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English 101 |
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Causal
Analysis Writing Assignment
Many teachers use the assignment of Causal Analysis to determine how well students understand the underlying reasons for an occurrence as presented in lectures or in reading assignments. If students cannot identify these contributing factors, the chances are that they do not really understand the importance of the information.
Question: Cause and Effect are often linked; how does the Cause differ from the Effect?
Answer: Cause addresses the clearly related reasons for an event instead of the results of the incident.
Question: What is the purpose of a Causal Analysis Assignment?
Answer: Causes refer to the reasons why an incident has occurred or will occur. The reasons have to be logical and clearly related to the incident. Many factors may be related, but only those reasons which contribute directly to the incident can be classed as causes.
Question: In what classes might a Causal Analysis paper be assigned?
Answer: Causes are of interest in any class that investigates or analyzes contributing factors. For example, history teachers try to help students understand why a specific incident, such as a war or a revolution or a movement, was made possible because of the preceding events. Psychologists focus on the reasons for a condition. Business writers may be explaining the reasons for the failure or success of a specific enterprise. Life Sciences address the steps that lead up to a predictable conclusion. There are many more examples that could be given.
Question: What should I keep in mind for this assignment?
Answer: Because the writer must build the necessary support for the logic of the Cause and the Effect, the prescribed length of the assignment must be adequate for this development. Skillful writers can accomplish this effectively in a relatively short paper. However, most teachers want students to address just one or the other in papers of less than 750 words. If the essay is to be of greater length, the teacher may indicate that students must address both Cause and Effect.
- The thesis statement should clearly limit the organization of the paper. Writers should not guess at the teacher's intent; one should ask whether the assignment addresses one or both methods.
- Also, one should be certain that the identification of the causes is based on provable factors.
- Determine a topic and the main idea and support ideas that might reasonably follow through.
- Ask relevant questions to generate ideas and details. Causal Analysis essays are developed by citing reasons why. The thesis statement states a result or consequence that has occurred or will occur and then supports the statement with a discussion of WHY the effect occurred. When developing these multiple-paragraph essays, students should support the main point with adequate details and examples. These examples may be taken from first-hand experiences or from facts or opinions noted in reading in books, magazines, or newspapers or heard in private or class discussions, on TV, or on radio. In other words, the causes come before the situation; we are looking backward in time to see why something happened.
Rules
for Using Causal Analysis
1. Make certain that a cause is an important cause. Just because one thing happened before something else does not necessarily mean the first thing caused the second thing to happen.
Example: An employee quits her job. She had an argument with a coworker earlier that day. Did the argument cause the employee to quit? Could other problems involving relatives, illness, alcohol, lack of skills, etc. have been the cause? There must be an actual relationship between the cause and the effect.
2. Limit your topic; do not try to discuss all of the causes of cancer or all of the effects of changes in the tax laws in a 500 to 700 word essay. It is likely that it would take hundreds or thousands of pages to do justice to these topics. Narrow your focus to be able to cover it in depth.
3. If writers use the opinions of others, they should make certain that the person whose opinion is borrowed is in a position to have relevant knowledge about the subject or situation.
Example: My Cousin Clyde says everyone should chew alfalfa to prevent dental cavities. How does my cousin qualify to prevent everyone from getting cavities in his or her teeth?
4. Be careful about citing the opinions of famous people just because they are in the public's view. They may be authorities on some things, but not necessarily on the subjects they are stating their opinions on. If you do quote them, however, be sure to give their specific qualifications that make them authorities on your topic.
Suggested
Topics for a Causal Analysis Essay
1. failed marriages
2. a decline (or increase) in participation in organized religions
3. self-confidence in children (or the lack thereof)
4. success in the workplace (or in school)
5.dishonesty in the workplace (or in school)
6. family conflicts
7. an event from history
Good
luck with Essay #5!!!!!!!!
Questions
for Review of Causal Analysis
- What is the purpose of causal analysis?
- In causal analysis, what does the thesis state?
- List at least three rules for writing causal analysis.