Writing Journal #1

My recent history with research projects has less to do with writing papers, and more to do with creating budget reports, travel itineraries, marketing plans, and engagement strategies. I know I did some research projects in my school years that generated larger papers. That has now been several years in the past. More recently, I applied my research skills while I worked as an apartment manager developing budgets and marketing plans for coming years. I gathered quotes from vendors for services that were required. Quotes for projects we hoped would be approved by the ownership would also be collected and some cost benefit analysis for the projects would be provided. Our marketing plans were a bit more comprehensive. I would gather quotes for our marketing avenues, reports detailing our traffic by marketing source, and our leasing ratios. Then I would analyze which marketing avenues would be the most beneficial for the coming year. Also analysis on how we may better leverage other strategies not currently employed.

Later I used my skills while we lived abroad for several years planning our travels through Europe. This largely consisted of reading articles, blog posts, and searching through social media sites. I would cobble together places of interest, and the best ways to travel from one place to the next. I would also research lodging and meal options, as well as putting together a proposed budget. We tended to prefer smaller more out of the way areas which would require more complex forms of transportation. I would also need to familiarize us with the driving laws, basic language phrases, currency, and our options for cellular usage.

During that time, I also served on volunteer boards for a few international women’s groups. I used my research skills to create quarterly newsletters, survey our members on which services and activities we should offer to improve our engagement levels, and to plan group activities. Collecting stories, photographs, and advertisements from members on a quarterly basis was akin to large scale baby-sitting. Typically I supplemented the newsletters with quite a bit of my own writing and photos. I would pull those writings from posts I had prepared for my personal blog from my experiences and travels. I would also research what activities and local interests may be available for our members. We collected surveys on a bi-yearly basis to gauge what information and activities our current group of members might be interested in. This was often a struggle for the organizations as often the only thing these ladies had in common was that they were all living in a foreign country.

I suspect my experience with research is about to change. Large research projects for the purposes of producing a large-scale research paper is something I haven’t done for a decade. My larger writing projects in the last several years have all been fiction. I think that experience will help me to organize and structure a larger project. There will be an adjustment though to return to creating educational non-fiction projects. I feel like I am still getting a grasp on what all the research project for this course will entail. It seems as though a local community research project is something larger than I have previously tackled though.

Writing Journal #2

Thinking of a topic for my research project for this course has been difficult, but I am passionate about climate change and environmental issues. While attending an Earth Day clean up a couple years ago, I noticed that the beach we were cleaning up seemed to be a dumping area for concrete. California is generally accepted as a leader on environmental issues and policy. The purposeful dumping of concrete was concerning though, especially as it was so close to a major body of water. I am curious about the known environmental concerns in the San Francisco Bay Area, so I can become more active in my new community to help promote a healthy Earth.

Issues surrounding the environment are complicated and multi-dimensional. There are pros and cons of varying levels of impact in most situations. In our current pandemic situation, there has been a rise in single use products. It is bringing some level of control amidst the rising number of cases, but at some point the increasing amount of trash being produced will have an environmental effect on our landfills and likely our bodies of water. I enjoy nature, and I enjoy being outdoors. It is concerning that the amount of climate change scientists have said we are experiencing is still being debated in political arenas.

This is something everyone should care about. In this area particularly though, we regularly experience natural disasters. Doing everything possible to mitigate their effects would be in everyone’s best interest. Something that hasn’t seemed to be a big priority in the news cycles, but is something we will have to consider soon is the possibility of being hit with a natural disaster while in the middle of a pandemic. How will the state handle needing to both evacuate people, while also encouraging social distancing? How will they guarantee sanitized spaces? What about the possibility of evacuating asymptomatic people, or those who just haven’t started to show symptoms yet, with those who are high risk?

During the panic phases of the early days of this pandemic I noticed many people in my social circle who had been dedicated to using more eco-friendly products suddenly reverting to single use and harsher chemicals. While not a large sample size, that observation was reinforced when only the more eco-friendly products were left on the shelves of my local grocery stores. Interrupted supply chains made restocking the grocery stores difficult. The supply chains are still struggling to get back on their feet. We see it in the grocery stores with still empty shelves, or shelves filled in the products not normally sold in our market. What happens if we need emergency supplies because we have a natural disaster? What sort of environmental cost are we paying in the meantime?

