Table of Contents

Part One: Getting Started

• Writing in the four areas of your life
• Writing as a College Student
• Writing as a Professional
• Writing as a Citizen
• Writing as a Family Member or Friend
• Writing in the Four Areas of this Course
• Learning Goals in this Course
• Rhetorical Knowledge
• Rhetorical Analysis
• Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing
• Writing Process
• Knowledge of Convention
• Composition in Electronic Environments
• Becoming a Self-Reflective Writer
• *Strategies for Success

• Why Read Critically? Integrating Sources into Your Own Writing
• Using Prereading Strategies
• Reading Actively
• Annotating Effectively
• Reading Visuals
• Reading Web Sites
• Using Postreading Strategies
• Starting Your Writer’s/Research Journal
• Writing Effective Summaries
• Synthesizing Information in Readings
• Using Your Reading in Your Writing
• Constructing a Rhetorical Analysis

• Setting Your Goals
• Rhetorical Knowledge
• Writing to Understand and Synthesize Texts
• Writing Assignment Options
• Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing
• Qualities of Effective Writing to Understand and Synthesize Texts
• Reading to Learn about Understanding and Synthesizing Texts
• • *Danny Goldberg, Kill the Internet—and Other Anti-SOPA Myths (Editorial)
  • *Jimmy Wales and Kat Walsh, We Are the Media, and So Are You (Editorial)
  • *Margaret Munson, Critical Response to “We Are the Media, and So Are You” (Student Essay)
• Writing Processes
• Invention: Getting Started
• Organizing Your Ideas and Details
• Constructing a Complete Draft
• Revising
• Knowledge of Conventions
• Editing
• Genres, Documentation, and Format
• A Writer Achieves Her Goal: Margaret Munson’s Synthesis
• • *Margaret Munson, Protecting Creativity in a Wired World: Two Perspectives (Student Essay)
• Self-Assessment: Reflecting on Your Goals

• Using Invention Strategies to Discover Ideas
• Listing
• Freewriting
• Questioning
• Answering the Questions Who? What? When? Why? and How?
• Brainstorming
• Clustering
• Keeping Notebooks and Journals
• Double-entry Notebook
• Field Notebook
• Rewriting Your Class Notes
• Minute Paper
• Muddiest Point
• Preconception Check
• Paraphrasing
• Organizing and Synthesizing Information
• Invented Interview/Unsent Letter
• Using Charts and Visuals to Discover and to Learn
• Clustering and Concept Mapping
• Process Flowchart
• Studying for Exams
• Test Questions
• Mnemonic Play

• Setting Your Goals
• Rhetorical Knowledge
• Writing to Share Experiences
• Scenarios for Writing: Assignment Options
• Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing
• Qualities of Effective Writing about Experiences
• Reading to Learn about Writing That Shares Experiences
• • Tanya Barrientos, Se Habla Español (Memoir)
  • *Sherman Alexie, Superman and Me (Literacy Narrative) [print book only]
  • *Brad Whetstine, Augustinian Influences (Literacy Narrative) [ebook only]
  • Suki Kim, Facing Poverty with a Rich Girl’s Habits (Memoir) [ebook only]
• Writing Processes
• Invention: Getting Started
• Organizing Your Ideas and Details
• Constructing a Complete Draft
• Revising
• Knowledge of Conventions
• Editing
• Genres, Documentation, and Format
• A Writer Achieves Her Goal: Jessica Hemauer’s Final Draft
• Jessica Hemauer, Farm Girl (Student Essay)
• Self-Assessment: Reflecting on Your Goals

• Setting Your Goals for Exploratory Writing
• Rhetorical Knowledge
• Writing to Explore in Your College Classes
• Writing to Explore for Life
• Scenarios for Writing: Assignment Options
• Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing
• Learning the Qualities of Effective Exploratory Writing
• Reading, Inquiry, and Research: Learning from Texts That Explore
• • *Andrew Sullivan, Excerpt from “Why I Blog” (Reflective Essay)
  • *Owen Edwards, The Tuskegee Airmen Plane’s Last Flight (Profile of an Event)
  • *Kiva Web site (Profile)
  • *Jesse Kornbluth Excerpt from “World’s Best Blogger?” (Profile) [ebook only]
• Writing Processes
• Invention: Getting Started
• Exploring Your Ideas with Research
• Organizing Your Ideas and Details
• Constructing a Complete Draft
• Revising
• Knowledge of Conventions
• Editing
• Genres, Documentation, and Format
• A Writer Achieves His Goal: Rick Mohler’s Final Draft
• Rick Mohler, A Sporting Career? (Student Essay)
• Self-Assessment: Reflecting on Your Goals

• Carol Ezzell, Clocking Cultures (Informative Article)
• *Dan Fletcher, A Brief History of Wikipedia (Informative Article)
• *Tom Broadbent, Annotated Bibliography
• Craig Broadbent Watch for the Blue Barrels (Student Essay)

