An Insider's Guide to Academic Writing by Susan Miller-Cochran; Roy Stamper; Stacey Cochran - Third Edition, 2022 from Macmillan Student Store
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An Insider's Guide to Academic Writing

A Rhetoric and ReaderThird Edition ©2022 Susan Miller-Cochran; Roy Stamper; Stacey Cochran

Writing teachers know that the expectations for good writing change from one academic context to the next. The only book to dedicate chapters to writing in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and applied fields respectively, An Insider's Guide to Academic Writing gives studen...
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An Insider's Guide to Academic Writing by Susan Miller-Cochran; Roy Stamper; Stacey Cochran - Third Edition, 2022 from Macmillan Student Store

Prepare students for writing in any discipline.

Writing teachers know that the expectations for good writing change from one academic context to the next. The only book to dedicate chapters to writing in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and applied fields respectively, An Insider's Guide to Academic Writing gives students the rhetorical tools they need for success in writing assignments across the disciplines. Rather than aiming to teach students every genre they may encounter, the guide offers students practice in analyzing the rhetorical situation and understanding the scholarly values informing writing conventions in these different fields.  A built-in thematic reader introduces students to the kinds of scholarly reading they will encounter in their courses, while also including essays written for a general audience to spark their writing about current issues. Available for the first time with An Insider’s Guide, our new online course space, Achieve, features the full e-book, writing tools that support feedback, peer review, revision, and reflection, along with assessment and practice opportunities that facilitate student engagement.

Features

A two-in-one rhetoric and reader that prepares students for the challenges of academic and disciplinary writing. Based on the class-tested best practices of a first-year composition program with a writing-in-the-disciplines approach, An Insider’s Guide to Academic Writing offers two books in one:  an innovative rhetoric of academic writing, and a thematic reader that foregrounds real readings from the disciplines.

The rhetoric takes students inside the world of higher education, academic writing, and disciplinary writing. Part One introduces the core rhetorical skills students will need to develop college level arguments. Part Two introduces a practical, transferable three-part framework (“SLR” = “structure/ language/ reference”) for producing key genres of writing within the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and applied fields. Throughout, model readings—annotated to highlight the writer’s moves—allow students the opportunity to reflect on, respond to, and practice academic writing.

The four chapters in the thematic reader show students how the same compelling issue is presented in general publications and in the academic sphere. These readings spark and illuminate conversations on a range of themes that are popular with essayists and academic writings:  writing and identity; family and romantic ties; food culture and business, and crime and justice. The readings are supported by questions that enhance comprehension; prompt rhetorical analysis; and ask students to connect the readings to their own lives.

The following “Insider” features enliven and illuminate academic and disciplinary writing practices:

  • Unique “Insider’s View” boxes feature academics from across the curriculum talking about their own writing and research. These boxes put a face on an academic world that may be new and mysterious to students.
  • “Connect” activities and Writing Projects help students read, reflect on, and practice moves and genres of academic writing, from rhetorical analysis, argumentation and research papers to textual interpretation (humanities), literature review  and theory response (social sciences) , research proposal and formal observation papers (sciences) to applied projects (including lesson plan, business plan, legal brief).
  • Marginal annotations help students “get inside” the readings, calling out important rhetorical and genre features that connect to the instruction.
  • Summary “Tip Sheets” at the end of chapters offer practical, easy-to-reference advice for students.

