From Inquiry to Academic Writing: A Practical Guide with 2021 MLA Update

Preface for Instructors

Brief Contents

How This Book Supports WPA Outcomes for First-Year Composition

1 Starting with Inquiry: Habits of Mind of Academic Writers

What Is Academic Writing?

What Are the Habits of Mind of Academic Writers?

Academic Writers Make Inquiries

       Steps to Inquiry

       A Practice Sequence: Inquiry Activities

Academic Writers Seek and Value Complexity

       *Moves to Model in Academic Writing

       Steps to Seeking and Valuing Complexity

       A Practice Sequence: Seeking and Valuing Complexity

Academic Writers See Writing as a Conversation

       *Moves to Model in Academic Conversations

       Steps to Joining an Academic Conversation

       A Practice Sequence: Joining an Academic Conversation

Academic Writers Understand That Writing Is a Process       

       Collect Information and Material

         Steps to Collecting Information and Material

Draft, and Draft Again

         Steps to Drafting

Revise Significantly

         Steps to Revising

Academic Writers Reflect

         Steps to Reflection

         A Practice Sequence: Reflection Activities

Becoming Academic: Three Narratives

       Ta-Nehisi Coates, from Between the World and Me

       Richard Rodriguez, Scholarship Boy

       *Tara Westover, from Educated

       A Practice Sequence: Composing a Literacy Narrative

2 From Reading as a Writer to Writing as a Reader

Reading as an Act of Composing: Annotating

Reading as a Writer: Analyzing a Text Rhetorically

E. D. Hirsch Jr., Preface to Cultural Literacy

       Identify the Situation

       Identify the Writer’s Purpose

       Identify the Writer’s Claims

            *Moves to Model for Making a Claim

       *Identify the Writer’s Appeals: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

       Identify the Writer’s Audience

            Steps to Analyzing a Text Rhetorically

            A Practice Sequence: Analyzing a Text Rhetorically

*Nick Hanauer, Education Isn’t Enough

       Writing as a Reader: Composing a Rhetorical Analysis

David Tyack, Whither History Textbooks?

       An Annotated Student Rhetorical Analysis

Quentin Collie, A Rhetorical Analysis of "Whither History Textbooks?" (Student Writing)

       Writing a Rhetorical Analysis

Sherry Turkle, The Flight from Conversation

       A Practice Sequence: Writing a Rhetorical Analysis

3 From Writing Summaries and Paraphrases to Writing Yourself into Academic Conversations

Summaries, Paraphrases, and Quotations

Writing a Paraphrase

       Steps to Writing a Paraphrase

       A Practice Sequence: Writing a Paraphrase

Writing a Summary

Clive Thompson, On the New Literacy

       Describe the Key Claims of the Text

       Select Examples to Illustrate the Author’s Argument

       Present the Gist of the Author’s Argument

       Contextualize What You Summarize

            Steps to Writing a Summary

            *Moves to Model for Summarizing

            A Practice Sequence: Writing a Summary

Writing Yourself into Academic Conversations

       Steps to Writing Yourself into an Academic Conversation

       A Practice Sequence: Writing Yourself into an Academic Conversation

Tom Standage, History Retweets Itself

4 From Identifying Claims to Analyzing Arguments

Identifying Types of Claims

Dana Radcliffe, Dashed Hopes: Why Aren’t Social Media Delivering Democracy?

       Identify Claims of Fact

       Identify Claims of Value

       Identify Claims of Policy

            Steps to Identifying Claims

            A Practice Sequence: Identifying Claims

Analyzing Arguments

       Analyze the Reasons Used to Support a Claim

       Identify Concessions

       Identify Counterarguments

            *Moves to Model for Analyzing Arguments

An Annotated Student Argument

Marques Camp, The End of The World May Be Nigh, and It’s the Kindle’s Fault (Student Writing)

       Steps to Analyzing an Argument

       A Practice Sequence: Analyzing an Argument

Susan D. Blum, The United States of (Non)Reading: The End of Civilization or a New Era?

       Recognizing Logical Fallacies

       Analyzing and Comparing Arguments

Stuart Rojstaczer, Grade Inflation Gone Wild

Phil Primack, Doesn’t Anybody Get a C Anymore?       

