How Scholars Write

How Scholars Write is an affordable, pocket-sized writing guide that offers a descriptive approach to research and composition. Instead of providing specific formulas or asserting how one "should" write, the authors examine how actual scholars work. Designed to be easy to integrate into existing curricula, How Scholars Write demystifies the scholarly writing process by detailing expert strategies that all writers can use.

Aaron Ritzenberg is Senior Lecturer in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, where he serves as Associate Director of the Undergraduate Writing Program and Director of First-Year Writing.

Sue Mendelsohn is Senior Lecturer in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, where she serves as Associate Director of the Undergraduate Writing Program and Director of the Writing Center.

Chapter 1. The Pursuit of Ignorance
Mindset: "Knowledgeable Ignorance" Propels Research
Tools & Techniques: Reading and Writing to Discover
Chapter 2. Scholarly Problems
Mindset: Research Is a Form of Scholarly Conversation
Tools & Techniques: Locating a Scholarly Problem with Stakes
Chapter 3: Projects
Mindset: A Project Provides a Plan to Address a Problem
Tools & Techniques: Designing Do-able Projects
Chapter 4. Claims
Mindset: Claims Contribute Original and Significant Ideas
Tools & Techniques: Moving from Observations to Claims
Chapter 5. Managing Sources
Mindset: Research Systems Are Inventional
Tools & Techniques: Making Your Research Systematic
Chapter 6. Selecting Sources
Mindset: Source Selection Shapes the Conversation
Tools & Techniques: Searching for Functional Sources
Chapter 7. Reading and Note-taking
Mindset: Scholars Read Strategically
Tools and Techniques: Reading to Write
Chapter 8. Getting Things Written
Mindset: Scholars Write to Think
Tools & Techniques: Writing to Think and to Polish
Chapter 9. Feedback
Mindset: Scholars Seek Feedback That Keeps Them in Control
Tools & Techniques: Asking for, Using, and Giving Feedback
Chapter 10. Structure
Mindset: Different Structures Serve Different Purposes
Tools & Techniques: Structuring to Serve Writers and Readers
Chapter 11. Integrating Sources
Mindset: Scholars Practice the Golden Rule with Sources
Tools and Techniques: Incorporating Sources
Chapter 12. Analyzing Sources
Mindset: Analysis Turns Observations into Evidence
Tools & Techniques: Generating Interesting Analysis
Chapter 13. Citing Sources
Mindset: Scholars Rely on the Integrity of Their Peers
Tools & Techniques: Citing Sources
Chapter 14. Authority
Mindset: Scholars Create Their Authority on the Page
Tools and Techniques: Conveying Authority
Chapter 15. Style
Mindset: Scholars Make Stylistic Choices to Serve Readers
Tools and Techniques: Reducing Ambiguity and Rewarding Attention
Chapter 16. Going Public
Mindset: Published Writing Shapes the Public Sphere
Tools & Techniques: Making Ideas Public