Research Writing & Advanced Composition

Course Description

Research Writing allows writers to present credible and persuasive evidence and ideas to a variety of audiences. Research writing includes finding sources, evaluating their credibility, and smoothly integrating them into academic and non-academic texts. Students ultimately demonstrate the ability to make conscious decisions about style, genre, sources and citation style. The course assumes a basic understanding of Standard English grammar and mechanics, the conventions of academic writing (including basic use of sources and citations), the iterative process of writing, and competence in a variety of academic writing modes and genres. Academic texts will include a genre analysis, an audience analysis, and a literature review using APA style. Non-academic texts might include a multi-modal blog that analyzes research on school reform for a specific neighborhood or a series of persuasive memos that make research-based suggestions for productivity improvements for a specific employer. Freshman composition classes do not satisfy this requirement, and students must complete an academic writing course through transfer, proficiency examination or completion of LL 261 - Essay Writing before they can register for Research Writing. Students who have not taken a college-level writing class in the past 3 years should consider taking a course which allows them to review APA style concurrently or before enrolling in Research Writing. Completion of Research Writing is a prerequisite for LL 301 Research Methods.

Learning Outcomes

Analyzes a topic of inquiry through scholarly research.
Communicates findings of scholarly research through multiple genres of writing.
Evaluates sources and uses summary, analysis, synthesis and integration to construct a literature review on a topic chosen by the student.
Describes rationale for academic citation and applies APA citation style.
Explores the same topic from different genres and compares the affordances of each.
Explains stylistic choices and revises for style and consistency at the document, paragraph, and sentence levels.

Learning Strategies

In this course, the following teaching and learning techniques are used: workshops, class discussions, D2L discussion boards, lectures, small group work, conferences, at home and in class assignments, critical reading, online exercise resources, learning from others through peer editing, and lots and lots of writing. Students should expect to write and to rewrite extensively in this course.

Course Resources

To buy your books, go to http://depaul-loop.bncollege.com

Textbook

Required

Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams, Joseph Bizup and William T. FitzGerald’s The Craft of Research, 4th Ed. University of Chicago Press, ISBN: 9780226239736

Recommended

Hacker, Diana and Sommers, Nancy. A Writer's Reference with 2016 MLA Update, 8th Edition. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2016. Print. ISBN-10: 1- 319-08353-6; ISBN-13: 978-1-319-08353-

Course Learning Goals and Deliverables

Research Question
Citation Analysis Discussion Board
Genre Analysis
Audience Analysis
Synthesis Matrix
Literature Review
Professional Writing Project
Final Portfolio
Discussion Boards
Library Activity
Library Consultation

Assessment

Research Question	5%
Citation Analysis Discussion Board	5%
Genre Analysis	10%
Audience Analysis	5%
Synthesis Matrix	5%
Literature Review*	20%
Professional Writing Project*	15%
Final Portfolio	15%
Discussion Boards	10%
Library Activity	5%
Library Consultation	5%
Total	100%

*N.B. You must do each assigned draft in order to receive any credit for the final draft

Grading Scale

A = 95 to 100	A- = 91 to 94	B+ = 88 to 90
B = 85 to 87	B- = 81 to 84	C+ = 77 to 80
C = 73 to 76	C- = 69 to 72	D+ = 65 to 68
D = 61 to 64	F = 60 or below	INC

Grades below C- in SNL courses do not satisfy competence and are not counted toward graduation.

Course Schedule

Week	Topic	Readings	Assignments
1	Introductions, Syllabus and Research Questions Debates about Academic Citation	“Why I Love APA, and You Should, Too” – Gregg Gildersleeve https://www.grantham.edu/blog/love-apa-style/ Incorporating Sources 200-211 The Craft of Research	1.1 Discussion Board 1.2 Discussion Board 1.3 Citation Analysis Discussion Board
2	Research Review	From Topics to Questions, 33-47 From Questions to a Problem, 49-64 From Problems to Sources 65-84 The Craft of Research	2.1 Discussion Board 2.2 Discussion Board 2.3 Research Question
3	Genre Discussion, Affordances		3.1 Discussion Board 3.2 Genre Analysis
4	Audience, Rhetorical Modes	Making an Argument 105-171 Organizing Your Argument 189-197 The Craft of Research	4.1 Discussion Board 4.2 Discussion Board 4.3 Audience Analysis
5	Writing and Reading Critically	Literature Reviews Engaging Sources 85-104 The Craft of Research	5.1 Discussion Board
6	Writing and Reading Critically	Planning and Drafting 177-188 Introductions and Conclusions 232-247 The Craft of Research	6.1 Synthesis Matrix 6.2 Discussion Board
7	Literature Review	Professional Texts	7.1 Literature Review, First Draft 7.2 Discussion Board
8	Professional Texts		8.1 Discussion Board 8.2 Professional Writing Project, First Draft 8.3 Discussion Board
9	Elements of Style	Revising Style: Telling Your Story Clearly 248-266 The Craft of Research	9.1 Discussion Board 9.2 Professional Writing Project, Final Draft
10	Looking Back, Looking Forward	Read One of these Articles: Self-employed Mothers and the Work-Family Conflict Donating Behaviour in the Non-profit Marketing Context: An Empirical Study Based on the Identity Theory Model Family Structure and School-based Parental Involvement: A Family Resource Perspective	10.1 Discussion Board 10.2 Discussion Board 10.3 Literature Review, Final Draft
11	Final Portfolio		11.1 Final Portfolio

Course Policies

Describe here the specific policies and procedures the instructor has for the course that are additional to the college/university policies, for example, classroom/discussion etiquette, late work, code of responsibility, etc. Include how changes to the syllabus will be communicated. (Changes to the originally published course syllabus used to select/register for a course should be communicated in the first session/week of the course in writing; if significant assignment changes are made during the course it should be done officially with the consensus approval of students.)

Include the statement: This course includes and adheres to the college and university policies described in the links below:

Academic Integrity Policy (UGRAD)
Academic Integrity Policy (GRAD)
Incomplete Policy
Course Withdrawal Timelines and Grade/Fee Consequences
Accommodations Based on the Impact of a Disability
Protection of Human Research Participants
APA citation format (GRAD)

Credits

This course was designed and produced by faculty and staff at SNL Online of the School forNew Learning of DePaul University.