• James M. Lang, Putting in the Hours (Opinion Piece)
• *Susan Cain, The Power of Introverts (Analysis)
• *Ashley TenBrink, A Rider Frozen in Motion (Visual Analysis)
• Sarah Washington, Campus Parking: Love it or Leave It (Student Essay)

Part Three: Using What You’ve Learned to Write Arguments

• *Marian Wright Edelman, Still Hungry in America (Opinion Piece)
• Maureen Dowd, Our Own Warrior Princess (Editorial)
• Allsup Organ Donation Poster (Advertisement)
• Anne Applebaum, When Women Go to War (Editorial) [ebook only]
• Santi DeRosa, The Objectification of Women: Whose Fault Is It? (Student Essay)

• *Jonathan Liu, “The 5 Best Toys of All Time” (Opinion Piece)
• *Roger Ebert, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (Review)
• *Andrew O’Hehir, “’Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2’: An Action-Packed Curtain Call” (Review)
• Annlee Lawrence, Who Has the Better Burger? (Student Essay)

• Juan Williams, The Ruling That Changed America (Cause-and-Effect Essay)
• Neal Gabler, How Urban Myths Reveal Society’s Fears (Cause-and-Effect Essay)
• Robert Reich The Real Reason Why Highway Deaths Are Down (Blog) [ebook only]
• *Aprilyus, Anti-Smoking Poster (Cause-and-Effect Poster)
• *Hanna Lake, Brothers, Brethren, and Kin: The Role of Family in the Lives of Harriet Jacobs and Black Hawk (Student Essay)

• *Anya Kamenetz, The Case for Girls (Proposal Essay)
• *Virginia Heffernan, Education Needs a Digital-Age Upgrade (Opinion Piece)
• Amy Baskin and Heather Fawcett, Request for a Work Schedule Change (Memo)
• Michael Bérubé, How to End Grade Inflation (Op-Ed Article) [ebook only]
• *Susan DeMedeiros, Staying ahead of Skimming Scams (Student Essay)

Part Four: Strategies for Effective Communication

• Announcing a Thesis or Controlling Idea
• Writing Paragraphs
• Placement of Topic Sentences
• Moving to a New Paragraph
• Opening Paragraphs
• Concluding Paragraphs
• Using Cohesive Devices
• Using Connective Words or Phrases
• Using Word Repetition
• Using Pronoun Reference
• Using Transitional Sentences and Paragraphs
• Using Headings
• Writing Narratives
• Narrating Single Events or a Series of Events
• Narrating Processes
• Writing Descriptions
• Naming in Description
• A Sensory Approach to Description
• A Spatial Approach to Description
• Writing Definitions
• Kinds of Definitions
• Writing Classifications
• Writing about Comparisons and Contrasts
• Approaches to Comparison and Contrast
• Using Outlines and Maps to Organize Your Writing

• Argument and Persuasion
• Rhetorical Appeals
• Logical Appeals
• Ethical Appeals
• Emotional Appeals
• The Rhetorical Triangle: Considering the Appeals Together
• Three Approaches to Argument
• Classical Strategies for Arguing
• Parts of a Classical Argument
• Example: The Classical Scheme in Action
• • David Wolman, Time to Cash Out: Why Paper Money Hurts the Economy
• Toulmin Approach to Argument
• Example: The Toulmin Model in Action
• • *Jordan Weissman, The Myth of En ergy Independence: Why We Can’t Drill Our Way to Oil Autonomy
• Rogerian Strategies for Arguing
• Example: Rogerian Strategies in Action
• • Rick Reilly, Nothing but Nets
• Some Common Flaws in Arguments

• Working with Peers on Your Single-Authored Projects
• Strategies for Working with Peers on Your Projects
• Using Digital Tools for Peer Review
• Working with Peers on Multiple-Authored Projects
• Strategies for Working with Peers Effectively
• Using Digital Tools to Facilitate Multiple-Authored Projects

• Developing Your Presentation
• Establishing a Clear Structure
• Considering Your Audience
• Eliminating the Fear of Speaking in Public
• Other Tips for Making Effective Oral Presentations
• *Online Presentations

Part Five: Technologies for Effective Communication

• Communication Technologies
• Publishing Your Work
• Selecting a Genre and Medium
• Deciding on a Genre for Your Work
• Deciding Whether to Use Print, Electronic, or Oral Media
• Considering Design
• Technologies for Computer-Mediated Communication
• E-mail
• Threaded Discussions
• Synchronous Chat
• Blogs
• Wikis
• Word-Processing Software
• Peer-Review Applications
• Graphics Software
• Desktop Publishing Software
• Presentation Software
• Technologies for Constructing Web Pages

