Project 2: Research in many Genres

Draft Due: Monday October 26th

Final Project Due: Final Project 2 Due Mon. Nov. 2nd

Unit 2 Reflection Due: Mon. Nov. 2nd

**NOTE** All work is due at the beginning of class.

You may submit the project via Dropbox or email it to me. However, it is not considered submitted via email unless you have received a confirmation email from me.

**Please Do NOT** wait until the last minute to ask me questions. Come and visit me during office hours or email me during the week with questions.

The Assignment

We are beginning a research and inquiry process that will span Units 2 and 3. The topic can be on an urgent current event or an issue related to your community or NYC. Examples of possible topics could be: college tuition, public transportation, traffic safety (bike safety, Vision Zero), sanitation, supermarkets, policing, technology, gentrification, etc.  It is important when choosing the topic, to understand that as part of your research on the topic, you will be asked to identify a problem and to use your research to propose a solution to the problem.

Choose a topic that you are very curious about since you will be focusing on the topic for units 2 and 3!

In Unit 2, you will be gathering the research, looking at the reaching from 4 different genres, thinking about how the different genres presents the research/ information on the topic and finally introducing the topic, problem and presenting a possible solution to the problem.

They key in this unit is to think about how different genres present the information on the topic. Who is the intended audience of each piece? What is the genre? What are the constraints? How effective is the message? Would a different genre be more effective? Why or why not? These are the questions that should drive your research and your writing this unit.

In Unit 3, you will be repurposing your research! You will take the research that you compiled, choose one of the genres you research and write a piece about the topic in that genre to best meet your intended audience! But more about that later!

Step 1: Choose your topic

In class we will be working on strategies for topic choice and how to develop research questions that drive your research and inquiry process. Choose a topic and generate 5-8 research questions on the topic to guide your research. These questions should be questions that inspire your curiosity, drive your interest on the topic and will help you narrow down your research.

Due: Research Questions and Free Write on Topic

STEP 2: Identify the Problem and Write an Introduction

Write an introduction that introduces your topic. Make sure to address the problem. What is the problem that you are researching? What do you hope to find when you begin your research?

What TYPE of sources do you think will answer the questions you have? What genres are you going to look for? What information are you going to ask?

STEP 3: Research And Find Sources on your Topic!

In class we will be working on research techniques! This will also include, if possible, a virtual or in-person, visit to the library.

Find at least 4 sources on your topic.  These sources must vary in genre and some should be primary sources. Your sources must come from 4 different genres (For example: interview, scientific article, popular article, podcast, scholarly article, op-ed, advertisement, biography, blog, TED Talk, song, etc.). 

Due: Title, author, and brief summary of genre for all 4 sources. 

STEP 4: Present your research on the topic

You will prepare a short oral presentation on one of the research pieces you found and share it with the class. The focus should be on the Rhetorical Situation (audience, purpose), how the author presents the information, and a brief summary of the piece. Explain why you chose the piece and what the information teaches you about your topic.

Due: Oral presentation on topic

Step 5:  Write a Rhetorical Analysis of Each Source

A rhetorical analysis is a written response to a text that does not just summarize what the text is about, but also explores how the author presents the information to their intended audience. A rhetorical analysis focuses on the rhetorical situation (purpose and audience, context), rhetorical choices (rhetorical appeals, style, etc), and the genre (medium, type of text, key features). It does not focus on your opinion of the topic, but rather, what is being said about the topic and how it is being said.

More specific guidelines will be shared during class sessions.

Step 5: Write a Conclusion

Write a conclusion about what you actually found. What is similar to or different that what you expected when you first started out? Explain. What solutions does your research present? How does it vary based on genre?

How do your sources look at the problem and address them in different ways? Focus on how different genres address the problem in different ways. Who was the intended audience of each piece? What was the genre? What were the constraints of the genre? How effective was the message? Would a different genre have been more effective? Why or why not?

The conclusion should also present what you expected to find initially during the research process. Refer back to your research questions and your free write!

Format

The assignment must be typed in 12-point Times New Roman Font. It must be double- spaced and have one-inch margins.

Each rhetorical analysis should be at least 300 words. The final project should be at least 1200 words and include the 4 Rhetorical Analyses, an introduction, and conclusion.

Grading Criteria

  1. Content and Required elements. Do you have a 300-word rhetorical analysis on 4 different sources on a single topic? Have your synthesized, evaluated and analyzed each of the sources?  Is there an introduction and conclusion? Are there at least 3 different genres of research?
  • Research. Did you dig deep in your research and find relevant and credible sources? Does your research match answer your research questions? Did you learn key information about your topic?
  • Presentation and Formatting. Do you have all of the required pieces (4 rhetorical analyses, introduction, conclusion, bibliography, research questions)? Have you revised and edited for clarity, spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Is each element properly formatted?
  • Citations. Is your bibliography properly cited? Do you cite all your sources?