Fall 2014 UWRT 1102

Extended Inquiry/Investigation Projet !EIP"

For this four-part project, youll choose a subject for extended study. Choose something that
truly interests you because youll stay with this topic for the rest of the semester. First youll
consider what you know about it as well as what you want to know (roposal!. "hen youll
collect answers to your #uestions from credible sources and analy$e their %alue to your study
(&esearch and 'nnotated (ibliography!. 'fter synthesi$ing your research, youll compose an
essay that discusses your findings and your new understanding, and shows why this is of interest
and importance to your audience ()ssay!. Finally, you will write a thoughtful reflection on your
project (&eflection!.
Part 1# Pro$osal
*") +, %&oose a su'jet/to$i to investigate.
-oure looking for a contro%ersial or debatable issue that is related somehow to this courses
focus on representation and misrepresentation in %arious kinds of texts (written, photography,
"., film, ad%ertising, signage, songs, etc.! / the way texts ha%e been used to manipulate, to sell,
to perpetuate bias, to make humor, to silence, to co%er up, to expose. -our topic needs to be as
narrowly and clearly defined as possible (ex., 0media silence on homeless children in Charlotte1
%s. 0images of homelessness1!. For help choosing a topic, you may want to re%iew our 0arguable
issues1 handout.
2ote, -ou may want to in%estigate a topic unrelated to our class media focus. "his is probably
fine, but youll need to check with me first. "he main point is to find a topic youre really
interested in, that is debatable, that youll enjoy researching and writing about.
3ssues to a%oid, *tay away from issues4topics that are unwinnable arguments (such as abortion,
issues related to religion, party politics! or that are boring because they ha%e been addressed so
often by others (unless you ha%e an exciting new angle!.
' few ideas,
- "he way propaganda (in any media! has been used to marginali$e, sell, manipulate,
perpetuate bias, co%er up a particular subject or e%ent (such as a specific war, a minority, a
nationality, or religious group!, a social type4stereotype (such as cheerleaders, athletes,
2'*C'& fans, lawyers!, or issues related to economic4social class,
- 5ow a particular minority has been portrayed historically in films, "., cartoons and comics,
or childrens books. -ou could choose to focus on a particular contro%ersial book, like Little
Black Sambo or the Uncle Remus stories, or a particular film, like Dances with Wolves.
- "he slogans and images used to sell public ser%ice campaigns such as 2ancy &eagans 06ust
*ay 2o,1 the egg frying in a pan and other commercials in 0"he 7ar on 8rugs91 the pink
ribbons, 0&ace for the Cure,1 and other breast cancer e%ents .
- 3ssues related to 0branding,1 easily recogni$ed logos, and the use of stereotypes to sell
particular products
3f you are uncertain about the appropriateness of your topic, email or come see me early, before
you get too far into your project.
*") :, Pro$osal
2ext youll write an in#uiry topic and in%estigati%e4research proposal (;-< pages!.
roposal parts,
- resent your issue4topic, then try to put it in #uestion form. ("his may re#uire more than one
#uestion, and they should not be 0yes4no1 #uestions. 05ow1 and 07hy1 #uestions tend to
lead to real insights. For example, 05ow is media co%erage of the 7ar in 'fghanistan
different from that during the .ietnam 7ar= 7hy might this be= 7hat difference does it
make=!
- 7hy did you choose this subject o%er others= 7hy is it compelling to you=
- 7hat do you already know about your subject=
- 7hat more do you need to learn=
- "o guide your research, write ten #uestions you want to find answers to. 5alf of these can be
fact-based #uestions / the 0who, what, when, where, and why1 of your subject. "he rest
should be substanti%e #uestions concerning the significance of the subject (for example, its
clear impact o%er the course of years, its long-term effects, or its influence on future
direction!.
- 7here do you think you will find answers you seek= ossibilities are articles from popular
journals or web sites, scholarly research or studies, go%ernment documents, indi%iduals who
might be good subjects for inter%iew. 7hat #uestions might be difficult to find answers for=
- 3f the results of your initial research are so numerous you need to narrow your subject, what
