Writing Across the Curriculum
Program
Appalachian State University
Georgia Rhoades
Dennis Bohr
Topics to Include in a WAC
Writing About Writing Approach
 Rhetorical Analysis of texts in different disciplines
 Writing in different formats for different purposes
 Essay
 Sciences report format
 Abstract
 Alternative Media for a variety of formats
Brochure
Powerpoint/ Prezi
Website
Film/ video
Live performance (song, dance, play)
 MLA and APA documentation with general
information about other styles
 Literacy Narrative
 Sciences Report (Primary & Secondary
Research)
 Rhetorical Analysis
 Digital Media
 Reflective Letter/ Essay
Rhetorical Analysis
“An examination of how well the components of an argument work together
to persuade or move an audience” (Lunsford and Ruszkiewicz, Everything’s
an Argument, 1045).
Speaker/Writer
Credibility, Authority,
Correctness, Appearance
Audience
Beliefs, Values,
Knowledge, Experience
Message/Subject
Information, Argument, Reasons,
Evidence, Data, Structure
Exigence: an issue, problem, or situation that causes or prompts someone to
write or speak; the occasion or demand for writing
This essay with headings will be a rhetorical analysis of
the article from your major field. In your paper, offer a
detailed analysis of these different aspects: you will
write in basic essay format but use headings and MLA,
APA, or the style used by your discipline, if you prefer.
Find information about the author, about the context of
the article or book chapter, and, if possible, the place of
the author in the field. Explain how this article fits into
the work of the field (if you have information from your
interview or from research, include it). Analyze the
exigence of the article, explaining why it was written
and how it is important to the conversation of the field.
(For example, the writer might be explaining something
she or he has discovered and reporting on it, or the
writer might be trying to convince the readers.)
I.
What is the writer’s main idea and how is it developed? This overview
will help readers understand the context for your analysis.
II.
Examine the rhetorical triangle:
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Explain how the writer establishes credibility by citing his or her
credentials, using examples. If you have other information about the
writer’s work, include it here and cite it. What is the writer’s attitude
toward the subject and the audience? Explain claims with analysis.
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Audience: Who is the audience the writer is addressing and how do you
know? What does this audience already know and what does it need to
know? What kinds of evidence does the writer assume will convince the
readers? Use the text to explain your conclusions.
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Subject: What is the subject of the piece and how is it delineated? What
can you tell about the writer and the audience from the choice and
limitations of the subject?
III. Analyze the appeals of the writer’s argument or
presentation of the subject. Be specific about using
the text to support your analysis. Does the writer
focus the argument on himself or herself (ethos), on
feelings (pathos), or on the ideas (logos)?
 Ethos: Character/ background of speaker: Is this person
credible? Trustworthy? What is the person’s bias? What
do you know about him/ her that would influence your
interpretation?
 Pathos: Emotional appeal: What emotions are appealed
to? How? Is this effective? For whom?
 Logos: Logic and reason: What logic, reasons, facts,
statistics are presented? What evidence is used to
convince the audience?
http://www.kcsb.
org/category/pub
licaffairs/page/3/
Annotated
Bibliography
/ Literature
Review
Narratives
Reflection
Personal
Responses
Memos/
Emails
Brochures/
Newsletters
Argument
Briefs
I.E.P.s/
Planning
Case Studies
Portfolios
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Theater
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Sociology
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Psychology
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Political Science
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Nursing
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Music
Health, Leisure & Exercise Science
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History
Film
Geography & Planning
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Engineering, Technology & Computer Sciences
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Social Work
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Sciences
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Education
Criminal Justice
Communication Sciences & Disorders
Composition
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Literature
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Journalism
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Business
Art
Reports
Analysis
Reviews/
Evaluations
Research
Proposals
Presentation
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Write a researched, documented paper about the writing done in
your major. Focus on the type of writing you will do in this field
(in college and beyond) to determine if this is an appropriate
major for you.
For this paper, you will pull together two areas of research:
 Primary research from interviews and observations
 Interview someone majoring in the field, a faculty
member, and a professional in the field. Attach the
questions in an appendix and document the material,
including transcripts.
 Include an observation of a lecture, class visit, etc.
 Secondary research into writing in your major, from
university catalogs and websites that offer information
about writing in your major. All material must be
documented correctly.
Write in report format, with the following sections and headings:
 Introduction/ Background—Explain what discipline you chose
and why; who/ what motivated you to choose this field; the kind of
work required; and an introduction to how writing is used in the
field.
 Methods—Describe the methods and sources you used, and explain
why you chose these methods:
 Whom did you talk to?
 Why did you choose to interview them?
 What are their qualifications as experts?
 What secondary sources did you find?
 Why were these sources important to you?
 Results —Discuss the findings from your research:
 What did you learn from the interviews?
 What did you learn about the discipline?
 What did you learn about writing in this field?
 What articles were recommended and what are they
about?
