respectively in previous
studies (Hall, et al.). The authors wish to be informative and want their work to appeal to
scholars. Lunsford also agrees by commenting For most academic arguments, fairly formal
language is appropriate (138). Also, because the article describes a procedure, the term we is
used sparingly so as to not sound too personal such as in We suggest that object play by adult
cats is controlled by two mechanisms derived from predatory behavior (Hall, et al.).
Additionally, the paragraph lengths tend to be longer than those belonging to the magazine
article, but there is still some variation.
There are also conventions, which are expected elements that appear throughout
particular genres; they are general patterns and assumed rules that traditionally are followed.
Bunn sums this up by determining that Because the conventions for each genre can be very
different techniques that are effective for one genre may not work well in another (126). For
magazine articles, the conventions include catchy titles and pictures. In this article, there is a

Zack De Piero 2/20/2015 6:30 PM

Comment [7]: This is all finendandy,
Freeze, but Im wondering: what are you
arguing here? Whats the point of all this?

Freeze 4

large picture of a cat at the top of the page that looks like he or she is about to pounce. With the
expression, wide eyes, and crouched position, the cat is intended to look adorable and, therefore,
capture the readers attention. Underneath this picture and the article title, there is a catchy
summary that says Your cat wont play? Think youve tried everything? Maybe youre doing it
wrong! (Nagelschneider). Using an appealing brief summary is a common pattern in magazine
articles because the authors try to draw and hook the readers into reading their work. Throughout
the text, there are a couple of subtitles in bold font that divide the article. Because this is
arguably a really important convention, if this writing consisted of one long paragraph it might
be considered part of a different genre.
In comparison, the scholarly text has different conventions. There are specific subtitles,
which include the abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, and acknowledgments.
Rosenberg adds by noting also, that the convention within some academic disciplines to have a
pretty long title separated by a colon usually follows a predictable pattern (89). The title Object
play in adult domestic cats: the roles of habituation and disinhibition is indeed lengthy and
follows with what that Rosenberg describes. This pattern, therefore, is a convention that
scholarly academic texts follow. Also, tables and diagrams are placed under the Results
section because they help the author relay their findings and information in a visual way.
Additionally, numerous moves that these writers make can be recognized for
discussion. Both writers have a unique variety of moves that they use in their writings; these
moves help emulate the writers voice and assist the readers in better understanding the
authors main points. For example, Nagelschneider comments And yet many people are unable
to get their cats to play at all In short, theyre doing it wrong. She uses the pronoun they so
she does not directly offend a reader if they are also playing with their cat in a wrong way. Later

Zack De Piero 2/20/2015 6:31 PM

Comment [8]: My worst nightmare.

Freeze 5

on, she switches to using our and you when she comments Instinctively, our domestic cats
do not hunt togetherits important to avoid creating group playtime with your cats. The use of
these words causes the reader to feel like he or she is engaging in an instructive conversation.
Contractions are used throughout her article because the author wants her writing to be informal

Zack De Piero 2/20/2015 6:31 PM

Comment [9]: Yep. I think you
pinpointed this move nicely.

and relaxed. Another move is that she inserts a few sentences from a book she previously
wrote; she probably includes this move because she wants the readers to perhaps be interested
in reading it and to emphasize the points she tries to make. The italics she uses for this excerpt
helps draw the readers attention as well.
Likewise, the scholarly authors have unique moves including numbering the subtitles
and inserting relevant precise measurements throughout the paragraphs. For example, the authors
state When the delay was long (2545 min) play did not regain its initial intensity (Hall et al.).
Putting measurements in parenthesis draws the readers attention to them, as compared to writing
out the numbers in words. Hyperlinks are also used when referencing tables, figures, and other
previous experiments. Unlike the magazine article, the words you or our do not appear in it
because that would be an inappropriate or seen as an unconventional move for scholarly
writers to make.
Non-academic pieces can give the reader a general idea and impression of the subject
without going into great specific scientific detail. Lunsford agrees by commenting Chances are
your first instinct when you need to find information is to do a quick keyword search on the
Web (78). Browsing non-academic sources tend to be easier and quicker to read and can appeal
to a broader audience. For example, someone who is interested in learning about cat behavior,
but does not have time to read a scholarly journal article, is more likely to read a short magazine

Zack De Piero 2/20/2015 6:32 PM

Comment [10]: Exactly.

Freeze 6

article. If someone stumbles across this article when browsing the magazine for pleasurable
reading, he or she may only skim it or read it without giving it much analysis.
Contrastingly, scholarly academic texts are useful because they provide detailed insight
about a particular topic. They can answer a specific research question and also be appropriate to
cite for research papers. Other scholars can read these in order to come up with similar ideas for
their own fieldwork. Rosenberg mentions that Often, academics write primarily for other
academics. But just because its people with PhDs writing for other people with PhDs doesnt
mean that you should throw in the towel (87). She means that these writings can be useful and
valuable to everyone.
Reading both scholarly texts and non-academic media texts on the same subject are
useful to anyone who is seeking information. Evaluating both gives the reader a broad wellversed understanding of information that he or she would otherwise not obtain without reading
both. The genres are written with different audiences in mind along with a unique combination of
conventions; even within the same genre, authors have the freedom to use a variety of moves.
Those who are interested in learning about a specific topic should strongly consider evaluating
both media and scholarly texts.

Freeze 7
Works Cited

Bunn, Mike. "How to Read Like a Writer." Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing. Vol. 2. Parlor,
2011. Print
Hall, Sarah L., John W. S. Bradshaw, and Ian H. Robinson. "Object Play in Adult Domestic
Cats: The Roles of Habituation and Disinhibition." Applied Article Behavior Science 79.3
(2002): 253-71. Science Direct. Elsevier. Web. 10 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159102001533#>.
Lunsford, Andrea. "Finding Evidence. Everythings an Argument. Bedford/St. Martins, 2013.
Print.
Nagelschneider, Mieshelle. "The All-Important Play Sequence." Modern Cat (2014). Modern
Cat Inc. Print.
Rosenberg, Karen. "Reading Games: Strategies for Reading Scholarly Sources." Writing Spaces:
Readings on Writing. Vol. 2. Parlor, 2011. Print.

Did Not Meet

Expectations

Met
Expectations

Exceeded
Expectations

Thesis Statement
Use of Evidence from
Articles
Use of Course Readings
Analysis
Organization/Structure
Attention to
Genre/Conventions
and Rhetorical Factors
Sentence-level Clarity,
Mechanics, Flow

Freeze,

Freeze 8
Other Comments

Your observations were on-point. Youre sentences were
crisp and easy to read. Your mechanics, great. Paragraphs
and topic sentences, awesome.

But you didnt really have an argument here. What was
your stance in relation to evaluating these two pieces?
What rhetorical features did one piece execute
particularly well? How/why? Could the other piece do
those things as successfully?

Again, every other little thing was there (another tie-in to
a course reading besides Rosenberg mightve helped too),
except for the argument.

Z

B