Syllabus: Research Writing (ENG 344)
Term: Spring 1999
Time: 2:00-3:15, Monday and Wednesday
Room: 174 Millett
Instructor: Maner
Office: 446 Millett
Office hours: Mon 3:15-5, Wed 3:15-5, and by appointment
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Required texts:
Joseph Gibaldi, The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research
Papers, 4th ed. (New York: MLA, 1995).
Martin Maner, The Spiral Guide to Research Writing
(Mountain View, CA: Mayfield, 1996).
Required materials:
Packet of 3x5 or 4x6 note cards.
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Date Topic and assignment Readings, etc.*
* All page numbers refer to The Spiral Guide unless otherwise
indicated. Complete the assigned readings and exercises before
coming to class.
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Mon Introduction; diagnostic quiz Personal schedule
3/29 Class policies handout
Overview of research writing
Explain sample first page, due in
two weeks.
Wed Choosing a subject v-viii, 1-35
3/31 Qualities of a good thesis Collect personal
Do Exercise #1 and #2 before class schedule handout
(ungraded exercises, pp. 15-16,
not to be handed in)
Study sample papers 336-66, 381-412
Discuss diagnostic quiz
Mon Finding sources 57-99; 289-94;
4/5 (Class will meet in a computer scan 303-324,
lab to be announced.) noting items
marked with
asterisks,
especially the
indexes in the
section headed
"General.")
Wed Finding sources
4/7 Class will meet in a computer
lab to be announced.)
Discuss Exercise #6--Finding
Sources (pp. 96-97, due in five
weeks)
Mon Finding and developing the topic
4/12 Discuss Exercise #3--Statement of
Topic (pp. 34-35, due next week)
Turn in a sample first page, MLA format.
Wed Generating an argument 36-56
4/14 Do Exercises #4 and #5 before class
(pp. 54-55)
Hand in Exercise #3--Statement
of Topic (graded exercise)
Discuss Exercise #8--Summarizing,
Paraphrasing, and Quoting (pp. 139-
40, due next class meeting)
Circulate sign-up sheet for
individual conferences
Discuss paraphrasing
Fri Last day to drop without a "W"
4/16
Mon Writing a short plan 100-10
4/19 Gathering information 111-41
Discuss Exercise #7--Prospectus
(p. 110, due in one week)
Hand in Exercise #8--Summarizing,
Paraphrasing, and Quoting (pp. 139-
40, graded exercise followed by
group discussion)
Circulate sign-up sheet for
individual conferences.
Last day to drop without a "W"
Wed Individually guided research
4/21 (Scheduled appointments by the
reference desk in the library)
Fri Individually guided research
4/23 (Scheduled appointments by the
reference desk in the library)
Mon MLA format--I 142-57; 325-33;
4/26 General appearance of MLA format MLA 41-99 and
Parenthetical documentation 183-205; bring
Discuss Exercise #10--Citing and MLA Handbook to
Listing Sources--due in nine days class.
MLA mechanics
Hand in Exercise #7--Prospectus Note: prospectus
(p. 110, graded exercise) Note: will not be graded
your bibliography need not be on MLA format.
annotated. Spiral 110
Distribute MLA warm-up bibliography Handout
exercise--ungraded exercise, due
next class meeting
Wed MLA format--II 157-67; 189-94; 296-
4/28 List of works cited 302; MLA 101-82;
Endnotes bring MLA Handbook
Do MLA warm-up bibliography to class.
exercise before class
Last day to drop with a "W"
Fri Last day to drop with a "W"
4/30
Mon Writing and organizing the rough 195-227; MLA 29-
5/3 draft 37
Ungraded in-class exercise in citing
and listing sources (not to be
handed in) Handout
Wed Revising the rough draft 228-56
5/5 Do Exercise #12--Drafting Skills--
before class (pp. 223-27, ungraded
exercise, not to be handed in)
Hand in Exercise #10--Citing and
Listing Sources (graded
exercise) 189-94
Discuss topic outlines and sentence
outlines
Mon Editing 257-88
5/10 Discuss sample sentences in class Handout
Wed Editing
5/12 Do Exercise #14--Editing--before
class (p. 288, ungraded exercise,
not to be handed in)
Hand in Exercise #6--Finding
Sources (pp. 97-99, graded
exercise) Note: your bibliography
need not be annotated. 97-99
Mon Peer evaluations
5/17 Do Exercise #13--Revision--in class
with a classmate (p. 256, ungraded
exercise, to be handed in)
Research paper preliminary draft due
(10 typed pages minimum, including
bibliography), plus topic outline
(1-2 pp. long), plus photocopies of
at least a page from each of three
sources paraphrased in the paper.
Mark the photocopies clearly to show
which pages of your paper contain the
quoted or paraphrased portions.
I will not be able to give preliminary
draft credit without the accompanying
marked photocopies, so please do not
forget this material!)
Wed Peer evaluations
5/19 Do Exercise #13--Revision--in class
with a classmate (p. 256, ungraded
exercise, to be handed in)
Mon Course evaluation
5/24 Question-answer review for final exam
Preliminary drafts handed back with
instructor's comments
Wed Free-style workshop session on N.B.: This is an
5/26 miscellaneous problems. Bring optional day;
bibliography questions, sentences roll will not be
for editing, etc. Arrange peer called, and you
work sessions if you prefer. may skip without
But do not ask me to read feeling guilty.
entire drafts; I need to divide The idea is to
my time among the writers present. provide last-minute
assistance or free
work time--whichever
you need most.
