Welcome to IEP Level 8!

 Quizlet:

https://quizlet.com/join/kFaVkE7J6?i=4gjl9h&x=1bqt

Fundamental Skill: The Research Writing Process

1. Pre-writing

1. Exploring a topic

1. Purpose & audience

1. Rhetorical purposes: describe, argue, explore, inform, persuade, analyze, etc.

2. Audiences: classmates, instructor, general public, social media followers, etc.

2. Preliminary research

1. Read (with a pen in hand!)

2. Take notes (use shorthand, abbreviations, etc.)

3. Narrowing a topic

1. General idea

2. Next becomes more narrow

3. Until you have a specific focus

4. Brainstorming (and generating ideas)

1. Spiderweb, aka bubble chart or cluster diagram

2. Free writing (5-10 minutes)

3. Composition in different genres (song, poetry, comic strip, fiction, etc.)

4. Lists – word association from keyword(s)

5. Cubing: six sides, write for 3 minutes each

1. Describe

2. Associate

3. Apply

4. Compare

5. Analyze

6. Argue (for and against)

6. Moving (the “shower principle”)

7. Talking

5. Planning

1. Proposals (the pitch)

1. Pretend you are “pitching” an idea to a TV producer or someone with money who wants to help you

2. Helps you imagine your audience: what kind of background information do you need to provide, what kind of definitions should you give, etc.

3. Helps determine your purpose: what is the point of your writing, the goal you want to accomplish, the “why” behind your essay, etc.

4. Helps determine what kind of arguments you want to use

2. What is your “call to action”?

1. More research

2. Boycott a business

3. Vote for X

4. Call your representative

5. Stop doing X

6. Etc.

3. What sources will be convincing? What research do you need to do?

6. Outlines (the plan)

1. Usually 3 parts (introduction, body, conclusion; each body paragraph has a minimum of two supporting points)

2. Helpful visual

3. Can be rearranged

4. Can be divided into sections and subsections

5. Can be annotated

7. Organization (the structure)

1. Chronological

2. Spatial

3. Compare/contrast

4. Cause & effect

5. Problem & solution

6. Topical order

8. Researching

1. Develop a research question

2. Find and evaluate sources

3. Critical reading, note-taking

4. Annotated bibliography

1. Citation (MLA)

2. Summary of the source

1. Evaluation of ideas in the source

2. Ideas or methods good/bad

3. Authority of the author

1. Compare & contrast with other works

2. Comment on author’s audience

4. Reflection on how you will use the source

1. Identify specific ideas/chapters/definitions

2. When a source influences you very strongly

2. Organizing

1. Preliminary thesis: “I will argue that x is true because of 1, 2, 3.”

2. Create an outline that includes the main idea, supporting ideas, and further support for the supporting ideas

3. Writing

1. First draft

1. Use headphones/music

2. Try writing at different times of day

3. Try writing for specific lengths of time

2. Integrating sources

1. Use notes and sources from (annotated) bibliography

2. Add new sources as necessary

4. Re-writing

1. Revising

1. Getting feedback

1. From peers (peer review)

2. From instructor (notes & grades)

3. From self (read your work aloud!)

2. Revising additional drafts (take some time between drafts for clarity)

3. Editing

1. Proofread (read your paper backwards!):

2. Vocabulary

3. Grammar

4. Spelling

5. Punctuation

6. Formatting (MLA, etc.)

4. Editing additional drafts to arrive at a final draft

MLA Works Cited Citation:

Greenberg, Jonathan D. “Sociology: The Research Writing Process.” University Success: Transition Level. Editors Charl Norloff and Amy Renehan. Pearson Education, Inc., 2017. Pp. 2-27.

 

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