INI204Y1 Syllabus

INI 204Y The Academic Writing Process 2008-09

Instructor: Roger Riendeau
Innis College, Room 315
Phone: 978-7789
Email: roger.riendeau@utoronto.ca

Class Schedule
I. The Nature and Context of Academic Writing
A. A Standard for Academic Writing
B. A Sense of Purpose and Audience

II. Focusing
A. Critical Thinking and Argument
B. Choosing and Defining a Topic
C. Formulating a Thesis

III. Scholarly Research
A. Searching for Sources
B. Critically Reading and Evaluating Sources
C. Writing a Critical Review

IV. Strategic Planning for a Research Essay
A. Outlining the Presentation
B. Writing a Research Proposal

V. The Structure of a Research Essay
A. The Introduction: Strategic Openings
B. The Introduction: Thesis Statement
C. The Body: Paragraph Development
D. The Body: Explaining or Arguing a Point
E. The Conclusion: Conveying Meaning or Relevance

VI. Argumentation and Persuasion
A. The Nature of Evidence
B. The Use and Abuse of Fact
C. The Use and Abuse of Authority
D. Sound Logic and Fallacious Reasoning

VII. The Finished Copy
A. Scholarly Expression and Style
B. Documentation and Plagiarism
C. Revision and Final Manuscript Form

Assignment Schedule

Required Readings
The essential reading material for this course is available on the INI204Y page of my website www.rogerriendeau.com. The Online Resources link includes the websites of various Writing Centres or Labs, Writing Programs and courses, Philosophy courses on Critical Thinking and Logic, and books on Writing and Rhetoric. Exploration of these websites will reveal a substantial volume of information of varying relevance to INI204Y. I will give you direction on the navigation of these websites and the use of their resources throughout the year either during class or through the Class Discussion Forum on my website.

Suggested Readings
Similarly books on Writing and Rhetoric are numerous and of varying quality. I have listed a few of my favorite texts below which you may wish to read but which I do not expect you to purchase. Indeed, excerpts from these texts are available on my website under the link Assigned Readings in the website Forum.

Browne, M. Neil and Stuart M. Keeley. 2004. Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking. 7th edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.

Flage, Daniel. 2004.The Art of Questioning: An Introduction to Critical Thinking. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall

Kennedy, Mary Lynch. 2001. Reading and Writing in the Academic Community. 3rd edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Rottenberg, Annette T. 2003. Structure of Argument. 4th edition. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

----. 2003. Elements of Argument: A Text and Reader. 7th edition. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Thiroux, Emily. 1999. The Critical Edge: Thinking and Writing in a Virtual Society. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.

Wood, Nancy V. 2004. Perspectives on Argument. 4th edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Notes:
This course is an exercise in disciplined and organized writing. Moreover, the instructor needs sufficient time to evaluate each assignment and to provide meaningful comments. Accordingly, unless documented justification is provided, each assignment must be submitted by the due date, or it will be subject to a penalty of one full grade for every three days of lateness.

Section B.1. of the University of Toronto’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters stipulates:
It shall be an offence for a student knowingly:
(d) to represent as one's own any idea or expression of an idea or work of another in any academic examination or term test or in connection with any other form of academic work, i.e. to commit plagiarism ...;
(e) to submit, without the knowledge and approval of the instructor to whom it is submitted, any academic work for which credit has previously been obtained or is being sought in another course or program of study in the University or elsewhere….

The common penalty for these kinds of academic offences (often determined by the Office of the Dean of Arts and Science) is a grade of zero (0) for the entire course and a notation of the violation on the student’s transcript.