Writing Workshop for ECS 15 Melissa Bender WAC Consultant University Writing Program

Term paper components  Prospectus (1-2 pages)  Progress Report (2-3 pages)  Draft (2 + pages)  Revised Paper (9+ pages)

Analyze the assignment  Highlight the assignment  Note stages & requirements The better you complete each stage, the more useful feedback you will get.

Writing process: draft & revision  Draft = explore & discover  Re-vision = evaluate & make changes at the “global” level  Editing = make “local” changes  Proofreading = make “micro-local” changes (checking for errror)

Turn off the inner critic (temporarily)  Take risks  Focus on developing ideas  Don’t interrupt thinking to edit  Use writing as tool for inquiry

Requirements  Select a topic on the use of computers that relates to your major or a field that interests you.  Write a 2500 word term paper.

Narrowing the field of possibility  What are the parameters?  A limited amount of research  Authority derived from your own experience/education  A limited amount of words (2500)

Three topic development stages  Interest Area  Focus Area  Research question

Interest area: computers in education  Focus by discipline

Interest area: computers in education  Focus by discipline  Focus by students, e.g. K-12 or college  Focus by potential teaching techniques  Focus on specific effects

Interest area: computer crime

 Focus by specific crimes, e.g. identity theft, damage to software (viruses, worms, hacking)  Focus by perpetrator of the crime  Focus by motivations for crime  Focus on specific techniques

Interest area: computers and business

 Focus by type of business, e.g., banks, retail, large corporations, e- commerce  Focus by functions

Develop a research question Topic Area:Computers and education Focus Area:University level Research Question:How have computer-aided classrooms changed the student/instructor relationship?

Focusing exercise  Pair up with someone in class.  Explain a topic that interests you and why (2 minutes)  Write 3-5 questions that interest you about this topic.  Try to state them as how or why questions  Pick one and write 3 sub-questions  (5 minutes)  In pairs, explain the focused topic (2 minutes)

Required components  Intro: explains the problem or question  Describe the topic: present research results in detail  Discussion or analysis  Answer the analytic question you posed  Conclusion: summarize main points & maybe go beyond: explain significance

Research process  Look for recent academic articles (more recent research than books)  Look for a review of the literature: synthesis of findings on a topic  Assess the validity of sources  Base all opinions on valid research as evidence

Research help  Computer Science Research database  Phoebe Ayers, Computer Science subject librarian at the PSE Library:

Integrating material from sources When to quote?  Infrequently  Only when exact words are necessary to your argument  If you quote, make it as brief as possible

References  Cite sources in text in APA format  Bibliography or Works Cited  TIPS:  Keep track of sources as you research and write  Distinguish quotes from paraphrases in your notes and drafts