New to This Edition

  • Achieve with An Insider’s Guide to Academic Writing puts student writing at the center of your course and keeps revision at the core, with a dedicated composition space that guides students through drafting, peer review, source check, reflection, and revision. Developed to support best practices in commenting on student drafts, Achieve is a flexible, integrated suite of tools for designing and facilitating writing assignments, paired with actionable insights that make students’ progress toward outcomes clear and measurable — all in a single powerful, easy-to-use platform that works for face-to-face, remote, and hybrid learning scenarios. Achieve with An Insider’s Guide to Academic Writing includes the complete e-book (with integrated Insider’s View videos), fully editable prebuilt writing assignments that support the book, reading comprehension quizzes, and interactive assessments and activities to promote active learning and engagement.
  • Readings, boxes, examples, and photos have been revised so that students with a diverse range of identities and experiences can see that they too belong as “insiders” in academic communities. More than half of the readings in Part Three are new, bringing in a more contemporary and diverse range of writers and perspectives on matters of identity and writing, love, food, and criminal justice. 
  • New Insider Examples give students models for every writing project in the book. The new examples include an argument analysis; an annotated bibliography; a genre analysis; a poster presentation; a PowerPoint presentation; an IT paper; and a genre analysis in the applied fields. All of the Insider Examples are now annotated to highlight the writer’s rhetorical moves.
  • Added coverage of multimodal writing can be found in new discussions and examples of poster presentations (Chapter 8) and PowerPoint slides (Chapter 10).  A new reading (Jia Tolentino’s The I in Internet) in Chapter 11 offers a writer’s account of growing up in multimodal digital spaces.

I love that the Insider's Guide contains the voices of specific individuals who are currently reading and writing and conducting research in academia; these voices add credibility to the text and to my classroom.
– Travis Price, North Carolina State University

An Insider's Guide to Academic Writing is a terrific source for any student beginning their college career because it helps them to not only understand what academic reading and writing is, but because it also explains to students the types of academic writing they will come across in college. . . . and beyond.
– Tim Oldakowski, Slippery Rock University

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Table of Contents

New selections are indicated with an asterisk (*).

PART ONE. A Guide to College and College Writing
Chapter 1. An Introduction to Academic Writing
Your Goals and Your School’s Mission
Writing within Academic Disciplines
Entering Academic Conversations
Learning to Write in New Contexts
Writing Project: Profile of a Writer
Insider Example: Student Profile of a Business Professional
Chapter 1 Tip Sheet

Chapter 2. Writing: Process and Reflection
Developing Your Writing Process

          Flexible Strategies
          Multiple Drafts

Giving and Acting on Feedback

          Giving Productive Peer Review Feedback: A Sample Draft with Comments
          Responding to Peer Review Feedback

Reflection and Writing

          Reflecting throughout the Writing Process
          Reflecting on Your Story as a Writer
          Characteristics of a Literacy Narrative

Writing Project: Literacy Narrative
Insider Example: Student Literacy Narrative
Chapter 2 Tip Sheet

Chapter 3. Reading and Writing Rhetorically 
Understanding Rhetorical Context  
Understanding Genres 
Writing Rhetorically 
Reading Rhetorically

          Questions for Rhetorical Reading
          Reading Visuals

Analyzing the Rhetorical Context: A Sample Annotated Text
Writing Project: Rhetorical Analysis
*Insider Example: Student Rhetorical Analysis
Chapter 3 Tip Sheet

Chapter 4. Developing Arguments 
Understanding Proofs and Appeals 
Making Claims

          Thesis Statements 
          Thesis versus Hypothesis 
          Developing Reasons 

Supporting Reasons with Evidence
Understanding Assumptions 
Anticipating Counterarguments 
Analyzing an Argument: A Sample Annotated Text 
Writing Project: Rhetorical Analysis of an Argument
Insider Example: Student Analysis of an Argument
Chapter 4 Tip Sheet

Chapter 5. Academic Research 
Developing a Research Question 
Choosing Your Sources

          Primary Sources
          Secondary Sources

Searching for Sources 

          Search Terms and Search Engines
          Journal Databases

Evaluating Sources: Scholarly versus Popular Works
Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting from Sources 

          Summarizing
          Paraphrasing
          Quoting

Avoiding Plagiarism 
Understanding Documentation Systems

          Modern Language Association (MLA)
          American Psychological Association (APA)
          Council of Science Editors (CSE)
          Annotated Bibliographies

