Section AN1: MWF, 7:00—10:00 PM. Robinson A 250
Section AN2: MTWTh, 2:00—4:05 PM. Robinson A 246

Text

Appleman, Phillip, ed. Darwin. Norton Critical edition.

Resources

Online tutorial on Searching academic databases
Online style guides from the GMU Writing Center

The journal New Scientist has a new "Hot Topic" on human nature which examines several of the areas we've been discussing (nature / nurture, free will, genes / environment, and so on).

Course Description

English 302 is an Advanced Composition course; this section will focus on the writing and research needs of students in the natural Sciences. English 302 is not a technical writing course. We will not be writing lab reports or technical articles in this class; rather, the focus will be on conducting secondary research, organizing the results of the research, and presenting your interpretations of your findings to appropriate audiences, both inside and outside scientific fields.

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 research writing, you are not 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 method is the same: 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.

Course Goals

The goal of this course is to introduce you to research writing. You will conduct research using library databases and online search tools, analyze and evaluate the sources you find, interpret information, establish a thesis, and synthesize your sources into a well organized whole which supports your thesis.

Analysis requires breaking something, like a source essay, down into its parts to determine how the parts are related. For example, most essays that we will look at will have the interrelated parts of audience, thesis, and purpose. Analysis allows us to see how these parts fit together. Evaluation requires determining validity. We can analyze sources, for example, on the basis of authority, logic, currency, and the like. If the logic, however, is faulty, or the source is out of date, our evaluation may determine that the source cannot be used.

Interpretation allows you to form an opinion based on the information you've gathered, analyzed, and evaluated. A thesis is always an interpretation (as is a scientific hypothesis). Interpretations are not facts; they are inferences and deductions based on facts. If the information is valid, and the inferences and deductions (the logic) is valid, the thesis will be supported.

Synthesis is the method of supporting your inferences and deductions with material from a variety of sources. An essay is a synthesis of several sources, but it will be supporting your thesis. A successful synthesis weaves summary, paraphrase, and quotes from several sources (with proper citation) into a new argument.

Grading

Most of your work will receive a letter grade. An "A" paper has a strong thesis, clear organization and focus, very good support, and very few if any grammatical errors. A "B" paper has a good thesis, good organization and focus, good support and examples, and a few grammatical errors. A "C" paper may have a weaker thesis, some organizational problems (though still an identifiable organization and focus), some support (though it could use more), and some (though not too many) grammatical errors. A "D" paper may have problems with its thesis or organization, may lack focus and support, or may have serious grammatical errors. An "F" paper has serious problems in more than two of these areas.

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:

The University translates letter grades into 4-point GPA values:

(please note that A+ and A have equivalent point values.)

Special note on grades in English 302: You must earn a C or better for English 302 to fulfill your general education requirement. A grade less than C will count towards your GPA, but you will need to take English 302 again. Since there is some disagreement between the University and the English Department concerning the C- grade in English 302, I will refrain from using the C- for final grades.

Revisions

Revision is a required part of the course; the research paper will be revised and reworked several times before you turn it in. I do allow some revisions after a paper has been graded, but most revision should be done before you submit the paper. The final research paper can't be revised once it has been submitted since it comes at the end of the semester, but all of the other assignments, except the peer review, can be revised.


A revision is a thorough reworking of a paper; it is not merely correcting spelling and grammar errors (that's proofreading, and it won't result in a higher grade, since I assume you've proofread before you've turned in the paper). Generally, B papers are more difficult to revise; they are already better than average, and revising means changing them substantively. There is always a risk that the changes may result in a weaker paper, but I will not penalize anyone for revising (you won't drop below the original grade on a revision). I recommend revising papers with a C or lower, since these papers usually have more serious problems which respond better to the thoroughness of the revision process.

All revisions must be submitted by June 16.

Course Policies

Late Assignments: Unless you make prior arrangements with me, late papers will lose one letter grade per day. The lost grades cannot be made up by revision.

Plagiarism: "Plagiarism means using the exact words, opinions, or factual information from another person without giving the person credit. Writers give credit through accepted documentation styles, such as parenthetical citation, footnotes or endnotes; a simple listing of books and articles is not sufficient. Plagiarism is the equivalent of intellectual robbery and cannot be tolerated in an academic setting" (Department of English Guidebook). I will report any suspected cases of plagiarism to the Honors Committee.

Attendance: I will not take attendance, but it is not possible to do well in this course without regular attendance. In class assignments make up part of your grade. Class discussions of the texts are necessary for the papers, exercises, and the research project. Topics will develop from the class discussions. In addition, we will work on revising the drafts in class.

Assignments

Summary: An important aspect of research is the ability to summarize, paraphrase, and quote effectively. This assignment will require you to summarize the key points of an essay or chapter in 500 words. This assignment will be graded for accuracy, organization, and clarity.
Summary assignment: 10%

Initial position statement: The initial position statement will be used to examine your starting assumptions about science writing and the process of investigation. This short (3 page) writing assignment will be graded on the basis of clarity and organization. The audience for this assignment will be the instructor and the other members of the class.
Initial position statement: 5%


Short Essay: The short (3-5 page) essay will allow you to explore topics of interest before you commit to the major research project. Unlike the position statements, the short essay will explore and explain one topic in depth. These essays will be graded on organization, audience awareness, focus, and detail.
Short essay: 20%


Research assignments: The research assignment will introduce you to the library databases and reliable online sources. The first part of the research assignment will be to locate any five of the secondary essays in original publication versions. The second part research asks you to locate five articles which cite any one of these secondary works. The research assignment will be graded for accuracy and relevance.
Library research assignment: 10%


Research Project: The major assignment for this course will be 7-10 page research paper on a topic chosen from the textbook. The general theme of evolution is very broad; the textbook divides the subject into more focused subtopics (evolutionary theory and philosophy, for example), but these are still far too general for a 7-10 page research paper.

In the course of the assigned readings, each student will find some aspect of the class discussions which she or he would like to explore in more detail. This topic will be narrowed and refined through the research process, resulting in a focused, 7-10 page essay on a specific aspect of evolutionary theory (social, scientific, philosophical).

The research project has four parts: a research proposal, an annotated bibliography, a class presentation, and the final project essay.

Research proposal: Before the research project can begin, each student will need to submit a research proposal to the instructor. In this proposal, you will describe the purpose and focus of your research, and a list of possible sources.
Research proposal: 5%

Annotated Bibliography: As part of the research project, you will prepare a working bibliography of five sources, each with a 1-2 paragraph critical annotation.
Annotated Bibliography: 15%


Final Project conclusions and essay: The final project will be due on the last class day (not the final exam period). The final essay should be 7-10 pages, double spaced, with a bibliography (not annotated).

During the last week of class, you will present your research and conclusions to the class in a ten minute presentation. Visuals are not required, but they are permitted.
Presentation of conclusions: 10%
Final essay: 25%



Schedule for section AN1 (MWF 7:00-10:00) (.pdf)
Schedule for section AN2 (MTWR 2:00-4:05) (.pdf)