Directed Research

This course equips students with the research and writing skills needed to succeed in academic, professional, and public contexts. Students learn to identify a meaningful topic, locate and evaluate sources, and bring those sources into conversation to build a strong, well-organized argument. Students will determine how the rhetorical situation affects source credibility and authority, and how bias and ethics impact the way they evaluate and use information. Alongside research skills, the course focuses on writing as a process, which includes developing a strong thesis, organizing ideas effectively, revising for clarity, and integrating evidence. By the end of the course, students will be prepared to communicate complex ideas to a variety of audiences while understanding the role of context when it comes to how information is produced and disseminated.