So I am considering environmental issues for my central research question. What challenges are facing California? What affects could they have? What is the level of importance for these issues? Boiled down my question is where should the focus be to improve the health of the environment?

Writing Journal #3

I have been a part of a local politically minded discourse community for about two years. I joined this particular group after being invited by a woman I met at a feminist book club that never made it through the first book. It is a feminist, and largely female political group that was formed after the 2016 US elections and is one meeting of a nationwide grassroots group. We discuss national politics when they are relevant, but mostly we focus on local politics as that is where we have the greatest influence.

In pre-pandemic life we had both an online, and an in-person community. Now all our communication happens online. We used to have meetings where we would speak based on a monthly agenda provided by the national group as it related to our local situation. We would speak about causes with local politicians who would visit our meetings. We would (and still do) speak in terms of the number of days until elections when discussing organizing actions to influence change. Participation ideas are always a headliner. Meetings, letters to politicians and organizations, postcards to voters, or protests were a part of every conversation.

As is mentioned in the paper Understanding How Conversations Change Over Time by Michael Charlton, conversations naturally change and develop over time as situations and information evolve. In our current pandemic lifestyle, we have gone through an unnatural level of change and growth. Our conversations have changed. The biggest change is of course that they are now all happening online. Our conversations have been distilled to a couple of sentences and a news article or event invite. Sometimes we don’t even include the commentary. Something about being in the same room with each other encouraged lively debate and conversation. Now we aren’t even doing video calls. With the huge amount of social change that is currently being called for in our country, it feels like my political group has largely gone dormant. Sure, we still do things individually, but the group atmosphere is gone.

The language in that community is largely either narrative for the sharing of personal stories or a call to action. We do not discuss our personal lives unless it is relevant to the topic or issue we are discussing. Nothing is shared that is not for the exchange of information or the offering of actionable opportunities. Issues are what we live on. The only news we share is political or issue related.

This is an area that I am some what well versed in. Politics and government have always fascinated me on both a national and a global scale. I started early joining Model United Nations programs first in junior high, and then in high school. I joined philosophy clubs and was invested in my social studies classes. I regularly spoke with friends if not family about political matters. I have joined politically minded groups regularly throughout my adult life, as well as keeping myself at least semi-well informed on the current political issues. That made it easier to slip into this group. I already understood most of the language and general concepts that were being discussed. I also already understood the unwritten rules of the group. If you have time to socialize, you have time to write postcards while you do it.

Writing Journal #4

The environment is the very cradle of life. I don’t know what could be more exigent than ensuring the planet we all still live on will continue to be a hospitable place for the foreseeable future and beyond. I understand that doing things to keep it healthy is expensive and inconvenient- two words that always make corporate American very nervous. It also encourages commercial industries to grow and evolve to make changes to products and practices that are hurting it. Innovation is good for the economy. It is good for our society. The issue seems to be people’s aversion to change with an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality. The problem is that it is broken. Scientists have been trying to convince the world of this for decades. Now is our time to act before we live to regret it.

More people are staying home in our current pandemic sieged world. It is the perfect time to open their eyes. They can literally see the trash piling up around them. They can feel the dryness of their hands and see how unhappy their skin is from the harsher cleaning products and hand soaps. The evidence is all around us. People who had just finished the transitions away from plastic bags at the grocery store and straws in their beverages have suddenly reverted. All of these things have to go some where.

Early in the pandemic many people across America used the initial shelter orders to “Spring clean” their homes. Waste Management companies in several areas had to request people limit the amount of household items that were left at curbs, or reduce the number of times they would pick up as they could not keep up with the amount of trash that was being disposed of. Most of these items will end up in landfills. Our landfills are running out of room, not to mention the effects of the gases released from these sites. The moment could not be more kairotic.

My CRQ is evolving with each Writer’s Journal that I write, though I think I am honing in as it feels like it is changing less with this entry. What are the potential impacts of the COVID19 pandemic on potentially pre-existing environmental issues?

Writing Journal #5

I think my most recent research projects have been to provide back story and to give an aura of reality to my fictional writing work. Spending time in what I guess would be considered an inquiry-based project I have researched locations, religious practices, and cultural differences for several different works. I love to dive into a new project, as I love the period of discovery. My drive to finish said projects tends to be where I get a little shaky. One of the best things about researching for fiction is there’s always one more thing to look up. (I’m pretty sure that’s also my downfall.)

