Your Discipline, Your Constraints

This week we’ll be researching and constructing a disciplined survey. During this survey, we will also review the following in your chosen field:

academic training

accessibility and usability

apprentice to expert skills writing in the disciplines

Please answer the following questions. I recommend copying and pasting this form into a Word document, fill in your answers, and then upload your document.

Description of Your Field: (Ethos, Rhetor, Topic)

1 Your major (or intended major)

2 Your intended career/occupation Try to get as specific as you can at this stage–even if you’re unsure.

3 Explanation of how your major and occupation connect. (Think of the pathway of graduation, recruitment, job placement, etc.)

Skill Building: (Ethos, Purpose, Context)

1. Is there a “next step” (certificate, further training, graduate school) after graduation?

2 Are there “levels”/positions of your occupation? Briefly, what are they? 3 How and when do you become an “expert” in your field? What skills/requirements/experience must you have? (For instance, some jobs consider you an expert if you have a specific degree or training before you even begin work–other fields it may take decades.)

4 What are some top “skills” required for your chosen occupation?

Academic Writing: (Ethos, Purpose, Context)

1 What research databases do your field/major use most often?

2 What citation style does your field/major/particular occupation use the most?

3 What kinds of writing are expected of you during your major courses? (There may be multiple documents, so choose a handful as examples. This may require you to view the course catalog or class descriptions or surveying an advisor. Examples of such documents may be literature reviews, lab reports, grant proposal, etc.)

Writing in the Discipline: (Logos, Context, Audience)

1 Where does writing “happen” in your field? (Doctors’ offices? Client or customer interaction? Administration paperwork?)

2 What types of writing, communication, and documentation does your field/occupation require?

3 What documents or texts will you (in your chosen occupation) need to know how to write? (For example, funding proposals.)

4 What documents or texts will you (in your chosen occupation) need to know how to analyze/read? (For example, a lab test.)

Do you feel confident in your writing skills? What do you feel the most confident about in terms of writing skills? The least?