Writing Project: Annotated Bibliography
*Insider Example: Student Annotated Bibliography
Writing Project: A Supported Argument on a Controversial Issue
Insider Example: Student Argument on a Controversial Issue
Chapter 5 Tip Sheet

PART TWO. Inside Academic Writing
Chapter 6. Reading and Writing in Academic Disciplines 
Using Rhetorical Context to Analyze Academic Writing 

          Analyzing Academic Writing: A Sample Annotated Text

Recognizing Academic Genres
Using Structure, Language, and Reference (SLR) to Analyze Genre Conventions

          Defining SLR 
          Analyzing Genre Conventions: A Sample Annotated Text 

Writing Project: Genre Analysis
*Insider Example: Student Comparative Genre Analysis
Writing Project: Translating a Scholarly Article for a Public Audience
Insider Example: Student Translation of a Scholarly Article
Chapter 6 Tip Sheet

Chapter 7. Reading and Writing in the Humanities  
Research in the Humanities

          Observation and Interpretation  
          The Role of Theory in the Humanities
          Engaging with Theory: A Sample Annotated Text

Strategies for Close Reading

          Notetaking Steps 
          Close Reading: Sample Annotations and Content/Form-Response Grids 
          Close Reading Practice: Analyzing a Short Story

Structural Conventions in the Humanities

          Using Research Questions to Develop a Thesis
          Developing Effective Thesis Statements 
          Thesis-Driven Structural Templates

Language Conventions in the Humanities

          Descriptive and Rhetorical Language 
          Active Voice
          Hedging

Reference Conventions in the Humanities

          Values Reflected in Citations
          Documentation Styles: MLA and CMS

Genres: Textual Interpretation

          What Is the Rhetorical Context for This Genre?
          Strategies for Writing a Textual Interpretation 
          Writing Project: Textual Interpretation/Analysis 
          Insider Example, Student Interpretation of a Literary Text

Chapter 7 Tip Sheet

Chapter 8. Reading and Writing in the Social Sciences
Research in the Social Sciences 

          The Role of Theory in the Social Sciences
          Research Questions and Hypotheses 
          Methods
          The IRB Process and Use of Human Subjects 

Structural Conventions in the Social Sciences 

          IMRaD Format 
          Abstracts and Other Structural Conventions

Language Conventions in the Social Sciences  

          Active and Passive Voice
          Hedging

Reference Conventions in the Social Sciences 
Genres: Literature Review 

          What Is the Rhetorical Context for This Genre?
          Strategies for Writing a Literature Review 
          Writing Project: Literature Review 
          Insider Example: Student Literature Review

Genres: Theory Response Essay

          What Is the Rhetorical Context for This Genre?
          Strategies for Writing a Theory Response Essay 
          Writing Project: Theory Response Essay 
          Insider Example: Student Theory Response Paper

Genres: Poster Presentation

          What Is the Rhetorical Context for This Genre?
          Strategies for Composing a Poster Presentation 
          Writing Project: Poster Presentation 
          *Insider Example: Professional Poster Presentation

Chapter 8 Tip Sheet

Chapter 9. Reading and Writing in the Natural Sciences 
Research in the Natural Sciences 

          Observation and Description  
          From Description to Speculation
          From Speculation to Research Questions and Hypothesis 
          Research Study Design
          The IRB Process and Use of Human Subjects 

Values Underlying Writing in the Natural Sciences

          Objectivity
          Replicability
          Recency
          Cooperation and Collaboration

Structural Conventions in the Natural Sciences 

          IMRaD Format 
          Other Structural Conventions

Language Conventions in the Natural Sciences 

          Jargon
          Numbers and Other Details
          Active and Passive Voice

Reference Conventions in the Natural Sciences 
Genres: Observation Logbook

          What Is the Rhetorical Context for This Genre?
          Strategies for Working with an Observation Logbook 
          Writing Project: Observation Logbook 
          Insider Example: Student Observation Logbook

