WRTG 391: Advanced Research Writing

Advanced Research Writing builds academic research skills toward a literature review — critically analyzing scholarly sources and synthesizing them on a focused topic.

What WRTG 391 covers

(Fulfills the general education requirement in upper-level advanced writing.) Prerequisite: WRTG 112. Instruction and practice in academic research skills.

The objective is to critically analyze scholarly and other credible sources and effectively integrate source material into a complex argument. Emphasis is on synthesizing multiple sources in producing a literature review on a focused topic.

Typical WRTG 391 assignments

Expect a literature review requiring you to synthesize multiple scholarly sources on a focused topic into a complex, integrated argument.

Key topics in WRTG 391

• Critical analysis of scholarly sources
• Integrating sources into a complex argument
• Literature review construction
• Focused-topic synthesis

Writing tips for WRTG 391

Follow the assignment instructions and rubric line by line

UMGC assignments for WRTG 391 are graded against a specific rubric or grading criteria your instructor provides — every requirement has to be visibly addressed. Skipping a requirement because it seems minor is one of the most common reasons a strong submission loses points.

Match the genre and audience the assignment actually specifies

Upper-level writing courses like WRTG 391 grade whether the deliverable matches a specific genre and audience — a report, proposal, or literature review has its own conventions, and writing generic academic prose instead of the specified genre is one of the most common ways a strong writer loses points.

Synthesize sources into your own argument, don't summarize them one by one

WRTG 391 consistently grades genuine synthesis — combining multiple sources into a single, coherent argument or document — over source-by-source summary. If your draft reads like a list of "Source A says X, Source B says Y," that's the most common gap between a passing and a strong grade.

Why students seek help with WRTG 391

Students sometimes produce a literature review that summarizes sources chronologically or thematically without integrating them into a genuinely complex argument, which WRTG 391 specifically requires — the rubric typically wants that integration, not a source-by-source list.

How GradeEssays helps with WRTG 391

Share your WRTG 391 literature review assignment and rubric, and your writer will help you build a genuinely integrated argument across your scholarly sources.

Prerequisites and course context

WRTG 391 requires WRTG 112 (Academic Writing II) and fulfills the general education requirement in upper-level advanced writing. Note: students may receive credit for only one of ENGL 391, ENGL 391X, WRTG 391, or WRTG 391X.

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