Study Task 7 - READING EXTENDED ESSAYS

DISSERTATION TITLE:
'To what extent does miniaturisation influence contemporary illustration paper craft?'

INTRODUCTION
The introduction establishes a clear and direct topic, using etymology to carefully define terms to set out a purposeful argument. It also provides a brief history of relevant contextual elements and reveals some common questions and opinions surrounding the topic. Installs a strong direction for the essay and a brief overview of the structural intent of the essay although some of the context seems irrelevant to the central topic; e.g. the size of cosmetic packaging.

TONE
There seems to be a lot of 'he said/ she said' without any great deal of analysis or academic sophistication. Some language seems to be fairly academic with a consistent formal tone, but this is let down by very inconsistent and poor grammar. While the author has established an academic tone, the inconsistency of verb tenses and perspective creates difficulties in the clarity of the language and subsequent sophistication of the text. Chapter 4 focuses on reflective practice so channels a much more personal tone than the main body of the text, which is appropriate to the 'proposal' tone of this chapter.

SOURCES
A fairly strong variety of sources ranging from academic texts to more factual online resources and opinions are sourced from different contextual backgrounds. The author relies on psychological theorists and phenomena to create a strong theoretical grounding which is furthered in discussions of the mental health attached to cultural objects.

TRIANGULATION
Quotes and references are used thoroughly throughout to establish context but these are rarely analysed or developed, merely used to establish facts and viewpoints. The variety of sources is good but these are not carried over or cross examined within the relevant sub-chapters. The author only seems to connect like for like sources and so any triangulation, if made, is selective and overdrawn or poorly substantiated. 

STRUCTURE/ FLOW/ CLARITY
It is clear from the outset what the function of the text is, the author sets clear objectives which drive the informative success of the essay and establish a thorough assessment of the topic. There is a very chronological and almost asyndetic form with no direct flow or link between paragraphs, something which is upheld by the lack of triangulation across authors or authorial backgrounds. However, there is a very solid objective throughout which is clearly met and the author covers a plethora of sources and issues.