Advanced English Composition: Research for Writers

Lessons

101 - Overview: Communicating Your Ideas
Reviews basic English composition skills: expressive, persuasive and informative writing emphasizing the writer, reader or content; choosing a topic; techniques for generating ideas; identifying the audience; organizing the paper - paragraph unity, writing smooth transitions, coordination and subordination.

102 - Writing a Research Essay
Introduces an intermediary step to writing a research paper without going through all of the steps in research or compiling an extensive bibliography. Using a single source, students write a research essay based on a current event from a newspaper on the date of their birth. Students learn about writing styles, organizing their information, writing a thesis statement, developing their paragraphs and checking the finished paper.

103 - Using the Library
Reviews the myriad sources and services available in libraries and how they can be accessed. Provides an introduction to the various categories of research materials and classification systems; presents information on online and computer-based systems including catalogs, periodical indexes, specialized indexes, government information and multi-media sources.

104 - Narrowing the Focus
Presents information on selecting and narrowing a topic including the importance of choosing a subject of interest, making sure the subject can be adequately covered given the assigned paper length and time. Students are provided techniques for asking focusing questions and working with available resources.

105 - Preparing a Working Bibliography; Developing a Tentative Thesis
Presents information on classifying and categorizing materials into overview, focusing, and supporting materials; identifying and using primary and secondary sources appropriately; preparing a working bibliography; formatting note cards for books, periodicals, newspapers, and electronic materials. Information is presented on formulating a tentative thesis, using precise language, the importance of supporting the thesis with facts and limiting the thesis.

106 - Gathering Information
Makes suggestions for ensuring relevance, timeliness and value of gathered information. Presents information on choosing general or specialized materials, evaluating sources for authority and bias, evaluating online sources for authenticity and credibility. Tips are given for taking notes, using direct quotes, paraphrasing, summarizing, using key word notes and differentiating between fact and opinion. Warnings are given about plagiarism and suggestions made on how to avoid unintentional plagiarism.

107 - Preparing a Tentative Outline
Students are shown how to organizing ideas into phrase or sentence outlines, how to maintain balance with supportive statements, rearrange main points with subheadings and to fine-tune and reformulate the thesis. Suggestions are made for using the outline to change the direction of the paper, dealing with the problem of discovering new information and lack of supporting evidence.

108 - Argumentative Writing
Teaches the students to recognize the difference between arguable and non-arguable statements and how to turn a neutral statement into an arguable one. Information is presented on the importance of understanding the audience in order to be persuasive; interviews with trial attorneys are included. Students are given information on methods for establishing credibility, proving the thesis through inductive or deductive reasoning, avoiding the dangers of jumping to conclusions, using logical fallacies and making personal attacks. Suggestions are made for strengthening the paper by acknowledging opposing views.

109 - Critiquing the Argument
Reviews elements of good argumentative writing, provides examples for students to critique. Session with students in class is included.

110 - Writing a First Draft
Emphasizes importance of working from the outline for the first draft. Suggests techniques for paragraph development by separating note cards by topic headings, matching detailed notes to outline, interpreting information, using transitions, crediting sources, and avoiding plagiarism. Guidelines are presented for selecting and incorporating quotations in the paper with suggestions for paragraph development and unity.

111 - Critiquing the First Draft
Professional writers discuss the importance of writing and revision. Information is presented on identifying and strengthening the thesis statement, matching paragraphs to the outline, using quotations and transitions appropriately. A short classroom session is included in which the instructor and students critique a sample paper.

112 - Documenting Sources
Information is presented on documenting statements and ideas that are not your own and preparing a Works Cited or reference list. Detailed information is provided on formatting quotes, citing books, articles, and online materials. Examples are provided using both MLA and APA styles with references to other professional stylebooks.

113 - Using Electronic Sources
Information is provided on retrieving, evaluating and using information from computer-based sources including online catalogs, internet search tools and CD-ROM or DVD databases. Techniques for searching commercial online databases are presented along with information on using search engines and internet directories. Criteria for judging the quality and reliability of web-based sources are presented.

114 - Revising and Editing
Makes suggestions for reviewing the content of the paper for overall organization, paragraph structure, paragraph development, slant vs. bias, accuracy and polish. Techniques are suggested for reworking and polishing the introduction and conclusion.

115 - Identifying Grammatical and Mechanical Errors
Reviews criteria for checking the paper for grammatical and mechanical errors while looking for sentence unity and good paragraph construction. Dr. Grammar reviews basic rules of grammar through examples that include problems with sentence structure, comma splices, sentence fragments, capitalization, sentence clarity, spelling and word use. Techniques for proofreading the final draft are included.

116 - Critiquing the Second Draft
Examples of research papers are provided as a review of elements to be considered in the second draft including sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, pronoun reference, use of second person. Session in a college writing lab provides additional examples of common errors and corrections

117 - Explications and Critiques
The explication is presented as an explanatory paper in literature, fine arts or philosophy. Information is provided on critiquing a work for style, use of symbolism and analysis of meaning; differences from a research paper are pointed out with examples from novels and poems. The critique is presented as either an evaluation, reaction or review.

118 - Critiquing in the Classroom
Interviews with professional writers are included to supplement a classroom session on writing critiques.

119 - The Abstract
The abstract is presented as restating or paraphrasing a written work from history, sociology, political science, or psychology and condensing it into a summary. Students are given steps in writing an abstract with examples from social sciences and politics.

120 - Technical Writing
Industry-specific business writing is introduced with lively examples from the world of business and includes interviews with top executives from national companies. Information is presented on the importance of audience identification, knowledge of purpose and the relationship between writer and audience. Technical writing examples include formal studies and reports, documentation of procedures, and instructions for product construction or use.

121 - Business Writing
Writing for business or being businesslike includes information on writing business letters, memos, reports, resumes and letters of application. Detailed information is given for letter and memo formatting, types of salutations and closings, and methods for including visuals and enclosures.

122 - Writing Under Pressure
One draft only writing includes tips on taking an essay exam, writing an essay for a scholarship application, and completing a job application requiring a written statement. Emphasis is on the essay exam with suggestions for making an outline, using a timeline and identifying key and strategic terms. Explanations and examples are provided for the terms define, discuss, analyze, compare and contrast.

123 - Interpreting & Explaining Literature
Interpreting and explaining literature includes examples from poems, short stories, and novels with film clips from current movies made for TV. Writing about literature is presented as participating in reading by taking notes, paraphrasing, and recording initial reactions. The importance of rereading is emphasized. Film clips are used to illustrate character and point of view.

124 - Looking for Patterns in Literature
Students are instructed on how to become skilled at perceiving patterns in literature by using examples and metaphors from nature. The basic elements of setting, plot, theme, foreshadowing, figurative language and symbolism are explained with examples from novels and current movies made for TV.

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