Self-Assessment Checklist

1. Read the checklist Category items below.

2. Check your paragraph against each Category item.
3. Enter your comments in the table.
4. Provide at least 2 sentences to explain how your paragraph met or did not meet the checklist
Category item as listed.

Lechtenberger, O. (2023) Drug courts are regarded as a step forward in criminal justice reform
and contribute to resource conservation and prison overcrowding reduction. Half-way houses,
community drug programs, and other programs are integrated to reduce recidivism. Drug courts are
more cost-effective and likely to produce desired outcomes than long-term incarceration. One
alternative to incarceration that helps to prevent people with substance abuse disorders from ending
up in local jails or prisons is the use of drug courts. This helps to reduce prison overcrowding,
participant relapse, and recidivism. In most cases, participants in these specialized court docket
programs are required to consent to court supervision, maintain their recovery, and submit to drug
testing.

Category Comments
The purpose of the body is to give the reason
why drug courts are more efficient for
treating-violent drug offenders rather than
Purpose and Audience
incarceration. And I think I have chosen a
good primary audience who will make the
right policies to support drug courts
 I believe my thesis statement is clearly
specified and the topic sentence is in
Thesis, Topic Sentences,
connection with my thesis statement and
and Evidence
gives clear reasons to support my thesis. I
provided a graph as evidence as well.
I believe my organization isn’t very clear in
Organization the first paragraph as I left unnecessary
spaces
Paragraph  My paragraph development was lacking a
Development little bit a little bit of clarity as well
Checking Coherence  I did not use vague or incoherent words and
and Clarity was fairly clear with my points

           
 Category Comments
The purpose of this body paragraph is to give
the reason why charter schools do not affect
traditional public schools. I think I have spoken
Purpose and Audience
well to my chosen audience to help them
understand the controversy surrounding both
schools.
 My thesis statement provides what will be
delivered in my paragraphs. It clearly states
the three reasons  I believe charter schools do
Thesis, Topic Sentences,
not hurt traditional public schools. I feel I gave
and Evidence
clear evidence. I provided two graphical charts
in my paper and from an outside source
discussing the matter of both schools.
 My organization seems to be clear. I
explained the difference in the schools'
Organization
structure and settings academically and what
scholars have stated on the topic.
 My paragraph development seems to be fair.
To compare with my organization it's clear. I
Paragraph Development
stayed on topic, and my paragraphs do not
seem to be all over the place.
 In my paragraphs, I mention a "market-like
environment". Making that statement may not
be coherent for the audience, therefore I need
Checking Coherence
to go back and clarify what I mean by a
and Clarity
"market-like environment" so that the
audience can have a better understanding and
not be confused.

Self-Assessment Checklist Category Items

Checking Purpose and Audience

Before beginning an essay, consider both the purpose for writing it and the audience who will be
reading it. There are a few questions to ask when analyzing an audience, as follows:

 Who are they?

 How much do they already know about the subject?
 What language should be used?

These questions should be answered before beginning a draft and should inform the way the essay is
structured.

Consideration of audience is particularly important during the introduction and conclusion. In the
introduction, a relevant, proportionate amount of context for the topic should be incorporated based on
who the likely or intended audience members are. When writing an introduction, be sure to provide
enough information so that the audience can follow the discussion or argument, but take care not to
overload readers with background information or take too much time explaining basic ideas that are
likely already known.

Keeping the audience in mind is equally important in the conclusion. The identity of the intended
audience affects whether authors simply summarize the information from earlier in the essay,
recommend a course of action, or link their ideas to other concepts in the field of study. For example,
recommending a course of action to an audience of experts could be construed as patronizing, whereas
a general audience might feel cheated if a problem has been identified and no solution has been
presented.

Checking Thesis, Topic Sentences, and Evidence

The thesis statement is the single most important sentence in an essay. It should succinctly state the
main arguments to be explored in the text, and it limits the scope of topics to be covered. All topics
presented in the thesis statement should be addressed in the body paragraphs, and no topics should be
presented if they fall outside the range of the thesis. A thesis statement should be phrased as a
declarative statement, and it should be written as a single sentence, or at the most, two sentences. A
thesis statement sets the agenda for the topics to be addressed in the body paragraphs of the essay, and
it should be presented in the introductory paragraph of the essay, often as the final sentence.

When building paragraphs, it is important to start with a single controlling idea that will be explained in
the topic sentence. Topic sentences are typically the first sentence in a body paragraph, and they are
essentially a mini thesis statement for each body paragraph. Each topic sentence must directly serve to
support the thesis statement through its own smaller argument. Then, each sentence in the paragraph
will support the argument made in the topic sentence. This structure ensures that the entire essay fits
together and works to prove the main argument given in the thesis statement.

Consider the following example of a topic sentence:

 Patients should not try to hide medically relevant information from their physicians.

