English 302:N07
English 302 is an Advanced Composition course; this section will focus on
the writing and research needs of students in the Natural Sciences. 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. The readings focus on one primary
model of the scientific method: Darwinian evolutionary theory. In the class readings,
we will explore how the theory developed, how it has been applied, and how it
has changed over time. We will see that this one theory has applications in nearly
all of the natural sciences, as well as in computer science and sociology.
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.
Text
Phillip Appleman, ed. Darwin: Norton Critical Edition.
Assignments
| Initial Position Essay (10%) | 2nd Research Assignment (10%) |
| 1st Research Assignment (5%) | Research Proposal (not graded) |
| Summary (10%) | Annotated Bibliography (10%) |
| 1st Essay (15%) | Peer Review (5%) |
| 2nd Essay (15%) | 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.
Course Policies
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 1st.
Plagiarism: The GMU
Honor code is available online. I will report suspected cases of plagiarism
to the Honor Committee.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
