Introduction
A précis is a four sentence short paragraph that is used to capture all the important and essential components of a particular essay or article. It is used to provide a summary of the main context followed by a brief explanation about the purpose of the author, the methods implemented by the author in the article and also the target audience of the author. The sentences are written in a particular format. First sentence is used to capture the name of the author, genre of the article and the main idea of behind the writing. The second sentence is used to indicate the methods applied by the author in his/her work. The third sentence gives the purpose of the author while the last sentence indicates the intended audience. Below is a rhetorical précis on the effect of dispositional traits on pharmacy students’ attitude toward cheating.
In the article Effect of Dispositional Trait on Pharmacy Students’ Attitude towards Cheating (2011), Marilyn D. Saulsbury and Simone O. Heyligerexplained that cheating occurs at all academic level and many students accept academic dishonesty as a norm. Saulsbury and Heylinger support their claims by administering questionnaires to pharmacy students at a comprehensive university in the southeastern United States in order to assess self-esteem, self-idealism and relativism, student attitude towards cheating, tolerance for peer cheating, detachment from university, Machiavellian behavior and demographic information. The purpose of the authors is to explore multiple characteristics of self-esteem, self-efficacy, Machiavellianism, tolerance for peer cheating, detachment from university, overall GPA and income of pharmacy students in order to find out the relationship between dispositional traits and pharmacy student’s attitude toward cheating in a university setting. The authors write in a formal tone for pharmacy students, institutional faculty members and administrators.
Works cited
BrendanM. “Rhetorical Devices: A Handbook and Activities for Student Writers”, Perfect Paperback, Prestwick House, Inc. (2007). Pg. 1-50
