As you work on your analysis papers, remember these things:
1. A cause is what prompts something--an event, feeling, or behavior; an effect is the result of something--an event, feeling or behavior.
2. Causes come in two broad categories. A sufficient cause can prompt something by itself. We are not very interested in these. A contributing cause works together with other causes to prompt something. We are interested in contributing causes.
3. Contributing causes and effects can be considered direct, indirect, major and minor. Direct causes are not always major; indirect causes are not always minor. Consider all types as you write.
4. Cause and effect relationships are infinitely complex. No single paper can cover them all. You will have to make tough choices about which to include in your paper and which to exclude.
5. Avoid the "this, therefore, that" fallacy. Just because one thing happens before another doesn't mean the first event causes the second.
6. The central purpose of an analysis paper is to explain your perception of why something happens or what the results are. Other people might analyze the same thing and come to different conclusions. That's fine. That's what gives you paper a thesis.
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