11.5 Writing introductions for research papers

Note:  I will be providing feedback for blog 15 over the weekend, coupled with feedback for today's blog, blog 17.  My thinking is that in writing the introduction you may put yourself to revise, add to, deepen the research plan posted for 15. 


You read through John Swales' "Creating a Research Space" and noted the three moves he identifies within the introduction to writing studies essays.  We restated them as follows:

1. Establishing a Territory (or writing what your essay is about/identifying the focus/connecting to the writing studies' topic you will discuss)

2. Establishing a Niche (pointing out what your essay adds)

3. Occupying a Niche (writing what your essay will do/providing an overview of the essay's contents).

Swales listed sets of moves which researchers use in alone or in combination to make the above "moves."  We checked back to his essay to define Discourse communities, and noted that he did indeed make versions of all three of the "moves" he sets up here.

You spent the rest of class looking at the research essay you have identified for your project, and using a connection to/discussion of that essay to set up your research project. 

For next class:
Blog 17: Post a draft for your introduction to your research question.  This introduction does not need to be perfect language - but it does need to make all three moves set forward by Swales.  To do this you will necessarily need to refer to the research essay for your project.

Spend some time analyzing the transcript you have chosen for your Short Analysis.  Look for repetitions, changes in the ways language is used between the first & second sections, and think about the Discourses (identities), Conversations, and language patterns we have been talking about in class.

On Thursday we will begin by reviewing how grades are assigned for this course, and then spend the rest of class working out a rubric for assessing the Short Analysis project, and applying it to the two sample essays posted to the upper right.  These are not perfect essays.  The point of our assessment will be to decide what these students need to do to write stronger essays.

See you Thursday!