Photo of a diverse group of scholars from different epochs, including an ancient Egyptian scribe, a medieval monk, a Renaissance scholar, a Victorian scientist, and a modern researcher, all engrossed in reading books. They are seated at a long wooden table illuminated by elegant lamps, with towering bookshelves filled with ancient tomes in the background.

Rhetorical Theory – The Ultimate Tool for Effective Communication

What is Rhetorical Theory? Rooted in the ancient tradition of oratory and persuasion, rhetorical theory is concerned with the study of effective communication — how messages are constructed, delivered, and received. Rhetorical Theory may refer to Related Concepts: Rhetorical Knowledge; Semiotics: Sign, Signifier, Signified; Why Study Rhetoric – A Student Perspective; FAQs Why Does Rhetorical ...

Rhetoric & Apparatus Theory

What is Rhetoric? The term “Rhetoric” has meant different things in different eras. Historically, there have been three distinct conceptions of the role of rhetoric—each corresponding to a different era and communicative media:  OralityIn the era of orality, before written language, rhetoric operated primarily in terms of persuasion. The job of the rhetorician involved captivating ...

Photographer’s Guide to Selecting Photos for Texts

Communicate, don’t decorate is the golden rule for incorporating photos into your texts. Whether printed or published online, successful photography can add value to any published work through curiosity, impact, validation and the ability to keep the reader engaged. 1. Ensure Your Photos are Rhetorically Sound Photos should not be viewed for ornamental purposes. Rather, ...

Here rhetorical moves are illustrated as feature of genre

Rhetorical Moves in Academic Writing

Moves Definition Rhetorical Moves in academic writing are Related Concepts: Genre; Organizational Schema; Rhetorical Analysis; Rhetorical Reasoning Why Do Rhetorical Moves in Academic Writing Matter? Without rhetorical moves, your readers, listeners, or users may not understand why you are telling them what you are telling them. Rhetorical moves provide footholds that people can use to ...

Perspective – What is the Role of Perspective in Reading & Writing?

What is Perspective? Perspective is a broad term that means many different things in different contexts: Key Concepts Habits of Mind; How to Foster Intellectual Growth; Interpretation, Persona; Point of View; Stance; Rhetorical Reasoning FAQs How Do Writers Determine Their Perspective on a Topic? Ann Berthoff theorizes that writers gain perspective by engaging in acts ...

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Code Switching

Definition – What is Code Switching? Code switching refers to the practice of alternating between different languages or dialects within a conversation, often to navigate social and linguistic norms across different cultural or group boundaries. Code switching can function as a stylistic move, enable the writer or speaker to express themselves in a personal style ...

Register

What is Register? Register, in linguistics, refers to the way a writer, speaker, knowledge worker . . . adjusts what they say (semantics) and how they say it (stylistics) to adopt a writing style, a persona, that is appropriate for a particular occasion — their rhetorical situation. Related Concepts: Audience; Code Switching; Rhetorical Stance; Style; Tone; ...

Text – Composition

In writing studies, a text or composition isn’t just a collection of words. It is: While the terms “text” and “composition” are often used interchangeably, there are other synonymous terms you may come across in your writing journey: Key Concepts: Composing; Composing Processes; Composition Studies; First-Year Composition; Semiotics: The Signified & The Signifier; Text, Textuality ...

Commonplaces (Topoi)

Commonplaces (Topoi) are Related Concepts: Cultural Literacy; Intersubjectivity; Scholarship as a Conversation; Register Commonplaces, which Aristotle and the Greeks conceptualized as Topoi, are shared understandings among people. Thus, the commonplace is a rhetorical construct: it presumes a rhetor and an audience. For the Greeks, commonplaces included what had been said in the past about a ...

Problem Scenarios

Problem Scenarios are real, imagined, and hypothesized problems and needs that particular people experience or are hypothesized to experience in a problem space a unit of analysis in customer discovery, an empirical research method. Key Concepts: Customer Discovery Interviews; Design; Design Thinking; Lean Product Development; Mixed Research Methods; Problem Definition; Problem Scenarios; Rhetoric; Usability; Venture ...