Operating Definitions and Guidelines for Writing
Methods of Development

The eight methods of development (MODs) discussed here come from Aristotle’s (384-22 B.C.) discussion of writing. Later composition theorists boiled his 28 lines of argument down to the eight seen here.

They are ways of appealing primarily to the reader’s mind when trying to persuade, rather than to his/her feelings or to the power relationship. They are analytical ways to look at and write about any subject.

The MODs shape the paragraphs of all types of non-fiction (and even some fiction) composition regardless of what one chooses to call it -- informative, expository, referential, argumentative, or persuasive. They are the building blocks which serve every writing purpose.

Used correctly, they lead to intellectually defensible support for any idea a writer wants to promote. They can also help organize information. Used incorrectly or unfairly, they lead to logical fallacies.

The discussion for each method draws on Subject and Strategy by Escholz and Rosa, and countless other rhetorics.

After studying them all, see which ones would be applied to each answer to the questions in the comprehensive exam for a master's in political theory.