English 302 is an Advanced Composition course.
Although we will make use of technical formats (such as proposals and professional
journal articles), the focus will be on conducting secondary research,
organizing the results of the research, and presenting your interpretations
of your findings to appropriate audiences.
English 302 focuses on the research process. In this course, you will not be
gathering new data first hand; rather you will be conducting secondary research
by reading and analyzing the writings of others, forming your own opinions and
recommendations (a working thesis or hypothesis), then gathering more information
via research to support or modify that opinion into a final thesis.
The act of interpretation is key; hypotheses, theses, and opinions are
all based on facts but 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
assignment, even a "simple" task
such as summarizing a difficult passage introduces bias.
In business, and in most professional writing, such biases are alleviated
by the process known as peer-review, during which your associates, supervisors,
editors and others evaluate and offer suggestions on nearly complete draft. Initial
hypotheses and opinions often require extensive modification during the course
of research and review. 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 starting 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 The Business Writer's Handbook, 6th edition
Assignments
| Initial Position Essay (10%) | Research Proposal (5%) |
| Summary (15%) | Annotated Bibliography (15%) |
| 1st Essay (20%) | Peer Review (10%) |
| Research Assignment (5%) | Research Essay (20%) |
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 July 22.
Plagiarism: The GMU
Honor code is available online. I will report suspected cases of plagiarism
to the Honor Committee.