 What else did you learn from your research?
 Interpretations/ Conclusion—Discuss what you learned in
your study and explain the kinds of writing skills that will be
necessary in your major.
 What did you learn? How does this information affect your
decision to major in this field?
Document your paper by using in-text citations for all borrowed
material and include a References page, using APA
documentation.
 APA (the American Psychological Association) is
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commonly used in the social sciences (psychology,
geography and planning, sociology).
MLA (the Modern Language Association) is commonly
used in the humanities (English, art, theater). Individual
teachers and departments may prefer different styles of
documentation, but APA and MLA are the most common
types.
Primary/ field research (firsthand knowledge) refers to
research conducted by you: interviews, observations,
surveys, experiments, notes, art you examine, eyewitness
accounts, and news reports.
Secondary research refers to research you use that someone
else has done: books, articles, biographies, researchers’
reports, book reviews, web sites and other Internet sources.
In-text citations or parenthetical citations are references to
the sources you use in the text of the paper.
Similarities between MLA and APA:
 All borrowed material whether you quote directly, paraphrase, or
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summarize MUST BE CITED in the text of the paper and on a
Works Cited page (MLA) or a References page (APA).
Both MLA and APA require double-spacing throughout the paper.
Works Cited (MLA) and Reference (APA) page entries should be
listed alphabetically by author’s last name. If there is no author
listed, alphabetize by the first key word of the article’s title. If the
author of an article is unknown, use all or part of the title in your
in-text citation.
Any source cited in the text of the paper MUST appear on the
References or Works Cited page; any source listed on the
References or Works Cited page MUST be cited in the text.
Parenthetical citations should clearly point to specific sources on
the Works Cited or References page: the in-text citation should
directly correspond to the first word on the Works Cited or
References page.
All lines after the first line of an entry on the References or Works
Cited page should be indented five spaces from the left margin
(one tab space).
 The heading Works Cited or References should appear
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on a separate page, centered; do not underline,
italicize, bold face, or put the words in quotes.
Running acknowledgements to introduce borrowed
material (“According to Dennis Bohr…”) will make
citations easier.
In both MLA and APA, integrate quotes into the paper
smoothly. Do not drop quotes in whole without a lead
in or without explanation.
Short quotations are integrated into the body of the
paper using quotation marks, and the punctuation
follows the parenthetical citation (for both MLA and
APA).
Longer quotations (more than four typed lines in
MLA; 40 words or more in APA) are indented one inch
from the left margin; do not use quotation marks;
final punctuation comes after the last word of the
sentence, not the citation.
Differences between MLA and APA:
 In MLA, if you mention the author in the text of the paper, you cite only
the page number at the end of the borrowed material:
According to Dennis Bohr, Wheaties is a Communist conspiracy
(22).
 In MLA, if the author’s name is not included in the text, cite the name and
page number in parentheses directly after the borrowed material:
Wheaties is a Communist conspiracy (Bohr 22).
 In APA, when the author’s name is used in the text of the paper, the year is
placed directly after it in parentheses; the page number is cited at the end
of the borrowed material (using ‘p.’ and the page number). Page numbers
are required in APA and MLA when you quote directly; in APA,
paraphrases do not require page numbers, but they are suggested for
clarity:
(p. 22).
According to Bohr (2009), Wheaties is a Communist conspiracy
Wheaties is a Communist conspiracy (Bohr, 2009, p. 22).
 MLA: On the Works Cited page, the entry should list the author’s last
name, then first name, separated by a comma (Bohr, Dennis.).
 APA: On the References page, the entry would contain the author’s last
name, and then the first initial only, separated by a comma (Bohr, D.).
One major difference between MLA and APA citations on the Works
Cited or References pages involves capitalization of titles:
 In MLA, capitalize titles according to standard
capitalization rules:
Bohr, Dennis. Macbeth: The Play That Dare Not Speak Its
Name.
 In APA, in the text of the paper, follow standard
capitalization rules.
 In APA, on the References page, capitalization varies
according to the type of work you are citing:
 For books, capitalize only the first word of the title and the
first word after a colon. Italicize or underline the title.
(Proper nouns and adjectives are still capitalized.)
Bohr, D. (2013). Macbeth: The play that dare not speak its name.
 For journal articles, the same capitalization rules apply, but
do not italicize the title or use quotation marks for it. (Note
that proper names are still capitalized.)
Bohr, D. (2013). The effect of Communism on the consumption of
Wheaties. Wheaties and Communists illustrated. Boone, NC: Black
Sheep Publishers.
 For periodical titles, capitalize AND italicize as you normally
would:
Wheaties and Communists Illustrated
MLA Citation
Cullick, Jonathan S., and Terry Myers Zawacki. Writing in the Disciplines;
Advice and Models. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2011. Print.
APA Citation
Cullick, J.S., & Zawacki, T.M. (2011). Writing in the disciplines: Advice and
models. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s.