Writing about Data

Catalog description

This mini or half-semester course (one of two minis students can choose to fulfill their FYW requirement) focuses upon interpreting and making arguments using mainly numerical data but also qualitative data. We will look at research in a range of disciplines including psychology, education, medicine, engineering, and the sciences and note how writers select and analyze the data they collect. We will also examine what happens to this research when it is picked up by the popular media. Students will also practice collecting and analyzing their own data and reporting it to suit the needs of various stakeholders. There are two primary audiences for this section. Students in data-driven majors will find the section useful preparation for communicating in their disciplines. Students in other fields will learn how to critique and respond to the many ways that numbers shape our lives. This section presumes a basic ability to calculate averages, percentages, and ratios, but no advanced mathematical or statistical preparation. Instead, this section provides a fascinating look at how numbers and words intersect to create persuasive arguments in academic, professional, and popular contexts. Students will compare and analyze texts that make arguments with data, practice rhetorical strategies for synthesizing and representing data so that by the end of the class, students will apply these strategies to write an original data-driven research proposal. Because the course emphasizes authentic stakes and purposes for communicating with academic audiences, students will regularly share their work with their peers in oral and written forms within an interactive and collaborative classroom environment. Course Website: https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/english/academic-programs/writing-and-communication/index.html