       A Practice Sequence: Analyzing and Comparing Arguments

5 From Identifying Issues to Forming Questions

Identifying Issues       

       Draw on Your Personal Experience

       Identify What Is Open to Dispute

       Resist Binary Thinking

       Build on and Extend the Ideas of Others

       Read to Discover a Writer’s Frame

       Consider the Constraints of the Situation

            Steps to Identifying Issues

       Identifying Issues in an Essay

Anna Quindlen, Doing Nothing Is Something

       A Practice Sequence: Identifying Issues

Formulating Issue-Based Questions       

       Refine Your Topic

       Explain Your Interest in the Topic

       Identify an Issue

            *Moves to Model for Identifying an Issue

       Formulate Your Topic as a Question

       Acknowledge Your Audience

            Steps to Formulating an Issue-Based Question

            A Practice Sequence: Formulating an Issue-Based Question

Academic Writing for Analysis

*Ronald E. Purser, Mindful Schools

6 From Formulating to Developing a Thesis

Working versus Definitive Theses

Developing a Working Thesis: Four Models

       The Correcting-Misinterpretations Model

       The Filling-the-Gap Model

       The Modifying-What-Others-Have-Said Model

       The Hypothesis-Testing Model

            A Practice Sequence: Identifying Types of Theses

Establishing a Context for a Thesis

An Annotated Student Introduction: Providing a Context for a Thesis

Colin O’Neill, Money Matters: Framing the College Access Debate (Student Writing)

       Establish That the Issue Is Current and Relevant

       Briefly Present What Others Have Said

       Explain What You See as the Problem

       State Your Thesis

            *Moves to Model for Formulating a Thesis

            Steps to Establishing a Context for a Thesis       

       Analyze the Context of a Thesis

Kris Gutiérrez, from Teaching Toward Possibility: Building Cultural Supports for Robust Learning

       *Moves to Model for Developing a Working Thesis

       A Practice Sequence: Building a Thesis

An Annotated Student Essay: Stating and Supporting a Thesis

Veronica Stafford, Texting and Literacy (Student Writing)

7 From Finding to Evaluating Sources

Identifying Sources

       Consult Experts Who Can Guide Your Research

       Develop a Working Knowledge of Standard Sources

       Distinguish between Primary and Secondary Sources

       Distinguish between Popular and Scholarly Sources

            Steps to Identifying Sources

            A Practice Sequence: Identifying Sources

Searching for Sources       

       Perform a Keyword Search

       Try Browsing

            Steps to Searching for Sources

            A Practice Sequence: Searching for Sources

Evaluating Library Sources

       Examine the Table of Contents and Index

       Read the Introductory Sections

       Skim for the Argument

       Check the Notes and Bibliographic References

            Steps to Evaluating Library Sources

            A Practice Sequence: Evaluating Library Sources

*Evaluating Internet and Social Media Sources

       Evaluate the Author of the Content

       Evaluate the Organization That Supports the Content

       Evaluate the Purpose of the Content

       Evaluate the Information

            Steps to Evaluating Internet and Social Media Sources

            A Practice Sequence: Evaluating Internet and Social Media Sources

Writing an Annotated Bibliography

            Steps to Writing an Annotated Bibliography

            A Practice Sequence: Writing an Annotated Bibliography


8 From Synthesis to Researched Argument

Writing a Synthesis

Paul Rogat Loeb, Making Our Lives Count

Anne Colby and Thomas Ehrlich, with Elizabeth Beaumont and Jason Stephens, Undergraduate Education and the Development of Moral and Civic Responsibility

Laurie Ouellette, Citizen Brand: ABC and the Do Good Turn in US Television

       Make Connections among Different Texts

       Decide What Those Connections Mean

       Formulate the Gist of What You’ve Read

            Steps to Writing a Synthesis

            *Moves to Model for Writing a Synthesis

            A Practice Sequence: Writing a Synthesis

*Maryanne Wolf, Skim Reading Is the New Normal

*Maria Gilje Torheim, Do We Read Differently On Paper Than On a Screen?

*Naomi Baron, Do Students Lose Depth in Digital Reading?

