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*English | Program Guide: ENGL102

A guide to online English research for APUS faculty and students.

ENGL102 Resources

Welcome to ENGL102


Welcome to the
ENGL102 Effectiveness in Writing
Resources Page


ENGL102 provides instruction in the writing process with a focus on persuasive and argumentative essays. It includes:

  • practice in developing a distinctive style;
  • the methods of effective reasoning; and
  • library and on-line research.

The course prepares students for writing effectively in all undergraduate courses by sharpening the writing skills necessary to compose position papers, evaluations, proposals, and other types of assignments that demand students research a question or problem and assert an interpretation or solution.

A formal research project is required.

This information page provides pointers for getting started with your research. It includes links to key library subscription resources, including article databases, journals, and books, as well as open web content.

If you would like additional help with your research projects, or with learning how to use library resources, contact the librarians at librarian@apus.edu

Find Writing Assistance

ENGL102 Textbook


Effectiveness in Writing textbook cover


Effectiveness in Writing
By Helen Driver, Natascha Gast, & Susan Lowman-Thomas. Edited by Kim Jacobs
E-book links are provided inside the classroom.

The Supplemental Readings handout link is located on the course home page.

MLA Style

MLA Style cover


ENGL uses the MLA Style Guide.

The complete MLA style guide (a.k.a., the MLA Handbook, Eighth Edition) is currently only available in print format. There are no Kindle or Nook or other eBook versions at this time.

Because the official MLA style guide is not available in an institutional version from the publishers we cannot license it for student use. You are free to purchase your own copies of the complete MLA style guide directly from the Modern Language Association or from the bookseller of your choice.




Go to Writing@APUS to find the information you need on using MLA style.

 

Writing@APUS MLA guide screenshot

 

Not sure how to use a style guide?  Visit The Writing Process at Writing@APUS for tips!

 

Writing@APUS Navigation

Writing@APUS Using Style Guide header

Assignment Help


Getting Started in the APUS Library

Scroll down for a brief "getting started" video, or follow the screenshots to the Getting Started page. On the library's website, hover over ONLINE RESEARCH.  In the menu that drops down, click Getting Started with Research. 
 

Getting started library link


Then, click the icons to learn more about each step of the research process!

getting started icons


Useful Article Databases for ENGL102 Research


Helpful FAQs on searching from our LibAnswers Knowledge Base

What is a Critical Evaluation Essay?

In ENGL102, the critical evaluation essay is just that, a critical evaluation of an argument about a topic. The topic is provided in the Assignment 1 section in the classroom. The goal is to assess whether or not the argument is successful or not.


Your essay will be stronger if you:
  1. note the structure of the argument, its tone, and the type of support the author uses; 
  2. you present your own essay with a strong thesis and introduction; and
  3. discuss one of the argument's fallacy's at a time.
Need advice on writing a good thesis statement?


What is a Toulmin Essay?

A Toulmin essay is a type of argumentative paper that focuses on strengthening a claim and contains these elements:

  • Claim: A statement that sets forth the writer’s opinion on the topic, the point the writer is going to take.
     
  • Support (also called grounds or data): Evidence the writer uses to support the claim.  Support is usually a combination of facts and reasoning such as statistics, data, expert testimony, interviews, observation, and persuasive appeals (logos, ethos, and pathos).
     
  • Qualifiers: Used to clarify the claim and maintain credibility by acknowledging that the claim is not an absolute. Common qualifiers are: usually, some, several, often, sometimes, typically, and for the most part.
     
  • Warrant: An underlying assumption or inference that the writer takes for granted. It sets up an agreement between the writer and reader that the issue is an important one. Warrants are often based on values that the writer and reader share.
     
  • Backing: In instances where a warrant is not well known, understood, or accepted, it may be necessary to have additional evidence to defend the warrant. This evidence is called the backing. It may take the same forms as the claim’s support, such as statistics, facts, expert testimony, and so on.
     
  • Concession and Rebuttal: Acknowledgement by the writer that a part of the opposing argument is valid and cannot be refuted. It is not necessary, as part of a concession, for the writer to give up or change the claim. Writers may decide to offer their opponents concessions to valid points, but they may also decide that points made by the opponents are not ones they want to concede. They would use rebuttals, a counterargument that addresses an opponent’s point, showing it to be invalid.

See Chapters 4 and 5 in the the ENGL102 textbook, Effectiveness in Writing, for more detail.


Need help finding scholarly/peer-reviewed articles? See these FAQs:
Need advice on writing a good thesis statement?
 
General information on writing an annotated bibliography


An annotated bibliography is a list of books, articles, websites, and other sources that you have discovered and used while researching your topic.  Information about each source (author, title, date, etc.) is cited in a particular format, using the reference citation style guide in the course.

What makes an annotated bibliography different from a simple list of citations is that after each citation you will write a short summary, description, analysis and/or evaluation of the cited book, article, etc.  Your instructor will provide specific guidelines for writing your annotations, but the general rules for academic writing will apply.

See also these FAQs:

 

What is a Rogerian Essay?

A Rogerian essay is a type of argumentative paper that attempts to persuade the reader while stressing understanding and common ground--what the writer and reader have in common. It is most effective for issues that are highly emotional including social and political topics such as capital punishment, abortion, and torture.

The Rogerian strategy will typically follow this pattern:

  • Describes the problem.
  • Displays an understanding and value of opposing views.
  • Asserts the position.
  • Demonstrates a common ground or higher interest.
     

See Chapters 6 and 7 in the English 102 textbook, Effectiveness in Writing, for more detail.


Need help finding scholarly/peer-reviewed articles? See these FAQs:
Need advice on writing a good thesis statement?


General information on writing an annotated bibliography


An annotated bibliography is a list of books, articles, websites, and other sources that you have discovered and used while researching your topic.  Information about each source (author, title, date, etc.) is cited in a particular format, using the reference citation style guide in the course.

What makes an annotated bibliography different from a simple list of citations is that after each citation you will write a short summary, description, analysis and/or evaluation of the cited book, article, etc.  Your instructor will provide specific guidelines for writing your annotations, but the general rules for academic writing will apply. 

See also these FAQs:


To help you organize your research and format your citations, we recommend either of these free tools.

 

Mendeley logoMendeley:  https://www.mendeley.com/.  Watch the video tutorials or visit the help guides to learn more.
 

Zotero logoZotero:  https://www.zotero.org/.  See Zotero's video tutorials here, or browse the user guides.
 


     Our FAQs:

Selected Books on Essay-Writing

Selected Books on Critical Thinking & Persuasive Writing

Critical Thinking | TED Talk



5 Tips to Improve your Critical Thinking
Published on Mar 15, 2016


[YouTube Description] Every day, a sea of decisions stretches before us, and it’s impossible to make a perfect choice every time. But there are many ways to improve our chances — and one particularly effective technique is critical thinking. Samantha Agoos describes a 5-step process that may help you with any number of problems.

Lesson by Samantha Agoos. Animation by Nick Hilditch.
Closed captioned | Transcript at YouTube site.

PODCAST: Start Writing Essays

 

Description from The Open University

Returning to study or starting it for the first time can be daunting. Many students are frightened of writing essays, but it’s a craft that can be learned. This album [of podcasts] will help you to build confidence in all areas of essay writing. A student discusses with two tutors her writing methods and how she adapts her techniques for exams and assignments. With tips shared from Professor Richard Dawkins, TV personality Matthew Kelly, former MP Brian Walden, Baroness Helena Kennedy, journalist John Pilgner and radio presenters John Humphrys and Peter White.

This material forms part of the Open University course A172 Start writing essays.