The entire paragraph must be unified around that controlling idea, which means that none of the
sentences in the paragraph can cover information that is not directly related to the controlling idea.
Each sentence must provide evidence that directly relates to that point and builds support for that idea.
The followings sentence could be added: There are many reasons why patients lie to their doctors, such
as fear, embarrassment, or not understanding the potential importance of the information. Further,
“general privacy and security concerns may lead to withholding behaviors, such as lack of trust, stigma,
or concerns about insurance rates” (Walker, Johnson, Ford, & Huerta, 2017, para. 20).

Even with that one relevant piece of evidence, the paragraph still does not feel well-developed. More
explanation and support are needed before the idea can hold credence. Consider the following additions
to the above example sentences:

Patients should not try to hide relevant information from their physicians. There are many
reasons why patients lie to their doctors, such as fear, embarrassment, or not understanding the
potential importance of the information. Further, “general privacy and security concerns may
lead to withholding behaviors, such as lack of trust, stigma, or concerns about insurance rates”
(Walker, Johnson, Ford, & Huerta, 2017, para. 20). When patients have engaged in behavior that
is illegal or morally questionable, they may fear the repercussions when the doctor finds out.
Generally, that information comes out in the patient examination, and being forthcoming about
such information can aid in the diagnostic process. However, details that may seem insignificant
to the patient can take on great importance to the physician and can provide vital clues that are
necessary for diagnosis. Consequently, keeping important information from a physician is not a
good idea.

The paragraph is now both well-developed and unified, with every sentence relating directly back to the
controlling idea that medically relevant information should not be kept from doctors.

Checking Organization

In addition to being unified and well-developed, paragraphs must be well-organized, with transitions
made between ideas in the paragraphs and with the ideas being organized in a logical and
understandable format. Keep an eye out for paragraphs that do not fully support the topic sentence,
that comprise a haphazard collection of sentences with no discernable point, or that inappropriately
combine separate topics that should be separated into multiple paragraphs. The beginning of a new
thought is the cue for beginning a new paragraph. For example, a park district proposal for adding
exercise classes for senior citizens and toddlers would discuss the needs of each age group in separate
paragraphs.

The basic structure of a body paragraph can be broken down as follows:

1. The topic sentence makes an argument in support of the larger argument in the thesis
statement.
 2. Supporting evidence expands the topic through a good mix of examples, paraphrasing,
summary, and a writer’s own ideas.
3. A summary sentence connects to the thesis and prepares for the next point.

Checking Paragraph Development

Paragraphs provide the evidence to support the main claim and thus, the overall essay. The relevance,
sufficiency, specificity, and completeness of the evidence determine the quality of the overall writing, so
effective paragraph development is crucial.

The most common reasons that a paragraph is ineffective are as follows:

 It is disjointed.
 It is a combination of multiple major points.
 It is off-topic from the rest of the essay.
 It is lacking in sufficient explanation or depth.

The argument essay should include persuasive writing in every paragraph, which is driven by the topic
sentence. Persuasion should be a key component of each of the body paragraphs. Each body paragraph
is a chance to increase the persuasiveness of the overall argument, perhaps by including additional
points that bolster the larger argument, highlighting the important aspects of supporting data, or
underscoring the overall argument while introducing pieces of evidence.

Checking Coherence and Clarity

Paragraphs require coherence to be clear to the reader. Coherence is the logical and meaningful
connection between the sentences in a paragraph. Sometimes, an argument simply needs to have a list
of facts and figures to be effective, but good written communication requires more than that. It is
possible to achieve coherence in a number of ways, such as using repetitive terms, synonyms, pronouns,
transitions, or creating parallel structures.

In a unified essay, all of the components effectively relate to one another. Body paragraphs provide the
evidence to support the main claim and thus, the overall essay. The relevance, sufficiency, specificity,
and completeness of the evidence determine the quality of the overall writing, so effective paragraph
development is crucial. The body of the essay tackles different aspects of the overarching argument. All
of the evidence relates to the thesis statement, and no part of the paper veers away from the topic at
hand. Unity is achieved by logical presentation of ideas, whereas coherence is achieved by word choice
and the details that are provided.

Also, be sure to use clear language. Unfamiliar jargon or language should be defined; in fact, if a general
audience of people less familiar with the topic is being targeted, extremely specific terms should be
avoided altogether. In contrast, if the anticipated audience comprises specialists on the topic, the essay
should employ language and ideas typical of a discussion on the subject. For example, a nursing student
who writes a paper about nursing for an English class will likely use simpler terminology than would be
used in a paper for a class in the nursing curriculum. An instruction manual in a workplace setting,
however, will presume an audience of individuals who are not at all familiar with the topic being
described; the manual will have to be more general and use language and ideas appropriate for a large,
diverse group.

Reference

Walker, D. M., Johnson, T., Ford, E. W., & Huerta, T. R. (2017). Trust me, I’m a doctor: Examining changes

in how privacy concerns affect patient withholding behavior. Journal of Medical Internet

Research, 19(1), e2. http://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.6296