Chapter 1

            Chapter 1 was about getting started on your research paper. It addresses how to research and write with confidence, and how to choose an appropriate topic. Researching with confidence involves taking ownership of your project, understanding the research writing processes, learning how to work with sources, learning how to develop a position, understanding genre and design, understanding the importance of readers and context, being aware of new technological opportunities and challenges, and preparing to manage your time.

            The steps to choosing an appropriate topic are:

1)    Analyze Your Assignment – ask questions like: Who are my readers and why would they read my document? What will influence me and what will influence my readers? What type of document am I writing? What contexts will affect my work on the document? What role will I adopt towards my readers? What will affect my ability to work on this project?

2)    Generate Ideas About Appropriate Topics – do things like: Brainstorming, Freewriting, Looping, and Clustering

3)    Consider Your Writing Situation

It’s also important to remember to do things like creating a research log, create a project timeline, know your purpose, analyze your audience, and generate ideas about a topic.