| Glossary terms | Definition |
|---|---|
| academic discipline | a field of study that is taught and researched at the university level |
| active reading | An engaged and interactive approach to reading, involving questioning, summarizing, and marking the text to enhance understanding and retention. |
| analysis | Breaking down a unit into component parts to understand how it works |
| annotation | Notes or comments added to a text to explain, clarify, or react to its content, often used to enhance understanding and facilitate discussion. |
| attribution | Giving credit, showing the source of a text or information |
| audience | real or imagined readers of a text |
| author's note | A note from the author, typically found at the beginning or end of a document, providing additional context, background information, or personal insights. |
| authority | forms of expertise that provide credibility to speak or write on a topic |
| bias | A prejudice or predisposition toward one side of a subject or issue, which can affect the objectivity and fairness of a writer's argument or perspective. |
| bibliographic information | The information provided about a source that allows a reader to locate it and that gives credit, for example the author, publication title, journal or magazine name, date published, date accessed, volume or issue, URL, or publisher |
| brainstorming | A process similar to freewriting in which you gather ideas in the form of words, short phrases, and lists. |
| circulation | the ways that information is transmitted, and how texts are used |
| citation chaining | reviewing the works cited/references list of a source to locate other, relevant sources of information that can be located in a database or online. |
| citations | The inclusion of bibliographic information (see above) that help readers trace and understand where to locate the information referenced. |
| citation system | The specified formatting conventions for a communication context. This can be determined by academic discipline, industry, or publisher. |
| composition studies/writing studies | the academic discipline that supports the practices, principles, and knowledge that writing teachers use |
| consolidate | To combine and bring together different pieces of information, ideas, or texts into a coherent and unified whole. |
| context | The situation that shapes the conventions of a text--this can be an information context, culture, geography, language, or readership |
| conventions | recognizable features of a genre/type of communication |
| critical reading | An active reading process that involves analyzing and evaluating the content, structure, and purpose of a text to understand its meaning and implications. |
| critical writing | writing that acknowledges limitations, multiple perspectives, and shows awareness |
| cross-reference | A reference in a text to another part of the same text or to another document, providing additional information or context. |
| directional statement | sometimes called a map statement; for longer texts, writers might include a series of sentences or a paragraph laying out what the writer intends to do, or what the contents of the text are. |
| discourse communities | groups that have shared goals or purposes, and use language to achieve these goals |
| empirical evidence | evidence that is gathered systematically and inclusively, without a pre-determined outcome for the purpose of gathering objective information about a topic or question. |
| freewriting | Writing without a specific structure or format in mind. |
| genre | a type of communication that comes up repeatedly and has recognizable features |
| Gloss | A brief explanatory note or translation of a word or phrase in a text, often placed in the margins or between the lines. |
| invention | The initial stage of a composing process which can include reading, brainstorming, freewriting, reflecting, or discussing in which you plan for a writing task (such as an assignment from an instructor or supervisor) and how you will approach it. |
| jargon | Specialized language used by a particular group, profession, or field, which may be difficult for outsiders to understand. |
| linear writing process | A writing process wherein 1) stages are completed one at a time, 2) each stage is distinct from the other stages, and 3) movement through the stages typically goes in one direction.(compare with: recursive writing process) |
| mechanical emphasis | Using indicators available through word processing like bold, italics, underlining, different colors of font, or headings to direct how readers experience a text. |
| metacognitive knowledge | your awareness of your own thinking, ability to think about or control your own learning |
| metacognitive process | The act of thinking about one's own thinking processes, including planning, monitoring, and evaluating one's understanding and performance. |
| mind map | A diagram used to organized information visually. Often considered a visual version of an outline. |
| modality | The method or mode in which something is expressed or communicated, such as written, spoken, visual, or digital forms. |
| multimodal | a text that draws from multiple communication modes such as a website that includes sound, video, and text, or a slide show that includes motion, images, and text. |
| preview | The act of skimming or scanning a text before reading it in detail to get an overview of its content and structure. |
| prewriting | Another term for invention. See "invention." |
| process work | kinds of assignments (reading, speaking, research or writing tasks) that help prepare you for a larger more formal assignment. |
| prompt | A writing idea or need proposed by an outside source such as a teacher or supervisor. |
| qualified use | Words written about a quote that indicate your awareness of the quoted author's bias, stance, etc. |
| qualifiers/hedges | Words or phrases that are used to indicate the limitations of a source or perspective |
| recursive writing process | A writing process in which 1) writers may revisit stages of the process more than once, so there is not a clear “forward” direction but rather movement in many directions, 2) the activity involved in each step is used to determine what to do next or whether to repeat a particular part of the process (for example, an unexpected finding might lead to more brainstorming or revising an outline even though you have already started drafting), and 3) the steps are not “complete” until the writing is complete. |
| reflection | text, thinking, or talking where you articulate your experience of a process or product (for example writing about how you wrote an essay; describing feelings about an experience, or thinking back on a prior event). |
| rhetoric | the study of how people use language for particular purposes and what choices they make to accomplish those purposes |
| rhetorical choices | Decisions made by the author regarding the use of language, style, tone, and structure to effectively communicate with the audience and achieve their purpose. |
| rhetorical ecology | places emphasis on the interaction between the variables that affect a rhetorical situation |
| rhetorical situation | the set of circumstances in which a writer creates a text |
| self knowledge | the knowledge you have about yourself as a learner |
| shorthand | A system of rapid handwriting that uses symbols or abbreviations to represent words or phrases, allowing for quick note-taking. |
| stakeholders | people or groups who are affected by a decision |
| synthesis | Joining together information from multiple sources in order to 1) identify how your collection of sources agree and disagree with each other and 2) to identify how they support your argument. |
| task knowledge | awareness of the skills and strategies that are available to you |
| thesis/thesis statement | The main argument or central point of a text or speech, usually presented as a single statement that the author intends to demonstrate with evidence |
| tone | The attitude of a writer toward the subject |
| topic sentence | Typically, the first sentence of a paragraph in an academic text that signals to the reader the focus of the paragraph. |
| transition words | Words used at the beginning of sentences and paragraphs to signal how they relate or don't relate to each other. |
| unsupported claim | An assertion or statement made without sufficient evidence or reasoning to back it up, often weakening the overall argument or credibility of the writer. |
| writing processes | the steps that writers take to develop ideas about what to say, learn more about their topic, analyze their writing task, plan out their writing, get feedback from others, revise, edit, and share their writing with others. |
Glossary