Assignment Description

In our first unit, you carefully and critically considered a specific example of writing in your discipline and worked to analyze its features and functions, the special ways itcommunicated knowledge to its specific audience, the special ways it presented ideas andinformation, the ways it represented the discursive interests of an interdisciplinary audience.

Our second unit asks you to write an original document to which someone might refer forguidance or instruction. Ideally, this person would be a professional in the disciplines familiar toyou from Unit 1, and especially your own discipline, because then you can further yourunderstanding of communication in this discipline. (But while this is desired, it is not required; it in fact may be difficult for you, given your developing disciplinary expertise, to accurately write such a document.) Depending on your disciplinary interests, a variety of reference documents can be written, including technical specifications, instructional documents, maps, guides, user manuals, technical memoranda, laboratory protocols, charts, tables. There may be other possibilities you know better than I, and I welcome your suggestions.

Your document should ideally address a specific problem or gap in knowledge faced by its specific audience. It should work carefully, cogently, precisely, and appealingly to fill that gap or solve that problem. Upon reading your document, your audience should know, feel, understand, conceptualize, or be able to do something specific it could not before.

You'll make your own choice of reference document you'd like to write. Find a gap in knowledge that needs a reference document and fill it. Examples: a conference poster reporting research results; a table of performance values; a set of specifications on how to install a device; a set of specifications for computer code; a research protocol; instructions for a grant application; a guide to operating a spectrophotometer; a map of voter patterns over time. You are encouraged (though not required) to pick a topic for your reference documentation that is related to your work in Unit 1, and indeed to continue your concentration in a topic through your writing for the term. You might choose to work on a reference document related to co-op. Students often report that orienting or instructional documents for new co-op students are often needed at a workplace, but scarce or poorly written. Revision of an existing reference document from co-op or other workplace is also a good opportunity as is, of course, the composition of something entirely new that fills a specific need. You might choose to work on a document that serves an organization on campus.

If an original and technically accurate document in your discipline-which may require research, and so can draw on library or other resources to which I'll point you, if necessary- seems beyond your comfortable grasp at this time, you might consider writing a reference document for which you can draw on your own certain expertise and interests: a set of specifications for painting your room, a map of best

Bloggy Assignment (about 300 words or so)

1. What is the problem you want to solve with your reference document, or gap you want to fill? Who are your readers? What should they be able to do, know, feel, or understand upon reading your document?

2. What is the nature of the reference document you'll be making: instructional document, map, specifications sheet, brochure, chart, atlas? Will this be an electronic document? A print document? Why? What will be the conditions of use by the reader: in the field, at a desk, on screen? What visual elements should it include?

3. To whom will you address your cover document? Why?