English 302 is an Advanced Composition course.
Although we will make use of technical formats (such as lab and field reports,
professional journal articles, and peer reviews), the focus will be on
conducting secondary research, organizing the results of the research,
and presenting your interpretations of your findings to appropriate audiences,
including interested non-experts.
English 302 focuses on the research process, and for this section our model of
the research process will be the scientific method of gathering data,
forming hypotheses, testing these hypotheses with new data via prediction and
experimentation, and refining the hypotheses.
In this course, you will not be gathering new data first hand; rather
you are conducting secondary research by reading and analyzing the writings
of others, forming your own opinion (a preliminary thesis, or hypothesis),
then gathering more information via research to support or modify that
thesis. Aside from the distinction between primary and secondary research,
the research method in this course is the scientific method:
you develop an idea based on the material you find, and you modify your
ideas as you uncover new information.
The act of interpretation is key; theses, hypotheses, and theories are all
based on facts, but theories are not facts themselves. Facts are raw data.
In the course of constructing a thesis, you must discriminate relevant from
irrelevant data; you must analyze, select, and conscientiously try to avoid
bias. Bias, however, is practically unavoidable. The very act of gathering
information and presenting it requires you to make decisions as to the importance
of certain details. As we shall see in the summary-writing exercise, even
a "simple" task
such as summarizing a difficult passage introduces bias.
In the sciences, and in most professional writing, such biases are alleviated
by the process known as peer-review. Peer review is part of the general scientific
method as well: when a new hypothesis is presented, others in the field try
to disprove it. They aren't just doing this out of professional jealously
(not all of them, anyway). A valid hypothesis is falsifiable; that is, it
makes predictions or statements which can be tested. If a hypothesis can
withstand the tests of new data, if it makes predictions which can be shown
to be true or false, then the hypothesis is accepted. Generally, however,
hypotheses require refinement and alteration. One reason initial hypotheses
so often fail is due in part to initial biases. Some data will be ignored
as irrelevant because the researcher assumed it was unimportant. This "irrelevant" data
often contradicts the hypothesis, and a better hypothesis will be required
to explain as much relevant information as possible. This is the process
of revision.
We will also make use of the peer-review process, and you will revise your
theses as you find more information. Information which contradicts your thesis
cannot be ignored if it is relevant (and contradiction doesn't automatically
imply irrelevance). Rather, the thesis will need to explain the apparent
contradictions.
Texts: Tim Berners-Lee Weaving the Web
Alred, Brusaw, Oliu. Handbook of Technical Writing (7th edition)
Cory Doctorow, "Microsoft
Research DRM Talk"
Victoria Shelton "Scientific
Research: The Publication Dilemma" in English
Matters, issue
9
Assignments
| Initial Position Essay (10%) | 2nd Research Assignment (5%) |
| Summary (10%) | Research Proposal |
| Peer Review 1 (5%) | Annotated Bibliography (10%) |
| 1st Essay (Instructional) (15%) | Peer Review 2 (5%) |
| 1st Research Assignment (5%) | Research Essay (20%) |
| 2nd Essay (15%) |
Grades
Grades on the essays will be based primarily on the quality of the writing. I value clear, focused writing with plenty of examples. The audience for the essays will be the class itself, and I expect the papers to be written with this audience in mind.
Grades on the annotated bibliography will be based primarily on your evaluations of the sources and secondarily on the citations themselves.
I will give all assignments letter grades. I calculate final grades by converting the letter grades to a 100 point scale using the following values:
| A+ 100 | |
| A 95 | C+ 78 |
| A- 90 | C 75 |
| B+ 88 | C- 70 |
| B 85 | D 65 |
| B- 80 | F below 60 |
The University translates letter grades into 4-point GPA values:
| A+ 4.00 | B- 2.67 | C- 1.67 |
| A 4.00 | B 3.00 | D 1.00 |
| A- 3.67 | C+ 2.33 | F 0.00 |
| B+ 3.33 | C 2.00 |
Please note that A+ and A have equivalent point values.
A note on final grading: You must earn the grade of "C" or better
in this course to receive credit for it and to fulfill this portion of the
English composition requirement in General Education. A grade of "C-" or
below will not be sufficient to receive credit for this course.
Late Assignments: Late papers will lose one-half letter grade per
day unless you make prior arrangements with me.
Revision Policy: The essays may be revised for a higher grade,
but they must be substantially revised. You cannot lose a grade by revising,
but a higher grade is not guaranteed. I have found that "B" papers
(or higher) are often more difficult to revise, since serious revision
requires thoroughly changing the essay's structure, and "B" papers
usually have a fairly good structure. "C" papers (or lower)
often respond more dramatically to revision, since the major changes
they require are often more straightforward. I recommend revising "C" papers
or lower only. If you plan to revise a "B" paper, please see
me beforehand so we can discuss a revision strategy.
All revisions must be turned in by Dec 2.
Plagiarism: The GMU
Honor code is available online. I will report suspected cases of plagiarism
to the Honor Committee.