will you narrow it to=
- 3f your preliminary research turns up %ery little information, how will you broaden your
subject to open up more research findings=
- "hink about who your target audience might be. 7ho is most affected by this issue= 7hy
should other people care about this issue= 7hy is your issue important=
3ts not too early to consider what genre form your essay might take. *ometimes taking this into
account also helps guide your research. For example, a problem-solution essay will re#uire a
0call to action,1 so you would need to discuss both the reasons for your solution and how it
would be put into use, including both the costs (financial, personal, other! and benefits of
implementing your proposal. -ou would also need to discuss what (if anything! has already been
done about this issue, and why those solutions ha%e been unsatisfactory. >pinion and argument
essays tend to focus on examining multiple points of %iew, weighing the e%idence, deciding
which 0side1 you agree with and why (or coming up with your own, new take on the issue!. 'n
informati%e4in%estigati%e piece might call for inter%iewing people on site or through emails,
digging up old newspaper articles or photographs, shooting your own photos or %ideos,
conducting a sur%ey, or taking a road trip.
-ou may want to re%iew our handouts on 0genres1 and 0types of claims and supports.1
roposal first drafts are due on " *ept. +?th4 7 *ept. +@th. -ou will need to bring copies for each
group member and one for me. 'ttach to each copy a short (+-: paragraph! (e(o to guide your
readers) revie* of your first draft, 7hat #uestions do you ha%e for your readers= 7hat parts are
you most concerned about= 7hat places in your draft just dont feel right= 7hat do you think
your writing does well= 7hat feels weak or dissatisfying still needs work=
Part 2# +nnotated ,i'liogra$&y
*") +, Resear&
7here can you best find the information you hope to find= -ou probably will Aoogle your
subject first. (ut as you know, not all sources from online are acceptable as %alid research.
(e sure to accurately record each web B&C, title, author(s!, and publications date. (For later
documentation purposes, it is often easiest to just print out the first page of an article or
webpage.! Deep track also of sites where you find %isual images, audio, film or other media
collected from web.
B2CC 'dkins library is another great resource. From the library webpage, you can find multiple
databases that contain a wealth of scholarly and popular journal articles, go%ernment databases,
and much other information from a %ariety of sources. *hould you dare to actually enter the
library, the librarians at the help desk are trained to assist you with research, and will guide you
towards books sections and websites that are particularly rele%ant for your project.
ersonal inter%iews might be another good source for your in#uiry project. *ome #uestions can
be best answered by an indi%idual who actually experienced the e%ent youre researching, or who
works in the field youre in%estigating. (e prepared for inter%iews by making a list of good,
thoughtful, open-ended #uestions, but be willling to let your inter%iew subject take the reins
when they want to talk. Eake careful and accurate notes of sessions, or record them if your
subject is agreeable to that. )mails and phone calls are good sources, too.
*") :, +nnotated ,i'liogra$&y
-ou must ha%e fi%e sources in this bibliography. "hese should probably be the fi%e best sources
you%e found in your in%estigation. (2ote, Feel free to use any of the materials we read in class,
but your annotated source list must include fi%e new sources.!
(egin with the source citation lines in EC' format. -ou can use an online citation generator for
help with this, http,44citationmachine.net4. (e %ery careful as you fill in the information, and
know the type of source before you begin. Capitali$e as needed. Eany EC' citation guides are
a%ailable on the web. ' good one gi%ing multiple examples is http,44lgdata.s;-website-us-east-
+.ama$onaws.com4docs4+<F:4:;G+HI4EC'JCitationJ)xamples.pdf . 'lso %ery good is urdue
Bni%ersitys >7C program http,44owl.english.purdue.edu4owl4resource4@I@4;4.
&emember to alphabeti$e your entries by the first letter on the left margin (unless that word is an
article such as 0a1 or 0the,1 in which case you alphabeti$e by first 0real1 word.! (e sure to
double space and use the hanging indent.

