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Order Description

 

Locate three substantial pieces of professional writing in the style you have chosen. Focus as best you can on the most important kinds of writing in the field. Don’t
be afraid to ask an expert for help. Look for the most representative sources you can find. Once you’ve located your sources, use the questions below to analyze them.

Structure and Style
Is there a standard format or typical structure for the whole writing or any part of it?
What sorts of transitions predominate? How long are the paragraphs and how are they typically structured? Do most paragraphs have topic sentences (and if so, where)?
How long are most of the writings in your sample? How long and difficult are the words and sentences? What is the level of readability? Do any particular sentence
patterns stand out ?

To what extend are there overt figures of speech? Is there a standard jargon? How formal is the usage and diction? Is there a common persona that the writers adopt?
What unique features does this discourse have which were not elicited by the preceding questions?

Rhetorical Context
What basic purpose does the writing serve? Are distinct purposes emphasized in different parts? What specific functions does this type of writing serve within its
discourse community?
Who is the audience? What assumptions do the writers seem to be making about the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and vested interests of the readers?
Where is this type of writing usually published? Is it likely to be read casually or seriously, for entertainment or for use? How would you name and describe the
discourse community that reads this type of writing?

WRITING
Support your answers to the above questions with specific examples from your sources. Then, arrange those answers into a manual addressed to writers who are just
beginning work in the field that you’ve chosen. Think about what you wish you had known when you first found out about this field, and provide that information for
future writers. Revise to ensure your own manual is suited to an appropriate audience, and that its style reflects that audience.

Documentation & Submission
Use your discipline’s conventional documentation style (e.g., MLA; APA; Chicago) consistently to attribute information and expression of ideas to your sources.