Genres: Research Proposal

          What Is the Rhetorical Context for This Genre?
          Strategies for Writing a Research Proposal 
          Writing Project: Research Proposal
          Insider Example: Professional Research Proposal

Genres: Lab Report

          What Is the Rhetorical Context for This Genre?
          Strategies for Composing a Lab Report 
          Writing Project: Lab Report 
          Insider Example: Student Lab Report

Chapter 9 Tip Sheet

Chapter 10. Reading and Writing in the Applied Fields 
Rhetoric and the Applied Fields 
Health Fields

          Insider Example: Discharge Instructions

Education

          Insider Example: Student Lesson Plan

Business

          Insider Example: Student Memorandum

Criminal Justice and Law

          Insider Example: E-Mail Correspondence from Attorney

Engineering  

          *Insider Example: PowerPoint Slides

Information Technology 

          Insider Example: Student Summary of Shift Operations

Writing Project: Genre Analysis of Writing in an Applied Field
*Insider Example: Student Genre Analysis of Electrical and Computer Engineering Standards
Chapter 10 Tip Sheet 

PART THREE. Entering Academic Conversations: Readings and Case Studies
Chapter 11. Constructing Identity: Writing, Language, and the Self
Jimmy Santiago Baca, Coming into Language 
*Jia Tolentino, The I in Internet
*Robin Dembroff and Daniel Wodak, If Someone Wants to Be Called “They” and Not “He” or “She,” Why Say No?

Academic Case Study • The Scholarship of Writing   
Humanities
* Mary Goldschmidt, Writing in the Disciplines: Student Perspectives on Learning Genre

Social Sciences
*Steven M. Toepfer, Kelly Cichy, and Patti Peters, Letters of Gratitude: Further Evidence for Author Benefits

Natural Sciences
*J. S. H. Taylor, Matthew H. Davis, and Kathleen Rastle, Mapping Visual Symbols onto Spoken Language Along the Ventral Visual Stream

Applied Fields
Gavin Fairbairn and Alex Carson, Writing about Nursing Research: A Storytelling Approach 
Writing Project: Contribution to a Scholarly Conversation

Chapter 12. Love Matters: Examining Our Closest Bonds
*Ellen Byron, How the Definition of an American Family Has Changed
*Julie Lythcott-Haims, Kids of Helicopter Parents Are Sputtering Out
*Vikram Zutshi, What “Indian Matchmaking” Tells Us about Love  

Academic Case Study • Perspectives on Love  
Humanities
Warren E. Milteer Jr., The Strategies of Forbidden Love: Family across Racial Boundaries in Nineteenth-Century North Carolina 

Social Sciences
*Jada E. Brooks and Darren D. Moore, African American Young Adult Women’s Stories about Love: What I Want in a Long-Term Partner 

Natural Sciences
Donatella Marazziti and Domenico Canale, Hormonal Changes When Falling in Love 

Applied Fields
*Kristine Johnson, M. Olguta Vilceanu, and Manuel C. Pontes, Use of Online Dating Websites and Dating Apps: Findings and Implications for LGB Populations
Writing Project: Comparative Analysis of Research Methodologies

Chapter 13. Mindful Eating: Food as Culture and Commodity
Michael Pollan, Why Cook?
Gustavo Arellano, Taco USA: How Mexican Food Became More American Than Apple Pie 
*Nneka Okona, Sunday Dinners Are Sacred for African Americans

Academic Case Study • Genetically Modified Food    
Humanities
*Francis Dizon, Sarah Costa, Cheryl Rock, Amanda Harris, Cierra Husk, and Jenny Mei, Genetically Modified (GM) Foods and Ethical Eating

Social Sciences
*Gregory Colson and Wallace E. Huffman, Consumers’ Willingness to Pay for Genetically Modified Foods with Product-Enhancing Nutritional Attributes

Natural Sciences
Aziz Aris and Samuel Leblanc, Maternal and Fetal Exposure to Pesticides Associated to Genetically Modified Foods in Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada 

