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1. Research​ ​Paper​​ ​(~2500​ ​words​ ​or​ ​8​ ​pages)
The​ ​research​ ​paper​ ​will​ ​entail​ ​picking​ ​a​ ​‘message’​ ​and​ ​analyzing​ ​the​ ​different​ ​forms​ ​it​ ​takes,
different​ ​solutions​ ​presented​ ​to​ ​a​ ​problem.​ ​Questions​ ​to​ ​consider:
1. What​ ​is​ ​the​ ​scope​ ​of​ ​the​ ​message?​ ​What​ ​various​ ​audiences​ ​is​ ​it​ ​presented​ ​to,​ ​and​ ​how​ ​are
the​ ​forms​ ​(style,​ ​tone,​ ​mode,​ ​length,​ ​etc)​ ​varied​ ​for​ ​those​ ​audiences?
2. Which​ ​forms​ ​do​ ​you​ ​find​ ​most​ ​effective?​ ​Why?
3. Take​ ​one​ ​or​ ​more​ ​aspect​ ​we’ve​ ​discussed,​ ​including:​ ​1)​ ​surface-level​ ​representation​ ​v.
context,​ ​2)​ ​framing,​ ​3)​ ​narrative​ ​empathy,​ ​4)​ ​and​ ​peer-review/​ ​use​ ​of​ ​studies,​ ​and​ ​track
the​ ​significance​ ​of​ ​this​ ​for​ ​your​ ​message.
4. If​ ​relevant,​ ​what​ ​are​ ​counterviews​ ​to​ ​this​ ​message,​ ​and​ ​how​ ​do​ ​they​ ​successfully​ ​(or​ ​not)
engage​ ​in​ ​the​ ​conversation?
5. Lastly,​ ​a​ ​personal​ ​reflection​ ​on​ ​how​ ​understanding​ ​of​ ​these​ ​modes​ ​will​ ​affect​ ​your
consuming​ ​of​ ​messages​ ​in​ ​the​ ​future.
Optional:​ ​Instead​ ​of​ ​focusing​ ​on​ ​a​ ​message,​ ​you​ ​may​ ​also​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​investigate​ ​an​ ​aspect​ ​of
composition​ ​we’ve​ ​discussed​ ​in​ ​this​ ​course​ ​as​ ​related​ ​specifically​ ​to​ ​digital,​ ​visual,​ ​print,​ ​or
academic​ ​media​ ​(See​ ​question​ ​3).​ ​Picking​ ​one​ ​of​ ​these​ ​aspects,​ ​make​ ​an​ ​argument​ ​as​ ​to​ ​​why​​ ​it’s
important,​ ​illustrating​ ​benefits​ ​to​ ​its​ ​use,​ ​and​ ​acknowledging​ ​and​ ​rebutting​ ​a​ ​counterclaim.
Structure:
1.Introduction
The​ ​first​ ​section​ ​of​ ​the​ ​paper​ ​will​ ​be​ ​​1​ ​-​ ​1.5​ ​pages​​ ​encompassing:
- your​ ​own​ ​perspective​,​ ​background​ ​knowledge,​ ​and​ ​initial​ ​assumptions​ ​about​ ​this​ ​issue.
Why​ ​are​ ​you​ ​drawn​ ​to​ ​it?​ ​What​ ​questions​ ​do​ ​you​ ​wonder?​ ​What​ ​do​ ​you​ ​hope​ ​any
knowledge​ ​you​ ​gain​ ​about​ ​it,​ ​can​ ​do​ ​for​ ​you?
- Additionally:​ ​what​ ​have​ ​been​ ​your​ ​responses​ ​to​ ​rhetoric​ ​around​ ​this​ ​issue?​ ​How​ ​does
your​ ​socioeconomic​ ​status,​ ​gender,​ ​beliefs,​ ​or​ ​raising,​ ​affect​ ​how​ ​you​ ​relate​ ​to​ ​the
concept?
2.​ ​Research
The​ ​main​ ​body​ ​of​ ​research​ ​will​ ​be​ ​from​ ​​3​ ​-​ ​4​ ​sources​ ​that​ ​are​ ​​representative​​ ​of​ ​your​ ​approach
to​ ​the​ ​issue.​ ​This​ ​should​ ​take​ ​up​ ​2​ ​-​ ​3​ ​pages​ ​of​ ​your​ ​discussion.
Either​ ​secondly​ ​(separately),​ ​or​ ​point​ ​by​ ​point,​ ​introduce​ ​​1​ ​to​ ​2​ ​sources​ ​that​ ​are​ ​​alternative​/
opposing​ ​to​ ​the​ ​viewpoint​ ​you​ ​argue.​ ​This​ ​should​ ​take​ ​1.5​ ​-​ ​2​ ​pages​ ​of​ ​your​ ​discussion.
3.Conclusion/​ ​Reflection
1​ ​-​ ​1.5​ ​pages​ ​​Synthesize​ ​what​ ​you’ve​ ​learned​ ​and​ ​why​ ​it’s​ ​important.​ ​Reflecting​ ​on​ ​research
process​ ​is​ ​a​ ​biopsy.​ ​What​ ​questions​ ​did​ ​you​ ​ask​ ​in​ ​your​ ​research?​ ​Where​ ​did​ ​you​ ​pull​ ​your​ ​focus
back​ ​in​ ​at?​ ​Why​ ​did​ ​you​ ​make​ ​these​ ​choices?​ ​What​ ​additional​ ​research​ ​seems​ ​to​ ​be​ ​needed?
- What​ ​new​ ​perspectives​ ​have​ ​you​ ​come​ ​away​ ​with?​ ​Why​ ​is​ ​this​ ​knowledge​ ​intriguing​ ​or
helpful​ ​to​ ​you?​ ​How​ ​do​ ​you​ ​see​ ​it​ ​impacting​ ​your​ ​own​ ​life​ ​or​ ​choices?

2. Required​ ​Sources:​ ​​(at​ ​least)​ ​1​ ​book,​ ​2​ ​scholarly​ ​journal​ ​articles,​ ​2​ ​popular​ ​articles​ ​(can​ ​include
websites).​ ​These​ ​(or​ ​additional​ ​sources)​ ​must​ ​incorporate​ ​analyzing​ ​1​ ​image​ ​(photo/​ ​painting/
video),​ ​1​ ​piece​ ​of​ ​hard​ ​data​ ​(a​ ​number,​ ​to​ ​provide​ ​context​ ​or​ ​an​ ​overview),​ ​1​ ​“out​ ​of​ ​the​ ​box”
source​ ​such​ ​as​ ​documentary/​ ​art​ ​exhibit/​ ​movie/​ ​song​ ​(a​ ​photo​ ​also​ ​counts​ ​as​ ​this).​ ​6-7​ ​sources​ ​in
total.