Study this guide carefully before reading your selection. Remember that you are writing a formal, if brief, analysis of the material, not just a report of what the author said. Of course, one purpose of the paper is to focus your attention on, and permit you to share with the class, the subject matter of the article. The focus paper should consist of the following four sections.
In the first section, state the author's purpose in writing the selection. What does he/she hope to accomplish or prove? What is the author's attitude/perspective on the subject matter? Does the author rely on any particular method or theoretical approach? What is the author's plan for the article? In other words, describe how the author organizes his or her material to buttress the overall argument.
Section two will be the longest part. Here is where you break the work down into its component parts. Summarize the author's content and argument in each of the parts and describe (very briefly) the kind of supporting evidence used. End this section with a summary of the article's main conclusions. Outlining before you write is a good idea. Among other things, it assures that your paper includes the most important aspects of the author's work.
In the third section, you should "fit" the selection into the course materials read so far. Compare and contrast the author's argument and conclusions with the various class lectures, discussions, and required readings-especially those assigned the same week.
Finally, in section four you should include your thoughts, saying what you found especially interesting, helpful, persuasive (or unpersuasive) or troubling. Do not assume that your instructor agrees with the author's premises or conclusions. Our only objective is to encourage critical thinking through expos u r e t o and civil examination of different ideas.
Reading : EDUCATING ATHLETES RE-ENVISIONING THE STUDENT-ATHLETE MODEL By William W. Berry III