Avoiding Plagiarism

       Steps to Avoiding Plagiarism

*Integrating Sources into Your Writing

       *Identify the Source

       *Take an Active Stance

*Using Quotations       

       *Use Signal Phrases to Introduce Quotations

       *Indicate Changes and Omissions in Quotations

       *Set Off Long Quotations as Block Quotations

            *Moves to Model for Integrating Quotations

            Steps to Integrating Sources into Your Writing

            A Practice Sequence: Integrating Quotations

An Annotated Student Researched Argument: Synthesizing Sources

Nancy Paul, A Greener Approach to Groceries: Community-Based Agriculture in LaSalle Square (Student Writing)

       A Practice Sequence: Thinking about Copyright

9 From Ethos and Pathos to Logos: Appealing to Your Readers

Connecting with Readers: A Sample Argument

James W. Loewen, The Land of Opportunity

Appealing to Ethos

       Establish That You Have Good Judgment

       Convey to Readers That You Are Knowledgeable

       Show That You Understand the Complexity of a Given Issue

            Steps to Appealing to Ethos

Appealing to Pathos

       Show That You Know What Your Readers Value

       Use Illustrations and Examples That Appeal to Readers’ Emotions

       Consider How Your Tone May Affect Your Audience

            Steps to Appealing to Pathos

            A Practice Sequence: Appealing to Ethos and Pathos

Appealing to Logos: Using Reason and Evidence to Fit the Situation       

       State the Premises of Your Argument

       Use Credible Evidence

       Demonstrate That the Conclusion Follows from the Premises

            Steps to Appealing to Logos

            *Moves to Model for Appealing to Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

Analyzing the Appeals in a Researched Argument

*Lisa V. Blitz, Denise Yull, and Matthew Clauhs, Bringing Sanctuary to School

       A Practice Sequence: Analyzing the Appeals in a Researched Argument

10 From Analyzing Visuals to Using Them in Writing

Analyzing Visual Advertisements

       Notice Where the Ad Appears

       Identify and Reflect on What Draws Your Attention

       Consider the Ethos of the Ad

       Analyze the Pathos in the Ad

       Understand the Logos of the Ad

            A Practice Sequence: Analyzing the Rhetoric of an Advertisement

*Analyzing Infographics

       *Consider the Images and Text That Draw Your Attention

       *Identify the Organization, Its Ethos, and Framing Concepts

       *Determine the Credibility of the Data

       *Analyze How an Infographic Appeals to Logos

       *Analyze How an Infographic Appeals to Pathos

            Steps to Visual Analysis

            *A Practice Sequence: Analyzing an Infographic

Using Visual Rhetoric: Photographs, Maps, Tables, and Graphs       

       Using Photographs to Provide Context or Stir Emotions

       Using Maps to Make a Point

*Richard Florida, How the One Percent Is Pulling America’s Cities and Regions Apart

       Using Tables to Present Findings

*Amina Chaudhri and William H. Teale, Stories of Multiracial Experiences in Literature for Children, Ages 9–14

       Using Graphs to Visualize Data

            Steps to Using Visuals in Writing an Argument

            A Practice Sequence: Using Visuals to Enhance an Argument

Nathan Jindra, Neighbors Need LaSalle Branch (Student Writing)

11 From Introductions to Conclusions: Drafting an Essay

Drafting Introductions

       The Inverted-Triangle Introduction

       The Narrative Introduction

       The Interrogative Introduction

       The Paradoxical Introduction

       The Minding-the-Gap Introduction

       *The Reframing Introduction

            Steps to Drafting Introductions: Six Strategies

            A Practice Sequence: Drafting an Introduction

Developing Paragraphs

Elizabeth Martínez, from Reinventing "America": Call for a New National Identity

       Use Topic Sentences to Focus Your Paragraphs

       Create Unity in Your Paragraphs

            *Moves to Model for Changing the Conversation        

       Use Critical Strategies to Develop Your Paragraphs

            Steps to Developing Paragraphs

            A Practice Sequence: Working with Paragraphs

Drafting Conclusions

       Echo the Introduction

       Challenge the Reader

       Look to the Future

       Pose Questions

       Conclude with a Quotation

            Steps to Drafting Conclusions: Five Strategies

            A Practice Sequence: Drafting a Conclusion

Analyzing Strategies for Writing: From Introductions to Conclusions

Barbara Ehrenreich, Cultural Baggage

12 From Revising to Editing: Working with Peer Groups

Revising versus Editing

The Peer Editing Process

            Steps in the Peer Editing Process

Peer Groups in Action: A Sample Session

An Annotated Student Draft

Rebecca Jegier, Student-Centered Learning: Catering to Students’ Impatience (Student Writing)