Not being academic pieces, and the stories and worlds fictional, I was able to allow a lot of leeway with my sources. I mostly use mapping applications, photos shared on social media, and articles or blog posts for most of my research. I tend to read books or locate academic papers for the religious practices. Cultural differences are really the trickiest part. I prefer to personally travel to a place. If I can’t, I like to read novels already set in the area, as well as check out travel articles and posts to see what aspects align and overlap.

I think these experiences are going to give me insight. The idea that there has to be an end to research is one that I have struggled with. The central question we are researching has to have a way to be definitively answered. Even if it isn’t to our liking it at least needs to have a point where we are comfortable stopping. At this point I don’t think I need to adjust my question further. I do have some previously held opinions. I have also worded my question in a way that encourages me to research beyond them to find an unbiased answer.

Writing Journal #6

My current worries are fairly focused. The amount of trash currently being produced in the Bay Area, and where it may end up is concerning. I am also concerned about how this pandemic will affect our response to any natural disasters. My current CRQ is what are the potential impacts of the COVID19 pandemic on potentially pre-existing environmental issues in the San Francisco Bay area?

My project is exigent because we only have the one Earth, and our particular area is prone to natural disasters. This also leads into why it is kairotic. We are reaching the mid-point of summer. Fire season is coming. Are we prepared to face two crises at once? How can we be prepared when the information on our current crisis changes daily?

I would hypothesize my audience would be those in my personal circles. Probably those who are either environmentally or politically minded, or potentially both. I also plan to reach out to my local government officials. Hopefully I can distill my questions and concerns that come from my final research project to something that will get their attention.

My current methodological hypothesis is that I will need to look at news reports from credible sources, government websites, data from previous pandemics, and research on current environmental issues. I am not sure what all I will be able to find as our current situation is evolving rapidly, but I am hopeful that I will be able to find enough solid information to satisfy my question.

Looking back at my previous journals thus far, I think the hardest parts for me where coming up with the initial research topic and figuring out who my audience might be. Once I figured those items out, the other details started to fall into place. I think I have distilled my curiosity down to a question that is both challenging, but still possible to answer.

Writing Journal #7

The two aspects I have written about so far are pretty similar. Both are focused both on the potential environmental issues present in my community. They also address how the COVID pandemic may affect those issues in the future or if they are already creating strain.

I think my initial impulse to focus more generally is going to be the better strategy. The intersections between the pandemic and potential current environmental issues in the Bay area will be a more fruitful research project. It will leave me more open and flexible. My other potential focus was just on the effects of the pandemic on the health of our coasts and waterways. I am concerned the more specific language will be prohibitive to finding enough relevant information to complete the final project.

I have found my more generalized question easier to plan for, and it is also holding my attention more. The last few tasks have really crystalized my CRQ down to a consistent idea. I am planning to use the question: what are the potential impacts of the COVID19 pandemic on potentially pre-existing environmental issues in the San Francisco Bay area?

Writing Journal #8

Project Proposal Outline: Central Research Question

What are the potential impacts of the COVID19 pandemic on potentially pre-existing environmental issues in the San Francisco Bay area?

• Exigency & Kairos
  • This is the perfect time to work on this particular project, because it has real time effects and consequences.
  • Pandemic is happening now
  • Indicators of environmental struggles currently present eg. single use items, straws, plastic bags, reduced emissions from fewer cars
  • Local community prone to natural disasters
• Audience
  • I would share my research with as many interested people as I could find in my local community and encourage them to email our city and county officials until something is done about any issues that I find.
  • Friends & family
  • Political groups
  • Local politicians
• Stakeholders
  • The people who live in these areas, especially the areas along the coast or in the areas at high risk for forest fires and mud slides, would see the immediate and day-to-day effects of any changes.
  • Local residents of areas most commonly affected
  • First responders and city planners
  • Tourists
• Sources
  • These are the most appropriate sources I think will find given how new and constantly evolving our current situation is.
  • Articles
  • Statements & reports from waste management
  • Environmental studies & reports
  • Government sites
  • Past pandemic data

Writing Journal #9

My peer reviews, while complimentary, were not particularly helpful. It reinforced the point that when editing or reviewing someone’s work it may be uncomfortable to give critical feedback, but it is also much more helpful to the writer than praise. As I mentioned in my reflections, I am planning to ask people in my social circle for additional critiques of my project proposal. I am hoping for some additional ideas, and for someone else to check my word usage and grammar as at this point I have been staring at my project for too long. I’ve lost my objectivity. I can’t see the errors anymore. I am just trading one word for another at this point.

