Introduction to Research Writing (II)

Prerequisite(s): Must have completed Part I of the two-part LPS Writing Requirement.
This discipline and topic-based course will build upon the knowledge and skills of writing reasoned discourse that are introduced in the introductory course. Students in the research writing seminar will acquire a substantial knowledge of a specialized topic in the designated discipline as they engage in individual guided research projects organized around the course topic and readings. The course will teach students how to engage in complex synthesis, building upon other?s ideas. A series of short research writing assignments will teach students how to develop keywords, write abstracts, literature overviews, explanations and arguments, as well as give them additional practice in writing clearly and concisely. Throughout students will learn how to formulate and stage a research paper, emulating techniques used by scholars and professionals. Continuing their instruction on rhetorical analysis, students will be introduced to reading and writing like a rhetorician, attending to specific audiences and how these are persuaded, from the word choice to the order, selection, and handling of evidence and documentation. Through a semester-long partnership and hands-on workshop with a library subject specialist, students will be given an introduction, immersion, and guided instruction in how, for example, to conduct stack searches, locate subject-specific databases, and engage in Boolean searches. By the end of the semester, students will be fluent in the basics of library research and writing, and will also have acquired, along the way, a substantial depth of knowledge about their course and research topic. As with Introduction to Critical Writing, emphasis throughout is on creative thinking precisely expressed. (Part 2 of 2 part Critical Writing Sequence for LPS BA candidates).