• click here first • approx schedule • assignments • syllabus • SEs • course policies • grading • assigned readings • online texts • SQs • DQs • lectures • writing

 

 

 

 

Your hypothesis must be about the texts, not about the world

 

 

 

Three types of hypotheses	An example	Does this satisfy the assignment?	Why not?	Another example	Does this satisfy the assignment?	Why not?	Yet another example	Does this satisfy the assignment?	Why not?
Making a claim about the world	"Corporations rely too much on risk assessment..."	no	Because this is a claim about corporations, risk assemssment, etc., which are things out there in the world	"Both governments and people should respect the rights of others"	no	Because this is a claim about governments and people, etc., which are things out there in the world	"Doing evil deeds destroys human relationships"	no	Because this is a claim about evil deeds, human relationships, etc., which are things out there in the world
Making a claim about the world, and supporting the claim with quotes from our texts	"Corporations rely too much on risk assessment, and I'll show this with quotes from Silent Spring, EII, and Enemy of the People."	no	Because again this is still a claim about things in the world, despite the fact that those claims are supported by quotes from our texts	"Both governments and people should respect the rights of others, and this idea can be supported by examples from Pinocchio and the Bill of Rights"	no	Because again this is still a claim about things in the world, despite the fact that those claims are supported by quotes from our texts	"Doing evil deeds destroys human relationships, and this can be seen in the Book of  Proverbs, Cinderella, and Snow White."	no	Because again this is still a claim about things in the world, despite the fact that those claims are supported by quotes from our texts
Making a claim about the texts	"Silent Spring, EII and Enemy of the People all argue that corporations rely too  much on risk assessment"	yes	Because this is a claim about our texts and what the texts say	"Both Pinocchio and the Bill of Rights evidence the need for respect for the rights of others."	yes	Because this is a claim about our texts and what the texts say	"Cinderella and Snow White illustrate the concept taught in the Book of Proverbs that doing evil deeds destroys human relationships"	yes	Because this is a claim about our texts and what the texts say