The required readings for this deadline (D#2) were mostly geared towards how to effectively choose a topic for a research paper. In considering a topic for my own research paper, several points, or themes, from these readings are prominent contributors to my process of topic selection.
The author needs to be "focused and engaged with the project" (Guilford, 2007, Choosing a Subject). A topic that is uninteresting to the author will likely produce prose that is uninteresting to the reader. When an author chooses a personally engaging topic, she/he naturally invests more personal resources in the project, leading to a final draft that is more informed, comprehensive, and sensitive to various aspects of the issue. These ideas reminded that to complete this course with a successful writing project, I need take time to choose a topic that is personally engaging, and avoid picking a topic just to get the assignment done.
The perspective of the author is one component of the rhetorical situation. One way to look at the relevance of the author's perspective to the rhetorical situation is through kairotic analysis, in which time and space components are compared to the project's (and the author's) purpose, audience, and context. I will use this technique when I begin the topic-selection process later today. It will help me in choosing a topic that is appropriate and relevant to my current life situation.
When I begin choosing a topic, I will be utilizing many of the specific techniques described in the readings. These include brainstorming, freewriting, and concept mapping. These techniques will help me to "zero in" on topics that are relevant to the rhetorical situation, and reject those topics that are not.
All of these ideas contribute to the first of the course competencies, writing for specific rhetorical concepts.
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