Moving On and Summing Up

As we begin to finish the first, introductory unit of the class, I hope you are all beginning to see both differences and similarities between the research methods and traditions of the various fields we might call professional writing: creative writing, technical writing, business writing, journalism, freelance nonfiction. Even these categories have variations within them.

If this course has a thesis, or unifying idea, it is this: Studying the reaserch practices of each of these fields of professional writing will help us become better researchers and writers in our own chosen field of professional writing. In other words, understanding the practices of multiple discourse communities will help us become better researchers and writers.

The reading for Tuesday builds upon this concept. Believe it or not, this presentation by a major scholar in the philosophy of science, is a presentation based upon a rigorous scholarly observation he made at a research lab. IMHO these findings read more like a meditation, or like poetry. Here is the link to Tuesday's reading: (http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fss/sociology/papers/law-manager-and-his-powers.pdf)

Some Blogs I noticed today:



Steve has strong feeling about Supersize Me: http://blog.myspace.com/pepplespace

Helm hasa nice discussion of the Berkenkotter/Huckin/Ackerman article: http://11806confession.blogspot.com/

Kim has great comments on Berkenkotter/Huckin/Ackerman as well as Lulu.com: http://www.reflectionresearch.blogspot.com/

Deanna has a great reflection on rhetoric and the writing process: http://www.greatteacherangelbean.blogspot.com/