What "Please give more detail" means

Students are often frustrated when I mark their papers "please give more detail." I admit the comment doesn't tell you much about what sort of detail I would like to see (but it does fit in the margin nicely). Here is a guide to the kinds of ways one can add "detail" to a paper without simply repeating yourself.

Allan Bloom has posited a "taxonomy of educational objectives" that helps us discriminate different kinds of detail. Underneath each of these sorts of detail, I give an explanation of it and an example. Each single example sentence would never stand by itself in a paper, but represents what might be the topic sentence of a paragraph. Stuff towards the top of this list is detail that is less impressive than stuff towards the bottom.

• Knowledge: Recognition of a concept and ability to define it. "Conformity is the change in a person's behavior brought about by the real or imagined presence of others." This definition suggests knowledge that the concept "conformity" can be described in a particular way. Giving more than one definition does not add to knowledge, unless comparisons are made between them. Giving a simple example can be a form of definition too. Simple examples suggest knowledge, and some comprehension, complex ones suggest application.
• Comprehension: Clear evidence that the nuance of knowledge is recognized. The ability to use a concept in a sentence toward some end is also evidence of comprehension. "Persuasion is a kind of social influence with a slightly different approach than that of conformity." Comprehension is more than awareness of a simple definition, it also involves the ability to understand the meaning of a concept and use it appropriately.
• Application: The use of a concept to understand a complex real-world problem. A simple example is not an application. Application requires the use of the concept in a careful and thoughtful manner, in a manner that takes into account the complexity of both the concept and the situation. "Conformity in the Challenger disaster took on various forms, depending upon the relation of the decision maker to positions of power."
• Analysis: This involves the ability to understand the internal structure of a concept and to manipulate that structure to show how the concept is put together. "Conformity can take on several different aspects (compliance, identification, internalization) but these aspects are not as easy to separate as the simple list suggests; they flow into each other and even transform each other at times." Just showing the connections or structure is the beginning, but manipulating the structure to show its flexibility or fragility is deeper analysis.
• Synthesis: Taking two or more concepts and showing their similarities, differences, contrasts, contradictions, or combinations. "Some prejudice is really a form of conformity, or is at least motivated by a desire to fit in." Again, showing the contrast is just the beginning; you can also show why it matters, or how it can be resolved, or why it is interesting (see Analysis)
• Evaluation: Is this concept up to the task its designers' set for it? Where does it fall short? What does it leave out? What implications does it have for other concepts or issues? If it is useful for one purpose, might it be useful for other, similar purposes? "Conformity can easily be over-applied to explain almost any social decision; perhaps this is because its definition is too vague."

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