Working with Early Drafts       

       Understand the Writer’s Responsibilities

       Understand the Reader’s Responsibilities

       Analyze an Early Draft

Tasha Taylor, Memory through Photography (early draft)

Working with Later Drafts       

       Understand the Writer’s Responsibilities

       Understand the Reader’s Responsibilities

       Analyze a Later Draft

Tasha Taylor, Memory through Photography (later draft)

Working with Final Drafts

       Understand the Writer’s Responsibilities

       Understand the Reader’s Responsibilities

       Analyze a Near-Final Draft

Tasha Taylor, Memory through Photography (near-final draft)

       Further Suggestions for Peer Editing Groups

13 Other Methods of Inquiry: Interviews and Focus Groups

Why Do Original Research?

Getting Started: Writing an Idea Sheet

A Student’s Annotated Idea Sheet

Dan Grace, Idea Sheet for Parent/Child Autism Study (Student Writing)

Writing a Proposal

       Describe Your Purpose

       Review Relevant Research

       Define Your Method

       Discuss Your Implications

       Include Additional Materials That Support Your Research

       Establish a Timeline

            Steps to Writing a Proposal

An Annotated Student Proposal

Laura Hartigan, Proposal for Research: The Affordances of Multimodal, Creative, and Academic Writing (Student Writing)

Interviewing

       Plan the Interview

       Prepare Your Script

            *Moves to Model for Interviewing       

       Conduct the Interview

       Make Sense of the Interview

       Turn Your Interview into an Essay

            Steps to Interviewing

Using Focus Groups       

       Select Participants for the Focus Group

       Plan the Focus Group

       Prepare Your Script

       Conduct the Focus Group

       Interpret the Data from the Focus Group

       Important Ethical Considerations

            Steps for Conducting a Focus Group

Appendix: Citing and Documenting Sources

Index of Authors, Titles, and Key Terms

The ebook has been updated to give your students the latest guidance on documenting sources in MLA style and follows the guidelines set forth in the MLA Handbook, 9th edition (April 2021).

Achieve with From Inquiry to Academic Writing provides a dedicated composition space to guide students through drafting, peer review, source check, reflection, and revision.  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. Developed to support best practices in commenting on student drafts, Achieve includes an e-book, fully editable pre-built assignments that support the book’s approach, reading comprehension quizzes, and other interactive materials. For details, visit macmillanlearning.com/college/us/englishdigital.

New “Moves to Model” boxes prompt students to analyze and try out the rhetorical moves of professional writers and scholars. Appearing throughout the text, these boxes use examples from the reading selections to demonstrate specific rhetorical moves such as summarizing, making a claim, and conceding a point. Then, sentence guides prompt students to try out those moves in their own writing. The result is a toolkit of models for students to work from and a jumping-off point for instructors to discuss issues of style.

Nine new and relevant selections provide eye-opening and engaging reading for students. For example,

• Tara Westover explores the tension between her ambition to be educated and her ideas of what it means to be a woman;
• Ronald Purser questions the effects of the growing mindfulness movement in schools; and
• Naomi Baron explores the question of whether we learn more from reading in print than we do from reading digitally.

An even stronger emphasis on considering multiple perspectives helps students analyze and integrate complex points of view, moving them beyond binary thinking. The fifth edition includes expanded advice for analyzing appeals (Chapter 2), integrating ideas from sources while avoiding plagiarism (Chapter 8), using quotations and signal phrases (Chapter 8), and assessing the accuracy and credibility of sources and visuals (Chapters 7 and 10).

A thoroughly revised Chapter 10 on visual rhetoric helps students make sense of the many visual arguments they encounter. The chapter includes new examples and a new section on analyzing infographics.