My time constraints are fairly tight as I only have a couple of days between assignment due dates. I am planning to step away from my project and work on other things while my husband and a friend look over my work and give feedback. It will allow me to come back both with fresh eyes and new critiques, so I will be able to edit and complete the proposal on time.

I’ve never needed to formalize a revision plan before. I normally just re-read my work until I can’t anymore, and I then I convince someone else to read it to give me some fresh eyes. I guess my strategy this time isn’t very different; I just gave it more thought. So far I have gone through the proposal again myself before looking through the peer reviews. I then asked two additional people to look through the proposal while I stepped away from it. My plan going forward is to go through my friend’s suggestions then re-read my proposal one more time before turning in my final draft.

Writing Journal #10

My course long research project is directed to the environmentally minded in my social circle. I’ll also share it with the local politically active groups and my local political representatives. My research is focused in the San Francisco Bay area in this current time of pandemic. I am planning to apply pandemic effects to pre-existing environmental issues. My purpose is to educate myself on current environmental concerns in my local area and research my concerns from the growing pandemic response.

Direct observation could be a good method for collecting information for this project. My concern is the time constraints won’t allow me to collect enough data to make my observations substantively relevant. That said I could observe my personal trash accumulation for the week, and the accumulation within my apartment community.

Interviewing could be a good method for collecting information for this project. My concern with this is the time constraints to find someone appropriate to interview. I don’t have someone with a relevant background in my immediate social circle. I have reached out to my local community and politically active groups. Hopefully someone has both appropriate experience and is available to talk to me by the weekend.

Surveys could possibly be a good method for collecting information for this project. I don’t think it is feasible though in my current situation. I don’t think I know enough people in my local area to get a large enough data spread to be able to analyze the responses. I’m also not quite sure what information I could collect. If I try a survey I would ask people about their current trash production versus pre-pandemic production, and the amount they drive pre- and post- shelter orders.

I think with the limited amount of time available for these assignments the most useful research strategy for my project would be an interview. Hopefully I can find someone with the appropriate background.

Writing Journal #11

My current version of my central research question is: what are the potential impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic on potentially pre-existing environmental issues in the San Francisco Bay area?

As I mentioned in my last journal entry if I plan to do observation, I would focus on trash accumulation. My personal trash home over the last several months. I would measure the number of bags we dispose of each week. I would also reach out to my apartment community. Since the initial surge of spring cleaning at the beginning of the shelter order I have noticed trash accumulation increases around the community. I would ask if they have had to increase the amount of bins they have in the community or if they have had to request additional pickups. It’s also possible that there hasn’t been so much of an increase in the general amount of waste, but more of an increase in large household waste.

My audience would be those in my social circles. Those who are environmentally or politically interested would be my focus. I also plan to reach out to my local political representatives with any concerns that come from my research. I think my observation data would be an interesting anecdote that would encourage my audience to think about their own trash production. I don’t think it would be enough data for people to form opinions around. It could stir additional interest though.

If I were to use observation for my larger research project, I might adjust my central research question to be: what effects are the COVID 19 pandemic having on consumer habits and the environment?

Writing Journal #12

When I was in college just out of high school I did a project for a business class. As part of that project, we needed to interview someone in business to help us develop a business plan. I was able to get the CEO of the company I was working for at the time to sit down with my group and I. My mother had worked for the same company on and off for many years and was able to make the introduction for us. We sat down in the break room of the location I was working in at the time, and ask him about his own experiences with writing a business plan. We were able to share our ideas and preliminary draft with him so he could give us feedback.

The audience for our interview was largely the group I was working with. The interview was meant to aid us in our own project. It was meant to find someone with experience to look over our project draft, and make notes. The instructor of our course was also part of the audience. Similarly to this course, an early component of our project was to turn in an assignment based on our interview.

