Genre Analysis of a Science Blog

Genre-Analysis of a Science Blog

A good genre analysis quickly breaks down the different components any genre of writing (content, style, purpose, organization) and effectively describes the look, feel, and function of a typical example from that genre.  A good genre analysis should give your readers a robust understanding of what this genre looks like and does (its typical patterns), which means it may use specific examples, but most effectively summarizes and generalizes about the content, style, purpose, and organization of that genre while also acknowledging the possibility of different approaches to this genre (patterns).

Writing for content:

  1. Discovery: now that you’ve read a few pop science blogs, what have you learned about this genre? What is its function or purpose? What formal and rhetorical features does it have? [formal features: the elements that make up a complete blog post; rhetorical features: its persuasive features, ethos, pathos, logos]
  2. Arrangement & patterns: how is it organized? What usually comes first, what comes last? what’s typically in the middle?
  3. Audience & Jargon: how is technical jargon usually handled? Or how should it be handled?

Writing for doing:

  1. Based on this analysis, can you create an outline for a typical blog post?
  2. What are the exceptions (if any) to this genre analysis? Can a blog post deviate from this format? And if so, in what ways?

Writing for editing: 

  1. Is the genre analysis clearly written?
  2. Is it well organized?
  3. Are there any grammar or punctuation concerns? Do one last read through.

writing in the natural sciences