Identifying a discipline and an issue (350-500 words)
This entry is meant to help you begin to identify and think through a problem for project 1. You can use this entry to answer any, all, or none of the questions listed below; they are merely there to try to generate thinking about the issues and definitions we are dealing with in the first writing project.
Since this course is rooted in disciplinary understandings of writing and research, it will be important for you to identify with and try to understand a discipline, especially for this first writing project. Some generative questions you might think about include: By what name would you call the discipline you have joined or hope to join? Who are the members of this discipline? What job titles do they hold? Are there key or famous members? What kinds of writing do people in your discipline undertake? What are your discipline’s publications (academic journals, trade magazines, blogs, listservs)? What kinds of issues do people in your discipline care about? Are there regulatory bodies? Etc.
You may also find that this entry is best utilized by beginning to work through the problem you’re interested in (especially if you already feel strongly rooted in, or have extensive experience in, your discipline). When looking for a problem, do so by using your discipline as a guide. Generative question: What types of problems do individuals in your discipline routinely engage? When you identify this problem you will need to address the following: Why is this important to fix or address? Who does it affect? What kinds of insights into this problem does your discipline offer?
