Dr. Alyssa J. O'Brien is a Lecturer in the Program and Writing and Rhetoric at Stanford University, where she directs the Cross-Cultural Rhetoric initiative and publishes scholarship and textbooks on visual rhetoric, writing pedagogy, and global learning. She has been an invited speaker in Asia and Europe on subjects such as global learning, communication for leadership, visual rhetoric, and “mapping a change in writing.”  In 2006, Alyssa won the Phi Beta Kappa Outstanding Teaching Award, and what she enjoys most is helping people discover their voices in writing of all kinds.  Her current first- and second-year writing courses focus on visual rhetoric, cross-cultural rhetoric, globalization, and communication for leadership.  Before coming to Stanford in 2001, she taught composition, creative writing, literature, and business writing at Cornell University, the Eastman School of Music, and the University of Rochester.  

1. Analyzing Texts

      Understanding Texts Rhetorically

      Understanding Rhetoric

                  Understanding Visual Rhetoric

      Strategies for Analyzing Texts Rhetorically

                  Analyzing a Comic Strip

                  Analyzing Editorial Cartoons

                  Reading: Doug Marlette, “I Was a Tool of Satan”

      Practicing Rhetorical Analysis

                  Selecting Texts for Analysis

                  Developing a Thesis Statement

                  Analyzing a Student’s Writing Sample

                  Student Writing:  Cyana Chilton, Drugs to Death in a Political Cartoon: An Oversimpliication?

                  Referring to Images in Your Writing

      The Writer's Process

      Prewriting Checklist

      Prewriting with the Envision Website

      Writing Projects

2. Understanding Strategies of Persuasion

      Analyzing Ads as Arguments

                  Reading:  Seth Stevenson, “You and Your Shadow: The iPod ads are mesmerizing, but does your iPod think it’s better than you?”

      Understanding the Rhetorical Appeals

                  Appeals to Reason: Logos

                  Appeals to Emotion: Pathos

                  Appeals to Character and Authority: Ethos

      Considering Context: Kairos

      The Writer's Process:

      Prewriting with the Envision Website

      Prewriting Checklist

      Writing Projects

3. Composing Arguments

      Understanding the Canons of Rhetoric

      Invention in Argument

      Arrangement in Argument

            Using Toulmin to Arrange or Analyze an Argument

      Style in Argument

                  Constructing Persona

                  Choosing a Rhetorical Stance

                  Titles, Introductions, and Conclusions

      Crafting a Position Paper

                  Student Writing: Angela Rastegar, Academic Position Paper

                  Writing Multiple Sides of an Argument

                  Writing a Synthesis Paper

                  Reading :  Nora Ephron, “The Boston Photographs”

     Attending to Arrangements in Argument

     The Writer's Process

      Prewriting Checklist

      Prewriting with the Envision Website

      Writing Projects

II.                 RESEARCH ARGUMENTS

4. Planning and Proposing Research Arguments

      Asking Research Questions

            Construction a Research Log

      Generating Topics and Research Questions

      Bringing Your Topic into Focus

                  Brainstorming Topics Visually

                  Narrowing Your Topic

      Planning Your Research through Writing

                  Freewriting about Your Research Topic

                  Student Writing: Bries Deerrose, Research Freewrite

                   Drafting the Research Hypothesis

      Drafting a Research Proposal

                  Student Writing: Susan Zhang, “Little Photoshop of Horrors?: Digital Manipulation of Media Images”

      Best Research Practices

      The Writer's Process

      Prewriting Checklist

      Prewriting with the Envision Website

      Writing Projects

5. Finding and Evaluating Research Sources

      Visualizing Research

      Developing Search Terms

                  Narrowing Your Search

      Primary and Secondary Sources

                  Finding Primary Sources

                  Searching for Secondary Sources

      Evaluating Your Sources

                  Evaluating Websites

                  Evaluating Library and Database Sources

                 Evaluating Field Research

                  Evaluating Field Research Sources

      Creating a Dialogue with Your Sources

                  Student Writing: Amanda Johnson, “Dialogue of Sources” (excerpt)

