2. Process Analysis: Explaining How *Much of the material for this lecture comes from SSW, Chapter 10; please follow along in your textbook.
3. What is Process Analysis? We perform processes daily, from making coffee, to planning a party, to preparing dinner. We perform processes at work, at home, and at school. Process Analysis is explaining in detail the process of completing a particular task.
4. Kinds of Process Analyses Process Analysis essays fall into two categories: Those intended for readers who will perform the process described, and Those intended to explain the process for nonperformers. Both types can range from highly technical and sophisticated to non-specialized and simple.
5. For Readers / Performers: This type of “how-to” paper must include everything the reader needs to know in order to successfully complete the task described. Directions take the form of a polite command. This approach involves the reader and emphasizes that directions must be followed to ensure a positive outcome. Note the transitions in the following example. To prepare a bacterial smear for staining, first use an inoculating loop to place a drop of distilled water on a clean glass microscope slide. Next, pass the loop and the opening of the tube containing the bacterial culture to be examined through a Bunsen burner flame to sterilize them. From the tube, remove a small bit of culture with the loop, and rub the loop in the drop of water on the slide until the water…
6. For Readers / Non-Performers: These papers serve many purposes – to satisfy popular curiosity, to explain the importance, difficulty, or danger of a process, or to cast a process in a favorable or unfavorable light. Material is often presented with the use of personal pronouns – I, we, he, she, it. The performer may also remain unnamed. Thus, when I now approach a stack of three two-inch cinder blocks to attempt a breaking feat, I do not set myself to “try hard,” or to summon up all my strength. Instead, I relax, sinking my awareness into my belly and legs, feeling my connection with the ground. I breathe deeply, mentally directing the breath through my torso, legs, and arms…