Chapter 1

Chapter one focuses on the basics of getting comfortable and confident writing an appropriate topic. It explains a number of different ways to become confident with research and writing: When taking ownership of a project, one should ask themselves how the project could possibly help them pursue their personal, professional, and/or academic interests. The first chapter goes on to explain the research writing processes; learning about the topic and taking a position so it can then be shared with the reader(s). When searching for and working with sources, it is important to keep them saved so that they can be added to the paper that has information taken from the source. This not only shows people where you got your information, but also avoids plagiarism by giving credit to the author, website, article, etc. When taking a position, the writer must have a main point, which is the most important idea, insight, or argument that the writer is defending in the paper. Genre and design are two important tools used in writing. Genre is the type of document, and refers to general categories. For instance, novels and articles are two different genres. Design is the appearance of the document, ranging from different fonts, colors, page layouts, and illustrations.