      Writing an Annotated Bibliography

      The Writer's Process

      Prewriting Checklist

      Prewriting with the Envision Website

      Writing Projects

6. Organizing and Writing Research Arguments

      Organizing Your Draft in Visual Form

      Learning Outline Strategies

                  Outlines with Argumentative Subheads

                  Student Writing: Dexian Cai, “Research Paper—Outline"

                  Transitions  

    Spotlight on Your Argument

                  Analyzing a Published Argument

                  Reading: Bret Schulte, ”Saying It in Cinema”

    Integrating Research Sources

                  Selecting Summary

                  Picking Paraphrase

                  Using Direct Quotations

                  Integrating, Not Inserting, Quotations

                  Documentation during Integration

      Drafting Your Research Argument

                  Keeping Your Passion

                  Collaboration through Peer Review

                  Analyzing a Student Essay About Film

                Student Writring:  Wan Jin Park, “Draft Research

                    Paper”

      Revising Your Draft

                  Troubleshooting

                  Analyzing Student Writing

                  Student Writing: Wan Jin Park, “Balancing the Soft and the Passionate

                    Rhetorician: Gore’s Dynamic Rhetoric in His Environmental Leadership”

      The Writer's Process

      Prewriting Checklist

      Prewriting with the Envision Website

      Writing Projects

7. Avoiding Plagiarism and Documenting Sources

      Rhetorical Imitation and Intellectual Property: Understanding Plagiarism

                  Avoiding Unintentional Plagiarism

                  Student Writing: Michael Rosenberg, “Research Log”

                  Citing Sources for Downloaded Images and Multimedia

      Understanding Documentation Style

                  In-text Citations: Documentation as Cross-Referencing

                  Using Notes for Documentation

      MLA-Style Works Cited Lists

                  Documentation for Print and Online Sources

                  Documentation for Visual, Audio, and Multimedia Sources

                  Student Paper in MLA Style

                  Student Writing: Stephanie Parker, “Soompi and the “Honorary Asian”: Shifting Identities in the

                      Digital Age” (excerpt)

     The Writer's Process

     Prewriting with the Envision Website

      Writing Projects

III.               DESIGN AND DELIVERY

8. Designing Arguments

      Understanding Document Design and Decorum

      Understanding Academic Writing Conventions

      Integrating Images in Academic Writing

                  Design of Academic Papers

                  Student Writing: Allison Woo, “Slaying the Dragon” (excerpt)

      Tools of Design for Academic Audiences

                  Composing an Abstract

                  Student Writing: David Pinner, “Research Abstract”

                  Shaping Your Bio

                  Student Writing: Molly Cunningham, Bio

                  Student Writing: David Pinner, Bio

      Combining Visual and Verbal Design Elements

                  Student Writing: Ashley Mullen, Newsletter Designing Arguments for Public Audiences

                  Student Writing: Jonathan Denby and Chris Fedor, “You are Killing Us with Your Kindness!”

                  Formatting Writing for Audiences

                  Reading: London Greenpeace: “Press Release: What’s Wrong with the Body Shop?"

      Designing Visual Arguments

                  Crafting an Op-Ad

                  Student Writing: Carrie Tsosie, “Alternative Energy for Whom?”

                  Producing a Photo Essay

                  Student Writing: Ye Yuan, “Looking through the Lens”

                  Composing a Website

                  Making a Multimedia Montage

                  Student Writing: Yang Shi, Photo Montage

      The Writer's Process

      Prewriting Checklist

      Prewriting with the Envision Website

      Writing Projects

9. Delivering Presentations

      Understanding the Branches of Oratory

      Audience, Purpose, and Persona

      Transforming Research into a Presentation

                  Selection

                  Organization

                  Translation

                  Transformation into Action

                  Student Writing:  Susan Zhang, “Script for a Proposal Presentation”

      Considering Strategies of Design

      Using Visuals Rhetorically

                  Writing for Poster Sessions

                  Writing for Multimedia Presentations

                  Working with Slideshows

                  Beyond the Slideshow

      Choosing Methods of Delivery

                  Embodied Rhetoric

      Practicing Your Presentation

                  Anticipating Problems and the Question-and-Answer Session

      Documenting Your Presentation           

      The Writer's Process

      Prewriting Checklist

      Prewriting with the Envision Website

      Writing Projects

Works Cited

Credits

Index

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