Most research questions do not exist in a vacuum nor are academic books and journal articles isolated, self-contained packages of information. Rather, every academic text represents one intersection in a network of ideas and debates that scholars have been tracing through their writing, sometimes over long periods of time. Think of each academic text (including the one you are writing!) as one contribution to a scholarly conversation.

In his 2004 article "Breaking into the Conversation: How Students Can Acquire Authority in Their Writing," writing and literature scholar Mark Gaipa identified and described a set of strategies writers can use to critically engage with secondary sources. We'll review these strategies and apply them to one of your course readings.

Scholarly Conversation Zine printable version below!