Analyzing Writing Practices

In this project, you will gather and analyze two professionally written documents from your field in order to investigate and theorize about the ways writing functions in your specific writing context, community, and field.

Examples vary across fields:

• Technical reports
• Progress reports
• Project proposals
• Performance or safety evaluations
• Programmer's manuals
• Memoranda
• Textbook excerpts of managerial or organizational strategies
• Journal articles
• Professional websites
• Promotional materials

You may choose any texts that allow you to examine the type of writing and writing practices that occur in your field; however, one of the texts should be a shorter text that you feel you could revise for the professional document revision project. You will report your document analysis in a lengthy (4 page) memo to me, the instructor. Further specifics about the assignment can be found here.

Purpose of this project

This project will allow you to learn more about some of the writing being done in your field and how it is shaped by various contexts. It aligns with the following course goals: Writing in Context, Writing Process, Research, and Technology. It will give you practice in doing research as you look for documents in your field, writing and revising a memo, and learning more about writing as a process.

Process and Products

This project will be done in several stages. Further information about the activities you'll be expected to do in class and outside of class will be available on the course calendar, so make sure to check it frequently to keep up with the process. Further specifics about the assignment can be found here.

• First, you'll conduct research to find two documents. You'll e-mail me with a description of the documents you've selected, and a brief rationale for why you've selected them by Friday, August 30.
• Second, you'll conduct an analysis of the documents using some document analysis worksheets and some readings from PWOnline. I will check that you've completed your document analysis worksheets in class on Wednesday, September 4.
• Third, you'll draft a memo where you present your document analysis to me as the instructor. An electronic draft of the memo is due on Monday, September 9.
• Finally, after class discussion and instructor feedback, you'll revise your memo and turn a printed copy of the final draft (including copies of or pointers to the documents) on Monday, September 16.

Grading

You can earn a total of 150 points for this project.

Grading rubrics will be attached to any major documents I return to you to explain how I scored your documents and to give you feedback. If you are unsatisfied with your final grade or you wish to continue working on this project for any reason, you may revise your final memo draft until the end of the semester provided that you meet either with me and/or with a tutor in the Writing Lab for additional feedback. Extra credit is not a possibility for this project.

Dates to Remember

• Email instructor with documents selected and rationale:Friday, August 30
• Document analysis worksheets due: Wednesday, September 4
• First draft of memo due: Monday, September 9
• Final draft of memo due: Monday, September 16.