About

Controversies was originally written for use in “RHE 306: Introduction to Rhetoric & Writing” courses at the University of Texas at Austin. Grounded in practical application for modern public discourse, the book offers foundational lessons in research, analysis, and argumentation to help students develop college-level writing and critical thinking skills. The text also includes for instructors extended explanation of key rhetorical concepts and recommendations for classroom exercises, discussions, and assignments.

The book’s original author has decided to make Controversies free and open for public use. This website is an open-access version of this textbook. It has been revised for classrooms and audiences outside of the University of Texas and follows universal design principles for accessibility.

We would like to thank Mark Longaker for his decision to make this text accessible to the public and for the opportunity to work on this project. We would also like to thank Casey Boyle and the Digital Writing & Research Lab for supporting this endeavor.

[AUTHOR] Mark Garrett Longaker

[EDITORS & DEVELOPERS, DIGITAL EDITION] Sierra Mendez and Andrew Heermans

[EDITORS, PRINT EDITION] Ashley Miller, Andrew Rechnitz, Michael Neibergail, Suzanne Bachelor, and Aaron Zacks