Wed No class--Memorial Day
5/31
Mon Research paper final draft due Review Spiral Guide
6/2 (10 typed pages minimum, plus 230-42 for detailed
bibliography. Turn in preliminary instructions on out-
draft with final draft.) lines. A model
Formal sentence outline due-- example of a
counts as one exercise sentence outlne is
on p. 242.
Thu Final examination, 3:15-5:15 PM
6/10
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Evaluation
Completion of preliminary draft 5%
Graded exercises (Statement of
Topic; Finding Sources; Prospectus; (drop lowest
Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and exercise
Quoting; Citing and Listing Sources; grade)
Formal Sentence Outline 30%
Research paper--final draft 45%
Final examination 20%
Class participation, including regular attendance, punctual
arrival, contributions to class discussion, and courtesy to
classmates, can affect your course grade.
Course grades are computed by multiplying weighted percentages
times the numerical value of letter grades, thus: A=4.0,
A-=3.8, B+=3.2, and so on.
Preliminary Draft Credit
To earn the "A" credit for turning in a preliminary draft,
your paper must be handed in on time at the beginning of
the hour on the due date; it must meet the minimum length
requirement; and it must contain a complete bibliography of
works cited. If it fails to meet any of these requirements
(by being, for example, only a few minutes late or only a
few words short of the minimum length), I will have to give
you an "F" for this 5% portion of the course grade. This
deadline policy is intended to reward and encourage advance
completion of your work, thereby making it possible for me
to schedule prompt evaluations. Once deadlines and minimum
length criteria have been established, they must be
enforced consistently. If you prefer to waive this 5% of
free "A" credit, you may do so in the first week of class,
and these points will be distributed across other
assignments at that time.
Mandatory Exercises
You may choose to "drop" an exercise by not turning it in.
However, Exercises #3 (Topic Statement), #7 (Prospectus),
and the formal sentence outline are all mandatory course
requirements. They must be handed in, even if you must
complete them late and receive no credit for them. (See
"Class Policy #1," below.)
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Fourth Hour
This is a four-credit-hour course which meets for only three hours
per week. The fourth hour will be devoted to guided research and
writing. I am happy to meet regularly with you individually for
assistance, but remember that administrative work may force me to
miss some office hours occasionally. Therefore, appointments are
advisable.
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"Writing Intensive" Component Grades
Two grades are submitted for this course: a grade for the course
itself, and a grade for the "writing intensive" component of the
course. The writing intensive grade is "pass" or "fail," and you
must attain a C or better in the course in order to receive a
"pass" for the writing-intensive component.
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Class Policies
1. Papers, prospectuses, at-home exercises, etc. are due at the
beginning of the class period on the due dates indicated above. I
will evaluate preliminary drafts submitted after the deadline, but
no "preliminary draft credit" will be given for them. Late
exercises will receive no credit, so if you must miss a class on a
due date, be sure to fax me a copy of your exercise (at 873-2707)
by the deadline, or have a friend deliver it on time.
2. Late research paper final drafts will be subject to the
following reductions: Papers turned in after the beginning of
class but before 5:00 PM on the due date indicated above will be
penalized 5 points. Papers turned in after 5:00 PM but within 24
hours will be penalized ten points. Papers turned in after more
than 24 hours will be penalized 10 points for each day or portion
of a day the paper is late.
3. Papers shorter than the assigned minimum length will receive
grade reductions of 5 points for each unit of 100 words by which
they fall short. "Page" is defined as a normal typed page with 1"
margins and pica type; "10 typed pages minimum" means at least 10
full pages. Use standard MLA format, please; don't play silly
games with extra-large type and margins.
4. I will not give a make-up exam unless arrangements have been
made before the exam. If you cannot reach me, leave a message
with the English Department secretary before the exam is given.
5. Assistance on written work should be limited to the
instructor, library reference personnel, and the tutors at the
Writing Center (025 Library). Automatic penalty for any form of
plagiarism (defined as passing off the work of someone else as if
it were your own): F for the course, written notification of the
Dean of Liberal Arts and the English Department Chairer.
(Re-using work submitted for credit in another course is another
form of academic dishonesty, since it puts other students at a
disadvantage. If you wish to write a single paper to meet two
course requirements, you should secure written permission from
both instructors, and the paper should meet the combined length
requirements of both assignments.)
6. I normally do not grant "I" grades for the course. If you
miss an assignment, your grade will be computed on the basis of
the work you completed, with the missing assignment counted as a
zero.
7. For graduate students enrolled in ENG 544, the minimum lengths
for the research paper drafts are 15 pages (preliminary draft) and
20 pages (final draft).
8. Repeated late arrivals will lower your participation grade.
9. Please do not ask me what you missed. You are responsible for
making arrangements with a classmate to supply you with
information about classes you could not attend.
10. Since the early weeks of this course are focused mainly on
getting an early start on the research paper, you will have
accumulated only a few percentage points of graded credit by the
time the first and second drop dates arrive. Probably the best
way to estimate your likely performance in this course is to ask
yourself the following questions: a) Have I spent at least eight
hours a week on library work for this course during the opening
weeks of the course? b) Have I mastered the research tools
(bibliographies, periodical indexes, study guides, etc.) relevant
to my topic? c) By the time my prospectus is handed in, will I
have listed virtually all the available English-language sources
relevant to my topic?
11. My office is 446 Millett, telephone 775-2639. You may leave
messages with the English Department secretary at 775-3136.
Office hours: Mon. 4-5, Wed. 3-5 and by appointment at other
times. Another convenient way to have individual conferences is
via e-mail. My address is martin.maner@wright.edu, and I check my
e-mail daily. The course syllabus is posted on the web at
http://philos.wright.edu/Dept/ENG/MANER/MANER.HTM.
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