• Principles of Document Design
• Proximity
• Contrast
• Alignment
• Repetition (or Consistency)
• Designing New Media
• Common Kinds of Visual Texts
• Tables
• Bar and Line Graphs
• Charts
• Photographs
• Drawings
• Diagrams
• Maps
• Cartoons
• Using Visuals Rhetorically
• Considering Your Audience
• Considering Your Purpose
• Using Visuals Responsibly
• Permissions
• Distortions

Part Six: Using Research for Informed Communication

• Conducting Effective Library and Web-Based Research: An Example
• Library Research
• Research on the Web
• Selecting Sources
• Books
• Academic Journals
• Newspapers
• Popular Magazines
• Trade or Commercial Magazines
• Public Affairs Magazines
• Specialty Magazines
• The Internet
• Evaluating Your Sources: Asking the Reporter’s Questions
• Who Is the Author?
• What Is the Text About? What Is the Quality of the Information?
• When Was the Text Published or the Web Site Last Updated?
• Why Was This Information Published?
• Where Was the Item Published?
• How Accurate Is the Information in This Source
• Field Research
• Working with Human Participants
• Informed Consent
• Observations
• Interviews
• Surveys

• An Overview of Documentation
• Plagiarism
• Inadequate or Incorrect Citations
• Patchwriting
• Anti-plagiarism Software
• Quotations
• Paraphrases
• Summaries
• Syntheses
• MLA Documentation Style
• MLA Style: In-Text Citation
• MLA Style: Constructing a List of Works Cited
• MLA Style: Sample Student Paper
• APA Documentation Style
• APA Style: In-Text Citation
• APA Style: Constructing a References List
• APA Style: Sample Student Paper
• Appendix A Constructing a Writing Portfolio
• Appendix B Writing Effective Essay Examinations
• Appendix C Standard Document Forms
• eBook Chapters (Also available in Create)

• Setting Your Goals
• Rhetorical Knowledge
• Writing about Visual Texts
• Writing Assignment Options
• Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing
• Qualities of Effective Writing to Analyze Visuals
• Reading to Learn about Analyzing Visual Texts
• • *Will Storey, Revisiting the Daisy Ad Revolution (Visual Analysis)
  • *Sebastian Smee, From Chaos, a Suspended Beauty (Visual Analysis)
• Writing Processes
• Invention: Getting Started
• Organizing Your Ideas and Details
• Constructing a Complete Draft
• Revising
• Knowledge of Conventions
• Editing
• Genres, Documentation, and Format
• A Writer Achieves His Goal: Jayson Bailey’s Visual Analysis
• *Jayson Bailey, Riding a Harley Is an American Freedom (Student Essay)
• Self-Assessment: Reflecting on Your Goals

• Setting Your Goals
• Rhetorical Knowledge
• Writing about Creative Works
• Writing to Learn about Literary Works
• *Jamaica Kincaid, Girl
• Amy Tan, Alien Relative
• Writing Processes
• Selecting a Creative Work to Write About
• Recording Your Initial Responses
• Finding a Feature to Analyze
• Integrating Visuals When Writing about Creative Works
• Organizing Your Ideas
• Constructing a Full Draft
• Revising
• Knowledge of Conventions
• Editing
• Genres, Documentation, and Format
• A Writer Achieves Her Goal: Katrina Montgomery’s Final Draft
• *Katrina Montgomery, Indirect Characterization in Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” (Student Essay)
• Self-Assessment: Reflecting on Your Goals

Appendix A Constructing a Writing Portfolio

Appendix B Writing Effective Essay Examinations

Appendix C Standard Document Forms

About the Author

Duane Roen is Professor of English at Arizona State University, where he serves as Coordinator for the Project for Writing and Recording Family History.  At ASU, he has also served as Dean of the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts; Dean of University College; Vice Provost; Head of Interdisciplinary Studies; Head of Humanities and Arts; Director of Composition; Co-director of the graduate program in Rhetoric, Composition, and Linguistics; Director of the Center for Learning and Teaching Excellence; and President of the Academic Senate. At Syracuse University he served as Director of the Writing Program. At the University of Arizona, he was Founding Director of the graduate program in Rhetoric, Composition, and the Teaching of English, as well as Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of English. He has served as Secretary of the Conference on College Composition and Communication and President of the Council of Writing Program Administrators. Throughout his career, he has written extensively about writing instruction.



Barry Maid is Professor Emeritus and Founding Head of Technical Communication at Arizona State University. He was head of that program for ten years.  Previously, was Chair of English at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and helped lead the creation of the Department of Rhetoric and Writing. He is the author of numerous articles and chapters primarily focusing on technology, information literacy, independent writing programs, and program administration.  In addition, he is a co-editor with Barbara D’Angelo. Sandra Jamieson and Janice Walker of Information Literacy: Research and Collaboration across Disciplines.