Disciplinary Writing Conventions (15%): Pick a discipline other than English. Locate three to four pieces of writing that are either published by scholars in the discipline or are submitted by students in a classroom. Observe the similarities and differences in these pieces of writing. Next, using what we’ve learned about rhetorical strategies, compose a 750-word instructional report that teaches future writers in this discipline the writing conventions of the field. Use your pieces of writing as evidence. It’s important to be as specific as possible (You must be clear vs. Do not use words like everything and sometimes).

This assignment will be graded out of 15 points:

Specificity of Writing Conventions (3 points): Do you point to particular rules and methods that are specific to this discipline? Remember, you want to say things like, “In a lab report, writers often use numbers instead of vague figures like some or most” and not things like, “In a lab report, you have to be really clear.”

Analysis of writing conventions (3 points): Do you explain why certain conventions are used in a discipline. Is it because of the founder of a discipline who determined these were the rules? Or are there certain conventions based on who the reader is?

Use of evidence (3 points): Do you cite your sample pieces of writing to further support your instructions on convention? When you cite, is it appropriately integrated?

Attention to audience (3 points): Are you writing to your audience? Do you employ certain rhetorical strategies because of who your audience is? For instance, if my audience is prospective graphic design majors, I might pay attention to the form of my post, maybe add colors and charts.

Form (3 points): Are your paragraphs organized? Do you utilize some of the writing concepts discussed in class (summary, integrating of quotes, analysis, etc.)