The interview turned out to be a success, though not necessarily in the ways we had expected. The CEO was able to look over our project’s draft and provide us with some more professional business jargon. He was also able to look at our larger concept and provide us with ideas for how to make our business idea more seamless. He was less helpful when it came to writing the business proposal as a whole, as that was not something he had a lot of experience in. Sections of the proposal were able to be flushed out as he recommended what areas tend to be more important when speaking with investors.

If I use an interview for my larger research project, I think I could speak to an expert who may be able to help refine my focus. An expert might also be able to tell me where I could look for secondary research material. I don’t have anyone in my immediate social circles who has the appropriate education or professional background. I have posted in my local politically active group in the hopes that someone in there has both the relevant experience and the time to speak with me this week. Since I don’t have someone specific in mind I can’t say for sure , but I think the results of an interview would be valuable. I think the audience would appreciate the opinions and suppositions of an expert. An expert could also help direct my research which the audience would benefit from.

If I am able to find someone to interview, that is the primary research path I am leaning towards.

Writing Journal #13

The most recent experience I have with taking a survey is taking the 2020 census. The census counts every person in the United States and its territories every ten years. The survey is sent to households across the country and everyone is required to respond. It gives demographical information for the entire US including population densities that affect the number of representatives that appear from each state in the US Congress.

The audience for this survey is huge. The information is used by federal, state, and local governments. It is also public and can be accessed by individuals and businesses. This survey data affects how federal funds are distributed, city planning and future infrastructure.

The rhetorical situation of the census versus a survey I would put together as a primary research tool would of course be vastly different. The census obviously has a much larger scope. The collect a large amount of information on millions of people. I would have a much smaller target market as I would be focusing on my local area, and probably wouldn’t get much response outside my own social circle. I don’t think there would be many similarities beyond the basic structure. At it’s core, any survey is a list of questions, often multiple choice with a couple of open ended questions thrown in for additional data to analyze.

As I mentioned above, if I were to do a survey for my project I don’t think I would be able to get much response. In my experience response rates for surveys tends to be less than 30%. My social circle in my local community is still relatively small. My sample size would probably make any response I received highly biased data. I don’t think the data I would collect would be particularly valuable. I wouldn’t have enough data to appropriately analyze or draw any scientifically valid conclusions. For these reasons, I am not leaning towards a survey as a primary research method at this time.

Writing Journal #14

I have written the first draft of my second writing project and submitted my reflections on the draft. This project was focused on a primary data source. I chose interview for my data source. I think that the area of my draft that could use some additional work is the summary area. While I think that I was able to adequately summarize the data I was able to collect from my interview, there is opportunity to better connect my data summary to my thesis statement.

I will step away from my draft for a little while. I always think that is the most important first step in the revision process. While I take a break, I will ask my partner to go over my project paper with a fresh set of eyes. I don’t always agree with his suggestions for which areas don’t quite line up or need additional details, but it always helps me think about my work more critically.

Once I look over his notes, I will go back through my paper myself and make the adjustments suggested that I agree with as well as flush out any sections that feel lacking after my own pass through once I’ve stepped away. I typically manage my deadlines by alternating what I am working on to keep myself refreshed as well as to take the best advantage of my available time.

Writing Journal #15

My current version of my central research question continues to be: what are the potential impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic on potentially preexisting environmental issues in the San Francisco Bay area? As I get further in this question continues thus far to be both relevant and reasonably accessible to research.

I intend to use the primary research interview I conducted last week and apply it to this week’s project. The secondary sources likely to be most useful for my project will be information gathered from reports. These will largely be posted to environmental agency and organization websites, or requested from said sources. These agencies will be able to provide hard data on utility usage and pollution levels. I will be looking for the records from the last few months since the shelter orders went into effect. This will be the easiest way to measure the impact of the pandemic on our local environmental health.

From preliminary searches I should be able to easily access a lot of the information I am hoping to collect. San Jose is invested in being a green city, so they publish several environmental reports online for public access. I also received contact names from my primary research interviewee. This should allow me to request past information not currently posted online to allow for comparison and analysis.

The reports I have found thus far are of varying lengths and structures. My plan is to print a few out at a time for active reading to evaluate their usefulness as a secondary source. I am hoping to find statistics about utility usage over time, waste production, air pollution, and/or oil drilling figures. Comparing the numbers from the last 6 months to the corresponding periods from the last few years seems to be the best way to see if there is a change in the trends. I feel this is the best way to measure the potential impact points between the pandemic and the environmental health in my local community.

