First Writing Assignment, Week of Monday, 30 June-Sunday, 6 July

Researching a Genre:

In previous posts, you've heard me discuss the idea of a "genre of writing." Genres are kinds or types of writing. When an author writes, she has to decide what kind of writing she will use to craft her message. Will she craft her message as a poem, as a term paper, or as a memo, etc. When she is making this decision, she is picking the right kind of tool for goal she wants to accomplish. For instance, think about how successful a typical job application crafted as poetry would prove.

To craft a successful job application for most American jobs, an author has to understand how to read the genre of the job advertisement and how to craft successful cover letters and resumes or CVs. Without an extensive knowledge of the genres in which she is expected to work, a writer cannot craft successful messages, and it doesn't matter if she is an effective author in another genre. If your audience expects a memo, a well crafted love letter or a short story just won't cut it.

The upshot is good authors are always learning all they can about different kinds of genres. How? In part, they learn through experience. In part, they learn through observing successful writing of others in the genre; and, in part, they learn through research. In part, they learn through classes like this one. Whether you realized it or not, I have had you practicing the first two techniques of how to learn a new genre of writing.

Think about it. Did you know how to write a decent rhetorical analysis before this class? I rarely have a student who can answer, "yes," to this question. How did you learn how to write a rhetorical analysis? I taught you the basic questions you needed to answer in such an analysis. You learned by practicing the genre on your own, and you have learned by looking at the work of others in the genre and helping them to better craft their writing, that is, you learned by working with other authors. Finally, you learned to take the best practices of successful work, to analyze them, and to incorporate them into your own writing. Think about the rhetorical analysis you did on the successful writing of others in the class. In fact, much of the work I have had you do this semester is connected to learning how to learn from helping, reading, and working with other authors. These are skills you can use anytime you need to learn a new genre of writing.

This writing assignment deals with the last piece of puzzle, namely, how to research a genre and figure out how to write in it. Using the Internet, such research is a snap. For instance, this week, you'll be drafting something called a process paper.

1. Google "process paper" or "writing a good process paper" now. Poke around in the various ices of advice you are given on several sites. Look for patterns in this advice. If you see the same piece of advice in several of the sites, then chances are, it is decent and accepted best practice. Take notes, and make sure to save a record of which sites gave you which piece of good advice.
2) As you poke around, look for the basic questions a process paper needs to answer. See if you can find a few examples of a successful process paper. Again, take notes, and make sure to save a record of which sites gave you which pieces of information.
3) Someone in your group (maybe you) should set up a google document for your group. In it: a) each member should summarize the advice on writing a good process paper they found; b) you should share links to good sites you found on the subject; and, c) share links to a few good examples for a good process paper. In your document, make sure to document which pieces of advice came from which sites.
3. As your discussion in the google doc evolves, see if you can come up with a group consensus concerning the format, basic structure, and information a process paper should include.
4. Write down this consensus at the top of your document under the section heading: "A Good Process Paper Should:"

Congratulations, you just learned how to research a new genre of writing. You are one step closer to becoming a better writer, and you no longer need a professor to teach you best practices for things like: how to write a good research paper or how to write a good biology lab report. You can research them on your own.

You also just learned how to do basic research. Think about it. You just found a set of answers to a question. You when through these answers looking for patterns. You evaluated the answers you found. You took notes on the answers and where you found them. You shared your findings with your group. You had a discussion about the findings of others, and you recorded these findings coming to a group consensus. This is exactly what professionals do with they research a question.

Steve

PS (Post Script): By the way, when students here the word, "research." They tend to freak out. They shouldn't. Research is nothing more than having the tools necessary to answer a question for which you don't know the answer. Sometimes research--finding the right answer or solution--requires error and trail. Sometimes it requires going to the community and seeing what they have to say. You do this via the Internet, reading, or learning to use the library, or, most often, just asking. Sometimes, research requires systematic experimentation, and you learn these techniques in science classes.

In any event, while you may not be familiar with *every* technique used for *every* kind of research, research is something you already do every day. You learn to research well the same way you learn to write well. Think "Kaizen." Think "process." You take the techniques you already know, you use them because they work. Then you learn one or two new techniques, and over time you add to these new techniques and refine them for how you work. That's it--the secret of all professional researchers.

Don't waste your time being afraid of research; instead, take each new research assignment or task as what it is, a chance to improve what you know about how to research.

Why is this worth the trouble? You have heard the expression, "Knowledge is power." How do you acquire power and control over your life? You learn to learn. You learn to how to find answers to critical questions for your self, so you don't have to pay someone else or so you can just live a better life based on better information. In short, you learn to research. If you don't know how to do research, you will remain essentially powerless. So? Don't freak out. Learn to do the research.