"Connecting Source Material to Claims" was written by Eir-Anne Edgar.

Writers use sources to support their claims and to strengthen their arguments. Effective writing implements the three sides of the rhetorical triangle. One of the three sides of the rhetorical triangle is ethos. Ethos refers to the writer’s credibility and authority as perceived by readers. (For more information about this rhetorical appeal, please see "Ethos.")

Netiquette, a hybrid word combining “network” and “etiquette,” essentially refers to the social code of the internet. As such, netiquette -- how we communicate, treat others, portray ourselves, and protect ourselves online -- is a question of ethics. Ethics, or moral philosophy, refers generally to how groups and individuals determine moral courses of action.

"What to Think about When Writing for a Particular Audience" was written by Dr. Amanda Wray.

Imagine a history professor who opens her lecture on the Victorian era by asking her undergraduate students, "Did you see the Victorian-era furniture on Antiques Roadshow last night?" Can you imagine how many in the class would raise his/her hand? Can you hear the confused silence?

"This is the right time, and this is the right thing."
– Sir Thomas Moore

"Kairos" is an ancient rhetorical concept that has gained importance in different disciplines over the centuries. So what is it? Kairos is knowing what is most appropriate in a given situation; for our purposes, let's think of it as saying (or writing) the right thing at the right time. Appeals to kairos in written form try to make use of the particular moment—attempting to capture in words what will be immediately applicable, appropriate, and engaging for a particular audience.

The Web site eHow has a page on "How to Freestyle Rap" ("Difficulty: Moderately Challenging"), and I'm trying to figure out what I think about it. On the one hand, it seems like it would be against the ethos of an authentic rapper to use a page like this to brush up on freestyle skills. But on the other hand, the advice seems solid, encouraging the reader to follow an easy, seven-step model:

As a student conducting peer review, you might have trouble expressing concise, clear feedback. Feautred are some helpful and common comments used for providing feedback during peer review. Additionally, these common comments direct the writer to helpful resources at Writing Commons, to allow you to better understand the components of their feedback.

"Analyze Evidence" was written by Jennifer A. Yirinec.

How is this source relevant to your thesis and purpose?

Many emerging writers struggle with connecting sourced material to their claims and to their thesis. Oftentimes, this is because they’re too close to their work and think that the connection between claim and evidence is completely apparent to the reader. Read more...