Developing analysis skills - SEC method

I know we've covered this before, but I think there's no harm making the point again as we are currently analysing texts for the reading assessment.

Everything sensible that you will say in your academic work (or your life) will, more or less, use the SEC (Statement – Evidence – Comment) method in some form or other.

- You make a statement
- Back it up with evidence
- Then, and this is the crucial part, link the two by commenting on both.

Taken together, these three steps represent analysis.

Let's look at an example ...

Make a statement

I think that Sparklehorse have re-invented country music for a new generation

Back it up with evidence

For example, they will often use slide guitars and sampling in the same song

Comment on how example helps to support your statement

The use of slide guitars shows that they are indebted to the country music heritage. Yet, they re-vitalise a very traditional genre of music by their incorporation of samples: a technique that is associated with cutting-edge music.

Now just put all the bits together:

I think that Sparklehorse have re-invented country music for a new generation. For example, they will often use slide guitars and sampling in the same song. The use of slide guitars shows that they are indebted to the country music heritage. Yet, they re-vitalise a very traditional genre of music by their incorporation of samples: technique that is associated with cutting-edge music.

The paragraph above looks like the type of thing that would (I hope) pop up in your reading and listening responses; presentations; and essays.

As I have said, the statement-evidence-comment method is not just something that you should learn and then quickly forget for college work this term. All academic essays will require you to use this method in some form or other. As you progress in your education you will find that what changes (or should) is the level of sophistication and subtlety of your statements, evidence and comments.

Indeed, SEC is something that we do at every level of “argument”:

Take the scenario of a mother reading her favourite story from her childhood to her child, again:

Young child: This is boring! (Statement)
Mother Why do you say that?
Young child Because we’ve read it lots of time before. (Evidence)
Mother And?
Young child And I’m bored of doing the reading the same thing over and over again. You like it, but I don’t. (Comment – neatly linking statement and evidence)

Once you look, you start to see SEC everywhere.