Identifying writing strategies through text analysis

A structural analysis of an explanatory text written by a 12-year-old pupil is discussed to demonstrate how the PISA technique (the Procedures for Inc remental structural Analysis; sanders & Van Wijk, 1996a) may contribute to the understanding of conceptual processes in writing. First, the validity o f PISA is supported by showing that the hierarchical text structure corresp onds with the (idiosyncratic) punctuation conventions of the writer. Then, it is explained how the writer's strategies and procedures can be reconstru cted from the text structure. Evidence for the validity of these inferred c ognitive plans is obtained from the distribution within the text of spellin g errors, language errors, and self-corrections. Finally, the generalizabil ity of these results is discussed together with the desirability of combini ng this off-line method with on-line techniques such as pause measurements.