Applied Fields
*Grant Alexander Wilson and David Di Zhang, The Marketing of Genetically Modified Food with Direct and Indirect Consumer Benefits: An Analysis of Willingness to Pay
Writing Project: Persuasive Narrative  

Chapter 14. Crime and Punishment: Investigating American Justice  
Inimai Chettiar, The Many Causes of America’s Decline in Crime
*Nicki Lisa Cole, Understanding the School-to-Prison Pipeline
*Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Paranoid Style of American Policing

Academic Case Study • Capital Punishment    
Humanities
*Christopher Collins, Final Meals: The Theatre of Capital Punishment

Social Sciences
Benedikt Till and Peter Vitouch, Capital Punishment in Films: The Impact of Death Penalty Portrayals on Viewers’ Mood and Attitude toward Capital Punishment 

Natural Sciences
Teresa A. Zimmers, Jonathan Sheldon, David A. Lubarsky, Francisco López-Muñoz, Linda Waterman, Richard Weisman, and Leonidas G. Koniaris, Lethal Injection for Execution: Chemical Asphyxiation? 

Applied Fields
*Adam Trahan and Kaleigh Laird, The Nexus between Attribution Theory and Racial Attitudes: A Test of Racial Attribution and Public Opinion of Capital Punishment
Writing Project: Evaluative Rhetorical Analysis

Appendix: Introduction to Documentation Styles 
Glossary
Index

Susan Miller-Cochran

Susan Miller-Cochran is the Executive Director of General Education at the University of Arizona, where she is also a Professor of English. Her research focuses on higher education administration and academic labor (especially in writing programs), instructional technology, curricular design, and multilingual writing. She formerly served as Director of the Writing Program at UA (2015-2019), Director of First-Year Writing at North Carolina State University (2007-2015), and a faculty member in English/ESL at Mesa Community College (AZ, 2000-2006). She has also served as a past president of the Council of Writing Program Administrators and a member of the Executive Committee of the Conference on College Composition and Communication. Her work has appeared in over 40 journal articles and book chapters, and she is a co-editor of Composition, Rhetoric, and Disciplinarity (Utah State, 2018); Rhetorically Rethinking Usability (Hampton, 2009); and Strategies for Teaching First-Year Composition (NCTE, 2002).

Roy Stamper

Roy Stamper is a Senior Lecturer in English and Associate Director of the First-Year Writing Program in the Department of English at North Carolina State University, where he teaches courses in composition and rhetoric. He is also academic advisor to the department’s Language, Writing, and Rhetoric majors. He has been recognized as an Outstanding Lecturer as well as an Outstanding Faculty Advisor in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and is a recipient of NC State's New Advisor Award. Prior to his current appointment, he worked as a high school English teacher. He has presented papers at a number of local, regional, and national conferences, including the Conference of the Council of Writing Program Administrators and the Conference on College Composition and Communication.

Stacey Cochran

Stacey Cochran is an Assistant Professor researching innovative teaching practices centered on writing and well-being at the University of Arizona, with dual appointments in English and the office of Student Success and Retention Innovation. He has also served as the Coordinator of Student Success and Wellness in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. His bestselling novel Eddie & Sunny was adapted as a major motion picture in 2021 by Paradox Studios US and Iervolino Entertainment. He was a finalist for the 1998 Dell Magazines Award, a finalist for the 2004 St. Martin's Press/PWA Best First Private Eye Novel Contest, and finalist for the 2011 James Hurst Prize for fiction.

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An Insider's Guide to Academic Writing: A Brief Rhetoric by Susan Miller-Cochran; Roy Stamper; Stacey Cochran - Third Edition, 2022 from Macmillan Student Store

An Insider's Guide to Academic Writing: A Brief Rhetoric

Susan Miller-Cochran; Roy Stamper; Stacey Cochran | Third Edition | 2022 | ISBN:9781319346126

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