Assignment: Read Good Writers, Become a Better Writer

Before a personal trainer can develop a workout and nutrition plan, he or she will meet with the client, ask questions, and determine the client's current strength and ability. Writing instructors use a similar process to help students "diagnose" their writing strengths and weaknesses and develop a training plan!

A diagnostic writer's response is intended to help you and your professor learn more about your individual writing strengths and weaknesses. The feedback you will receive from your professor will help you think more about your writing and what you need to address to strengthen your personal, academic, and professional communication.

Step 1: Select an article relevant to your field of study from one of the following Professional Websites. If your field of study is not listed here or if you do not find an article in one of these websites you wish to use, visit the Occupational Outlook Handbook and locate a different professional website that you find more interesting or relevant to you and your field of study.
Read the article and apply what you have learned about effective reading and writing to complete this assignment.

Step 2: Identify the author, title and publication information for your article. Identify the article's audience and purpose, and summarize the main points in the article in your own words.
Next, analyze what the author does to develop or support these main points.
Then, analyze the effectiveness of the article. Identify 1-2 specific qualities of the article you read that you find to be effective, given the author's audience and purpose.

Your submission should be organized into 3 well-developed paragraphs with an introductory paragraph, body paragraph, and concluding paragraph. The essay should be approximately 1-2 and 1/2 double spaced pages in length.