Details

• Nature of Details
• Specific - apply to unique situations
• General - can apply to many situations
• Concrete - details that can be counted/measued
• Abstract - details that exist only in the mind: love, fear, etc.
• Purpose of Details
• Explanatory
• Descriptive
• Supporting
• Evidentiary
• Types of Details
• Statistics
• Facts
• Expert Opinion
• Anecdotes / Stories / Personal Experiences
• Examples
• Sources of Details
• Primary / firsthand
• Secondary / secondhand
• Personal Observation
• Quality and Appropriateness of Details
• Accurate
• Current
• Pertinent
• Relevent
• Reliable
• Representitive
• Sufficient
• Verifiable
Questions:
• What is meant by "be more specific"?
• What is meant by "add more specifics"?
• What is meant by "details in the paper are inappropriate"?
(from Traditions and Adaptions: Writing in the Disciplines, Dean Ward, pp.295-301)