In Academic Writing, Janet Giltrow provides various examples of academic writing from a wide variety of disciplines. Her goal is not to teach universal sets of rules and expectations, but rather to examine academic writing through the lens of genre.
For this assignment, each student must choose a genre of writing, select a suitable topic, and develop an appropriate thesis to argue in a 4-5 page essay. No formal research is necessary. However, on an additional sheet, please cite 2-3 examples of your chosen genre using APA or MLA format - works that you have consulted to determine the audience, purpose, and even the rules or expectations of your chosen genre, and models for your own composition.
Additionally, if you want to choose a genre that is more "daring," please send me a note first. Given that this is the first essay in the course, I am open to some of the less traditional genres (movie review essays, music review essays, magazine journalism). Your choice is limited only by your ability to determine appropriate models for your own work.