7rite three paragraphs for each source. -ouKll need to study each source in depth to gather
enough information for a summary and analysis.

First paragraph, *ummari$e the source. 7rite an objecti%e, complete, and accurate summary of
what the article4book4film4etc. is about and what its purpose is.
*econd paragraph, &espond to what you ha%e read, how will you use this source= 3nclude in this
paragraph information on how the source is rele%ant to the essay youKre planning to write, or how
the source pro%ides background, perspecti%e, or a new point of %iew on your subject. -ou can
also write about why the article is weak or not as useful as youKd like. (3ts okay to include in
your bibliography a source you decide not to use, but you need to explain why.!

"hird paragraph, 8iscuss how you know this is a credible source. Cook for clues on online
sources, consider reputation, authorship, location, and content in explaining why this is a
reputable source. Eention any bias you may notice, and discuss whether this is problematic.

'nnotated (ibliography first drafts are due on & >ct. F
th
4 F >ct +Gth. -ou will need to bring
copies for each group member and one for me. 'ttach to each copy a short (+-: paragraphs!
(e(o to guide your readers) revie* of your first draft, 7hat #uestions do you ha%e for your
readers= 7hat parts are you most concerned about= 7hat places in your draft just dont feel
right= 7hat do you think your writing does well= 7hat feels weak or dissatisfying still needs
work=
Part -# T&e Essay
7hat ha%e you learned about your subject= 7hat conclusion(s! can you draw= >nce you
synthesi$e your findings, what is most important= 7hat ideas does your research support=
"he genre you choose and how you shape your essay will depend on the information you%e
found and the approach you%e taken. -our essay may take the shape of an argument, where you
set out to take a side on an issue thats arisen. 3t may be informational in that youre pro%iding
background information or other findings that shed light on your study. -ou may find yourself
explaining somethingLmaking clear something thats been misunderstood or misrepresented.
-ou may offer a solution to a problem, or disco%er causes for a situation.
"here will probably be se%eral ways you could go with the essay. 3n that case, dont try to do a
lightweight job of e%erything9 instead, choose a direction4topic and co%er it in depth.
-ou may want to re%iew our handouts on 0genres1 and 0types of claims and supports.1
Formulate a working t&esis idea. 3n a sentence or two, articulate clearly and succinctly what your
main point4purpose is. 7hat, ultimately, are you setting out to show in your essay= 7hat do you
conclude about what you%e found out, and what personal conclusions can you deri%e from it=
7hat do you want your readers to know and understand about what you%e disco%ered= -our
thesis sentence(s! will help keep you centered on what your focus is, and when someone else
reads your essay they should be able to sum it up with the same idea.
-our essay should be <-? pages with an additional Wor.s %ited $age. 3t may be longerLbut if
it goes long, be sure you are not being repetiti%e or going off the subject youre addressing. 3t
may be shorterLbut if so, make sure that you ha%e made each point con%incing to readers who
know nothing about your subject and that you ha%e left nothing essential unexplored.
>ther things your essay should contain,
- EC' format, documentation and heading. "his includes the four line, double-spaced heading
at top left of your first page, +1 margins all around, etc. -our internal citations should be
correct and should match the 7orks Cited page at the end of the essay. &emember to
alphabeti$e entries on your 7orks Cited page.
- -our essay should ha%e an evoative title
- *ynthesi$ed sources. "his means you dont rely on just one article or book or inter%iew, but
you weigh the %ariety of information to add balance and %ariety to your essay. -ou should
incorporate at least three of your sources into your essay. Eake good use of your sources to
aupport your ideas. "ry to 0wea%e1 #uotes into your own prose, and be sure to use in-text
citations for all ideas4information you get from outside sources (including those you
paraphrase!.
- Cogical, effecti%e structure. Aood transitions between each point you make.
- 'n interesting conclusion that points to the wider importance of your issue.
-ou can use images throughout your essay to support your points. 5owe%er, you still need <-?
pages of written text (about +<GG words!.

)3 )ssay first drafts are due on " 2o%. I
th
4 7 2o%. <th . -ou will need to bring copies for each
group member and one for me. 'ttach to each copy a short (+-: paragraphs! (e(o to guide
your readers) revie* of your first draft, 7hat #uestions do you ha%e for your readers= 7hat
parts are you most concerned about= 7hat places in your draft just dont feel right= 7hat do you
think your writing does well= 7hat feels weak or dissatisfying still needs work=
Part 4# Re/letion
-our &eflection essay should be an in-depth, thoughtful response that focuses as much on the
why of your process as the what and how. "he what and how you already know9 the why is worth
probing further. oints to include in the &eflection essay (not necessarily in this order!,
-our idea. Bsing your proposal as your starting point, your essay as your end, how did your idea
about your subject change from beginning to end= 7hat changed it= 7hy did it change= 8etail
your progression through the de%elopment of your idea.
-our research. 8escribe the process of your search, including the type of e%idence you found,
where you found it, and its %alue. 7hat surprised you in your research= 8id you find a lot of
information about a certain area of your study that you didnt expect= 8id you find too little= 8id
your findings encourage you to narrow your search or broaden your search or change the initial
direction entirely=
"he writing of your essay. 8escribe and reflect on your writing process. 8id you start with a plan
or outline, or did you draft by freewriting= 8id you use notecards= >ther writing techni#ues=
7hy did you choose the genre, tone and style you chose=
-our writers group. 5ow did your writers group workshop criti#ues help or hinder your whole
process=
-our life as a researcher.
5ow has this in#uiry project been different from 4similar to other research projects you ha%e
undertaken= 7hat ha%e you done for the first time=
-our life as a learner.
7hat did you learnLabout anythingLthat you didnt already know=
)3 &eflection first drafts are due on & 2o%. +;
th
4 F 2o%. +Ith . -ou will need to bring copies for
each group member and one for me. 'ttach to each copy a short (+-: paragraphs! (e(o to guide
your readers) revie* of your first draft, 7hat #uestions do you ha%e for your readers= 7hat
parts are you most concerned about= 7hat places in your draft just dont feel right= 7hat do you
think your writing does well= 7hat feels weak or dissatisfying still needs work=