FCWR 151 Foundations of Research Writing

This is a foundations of writing course that I helped developed for NYiT’s Discovery Core.

Books for the Course:

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Course Description:

Further development of the academic writing, critical thinking, and analytical reading skills taught in Writing I. An introduction to academic discourse in the four core seminar areas: literature, social sciences, behavioral sciences, and philosophy/ethics. Development of library skills leading to a documented research paper. Prerequisite: Writing I.

Course Objectives:

This course is the second in the sequence of foundation writing courses, and one of its main purposes is to introduce students to the types of reading, writing, and thinking that occur within and across different academic disciplines. Students will read and analyze academic discourse from different academic fields and critically examine some ways these discourses intersect. Students will further develop critical thinking skills and will learn how to research and engage other voices and points of view as they explore, develop, and present their own ideas and intellectual formations.

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the semester, students will be able to:

1. Read and analyze visual media and print and electronic texts.
2. Use the writing process that was introduced in Writing 1 to respond to visual media, print and electronic texts, and other forms of artistic expression.
3. Synthesize a coherent response to diverse, interdisciplinary perspectives on a particular topic.
4. Identify figurative language and its purpose in a variety of writing genres.
5. Formulate a research plan that includes asking appropriate questions about a proposed topic.
6. Locate a variety of sources in traditional print and electronic formats, based on a research plan.
7. Evaluate evidence used by writers and researchers to support a thesis.
8. Incorporate primary and secondary sources to support a thesis and address counterpoints.
9. Document sources properly to avoid plagiarism.
10. Collaborate with peers in writing, research, and presentation activities.