ENGL 1551J - Writing 2
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 01, CRN 43963,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Russell Brickey
Email: rwbrickey@ysu.edu
Course Description
This course builds upon students’ knowledge of the writing process and rhetorical concepts as they conduct scholarly inquiry on a specific topic using academic research. The course emphasizes the process of investigation including identifying problems to explore with research, collecting data from primary and/or secondary sources, synthesizing source material, and clearly presenting the results of these inquiries in a research-based argument. Students write a minimum of 5,000 words (approximately 20 double-spaced pages) cumulatively across the major assignments. Grading is ABCDF. English 1551 is three semester hours. Prereq.: ENGL 1549 with a grade of "C" or better or ENGL 1550 with a grade of "C" or better or ACT/SAT scores or Composition Placement Test results. 3 s.h.
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings | Deborah Bertsch |
This is an electronic book and included with Blackboard.
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Schedule of Topics and Assignments
| Week of | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/24 | Syllabus & In Class Writings Laptop or Writing PapeRead “Writing with Generative AI” and “Reporting Information” (All Readings from Norton Field Guide under Course Content in Blackboard).r |
Intro to Research | Style, Grammar, & Syntax Evaluation Grammar Exercise |
| 8/31 | Read “Describing” and “Explaining Processes” and “Reading in Academic Contexts” | Introduction to Academic Research Writing | Short Annotations & Research |
| 9/7 | Read “Describing” and “Explaining Processes” and “Reading in Academic Contexts” | Descriptive Writing | Description Practice Paragraph |
| 9/14 | Read “Analyzing Texts” | Peer Review Workship | Tues 9/15: Bring Draft to Class for Workshop Thurs 9/17: Observation Report Due |
| 9/21 | Read “Part 2 Rhetorical Situations (Purpose, Audience, Genre, Stance, Media/Design)” | Basics of Audience & Meta Analysis | Audience Analysis Writing |
| 9/28 | Read “Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing” and “Acknowledging Sources, Avoiding Plagiarism” | Basics of Summary & Paraphrase | Summary #1 Paraphrase #1 |
| 10/5 | No Reading | Workshop & Drafting | Tue 10/6: Bring Draft of Issue Analysis Thur 10/8: Issue Analysis Due |
| 10/12 | Article by Justin Bariso (link provided in Blackboard) |
Intro to Annotation | Review of Bariso Article |
| 10/19 | Read “Annotated Bibliographies and Reviews of Scholarly Literature” | Evaluation of Annotated Bibliography | Paraphrase Exercise #2 Summary Paraphrase #2 |
| 10/26 | Read “Writing as Inquiry” and “Drafting” | Intro to Argumentation & Inquiry | In-Class Evaluation & Brainstorming |
| 11/2 | Read “Proposals” | Intro to Academic Proposal Writing | In-Class Writing |
| 11/9 | Read “Assessing Your Own Writing” | Begin assessment | Tue 11/10: Bring Draft of Bibliography Thurs 11/12: Bibliography Due |
| 11/16 | Read “Editing and Proofreading” | Editing | Take Home Proofreading Exercise |
| 11/23 | Tues: In Class Drafting Thurs: THANKSGIVING |
Tues: In Class Drafting Thurs: THANKSGIVING |
Tues: In Class Drafting Thurs: THANKSGIVING |
| 11/30 | Read “Reflecting on Your Writing” | Reflection | Work On Draft |
| 12/7 | No Readings Bring Drafts to Class for Informal Work & Review |
Work on Draft & Reflective Writing | No Readings; Work on Draft FINAL PAPER DUE DURING FINALS WEEK Reflective Writing Due |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.