ENGL& 102 - Composition II

• Communication

• Fulfills Think General Education Requirement

1. Write an argumentative or expository research paper of 3000-5000 words that draws on 8-12 sources.
2. Synthesize an extensive mix of scholarly and substantive sources to support a thesis.
3. Organize a complex discussion clearly and logically.
4. Address multiple or competing perspectives in the essay.
5. Leverage technology, including library databases and the internet, to gather information relevant to a research question.
6. Evaluate sources as credible or not-recognizing markers of extremism, sensationalism, conspiracy, and bias.
7. Produce writing that avoids plagiarism.
8. Cite sources correctly using one of the major citation methods.
9. Edit writing for appropriate diction, tone, grammar, and mechanics.

1. The importance, scope, and use of scholarship both inside and outside academia.
2. The content of and how to conduct research in college and university libraries, a variety of electronic databases, and on the internet; types of periodicals; the reliability and authority of different sources.
3. Investigation of major print and electronic sources; how to identify bias in all sources, including media.
4. The validity and credibility of arguments and reasoning, including the characteristics of sound arguments and fallacies in reasoning. The burden of proof.
5. The validity and credibility of evidence, including but ot limited to scientific data, statistics, and texts. This includes the use and misuse of data, stats, and texts, as well as inappropriate comparisons and how evidence is generated.
6. Development and writing of an argument paper, to include: selecting a topic; developing a bibliography; narrowing a topic; writing a thesis statement; developing an outline; taking notes; writing and revising rough drafts; incorporating in-text citations in the draft; avoiding plagiarism; avoiding errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation; writing a final draft that is neat, typed or word-processed, and proofread.