Writing Journal #16

I have read several journal articles and reports trying to filter down which ones will be the most useful. One of the sources I have narrowed it down to is Indirect effects of COVID 19 on the environment by Manuel A. Zambrano-Monserrate, Maria Alejandra Ruano, and Luis Sanchez-Alcalde published 20 April 2020 in the Science of the Total Environment journal.

The stated purpose of the article is “to show the positive and negative indirect effects of COVID 19 on the environment, particularly in the most affected countries such as China, USA, Italy, and Spain” (Zambrano-Monserrate et al.). The undercurrent of the piece seems to suggest the authors hold some opinions on the responses to the pandemic. The long term effects on the environment are still unknown at this time, but they seem to lean towards positive effects due to the pausing of industrial activities being only temporary while negatives from changing consumer habits and waste management will be more destructive and have lasting effects.

The audience for this piece is scholars studying environmental impacts, pandemic impacts, or both.

The rhetorical strategy for this paper seems to be logos- or appealing to reason as avenue for persuasion. The authors lay out their facts and state that without plans for long term changes in place that any positives will be negated once industry and travel resumes. When speaking of the negatives, they suggest that the damage will already be done.

This source clearly states where they have gathered their data from and states a clear point of view. I think this source will be very useful for my course long research project. There are positions they have listed that coincide with other papers I have read. They also have a few positions that differ. They have given reasons as to why they hold these particular positions though so I think it create a good contrast to the other information presented.

Zambrano-Monserrate, Manuel A., et al. “Indirect Effects of COVID-19 on the Environment.” The Science of the Total Environment, vol. 728, Elsevier Science, Aug. 2020, doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138813.

Writing Journal #17

My central research question has continued to be: what are the potential impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic on potentially pre-existing environmental issues in the San Francisco Bay area? Thus far my research has been able to address this question broadly. Most of my sources have been focused on international effects and pandemic hot spots. So far I have found only peripheral mentions of California if it is mentioned at all.

That has been my focus this week: to find research and data focused more specifically on my local area to tie in my broader scope research. I’m a little surprised at how difficult it is to get current data. My preliminary searches showed there were at least a few sites where I could get reports with data to analyze. I’m finding however that the information is several years out of date or at least the previous few months are unavailable or incomplete. The information is sometimes just simply not readily available to the general public. Several agencies have public information request forms, but they have a common two week response time. I have yet to hear back from the requests I have made for information.

Considering the time constraints of this class and this project I think I’m going to focus specifically on issues surrounding plastic usage in the Bay Area. I have collected a few scholarly articles that address plastics and the pandemic. I will also be able to reference California’s response. My plan is to try to collect more data on trash collection and handling.

Writing Journal #18

The compressed timeline of this course and this project has affected the direction my project has taken. Based on the sources and data I have been able to collect I have refined my focus. I am communicating with people in my local area- friends, local groups I am involved in, and my local politicians. My focus is on trying to encourage a reduced plastic consumption and urge a safe reintroduction of reusable items.

I have gathered research that has shown the virus can live on plastic for days. It has also shown that the public is now regularly using personal protective equipment in their daily lives. However, these items are not being properly disposed of in personal homes. The general public does not have access or the general knowledge to safely handle the proper disposal of these items. This could create other instances of contamination. Medical waste is incinerated before the ashes are buried. Now potentially contaminated face masks and gloves are finding their way into household and commercial waste, or as litter on the street and in nature. Not only does this increase the possibility of continuing the virus, but the life of the virus’ RNA may be shorter on other materials.

I am planning on a strategy incorporating pathos and logos. I am hoping that talking about a combination of the rise and effects of micro plastics, the life of the virus on plastics versus other materials, and the difference between disposal of standard hazardous medical waste and the current practices for household waste disposal will encourage people in my area to refocus on reducing plastic consumption.

Writing Journal #19

My past experiences with writing projects have been quite different from my experiences in this English 102 course. I am more accustomed both in school and in life to tackling projects all at once. I also typically have a longer time frame to complete them. It has been potentially useful to experience this more piece-meal approach though especially with the condensed timeline of this course.

This approach to a longer writing project has given me new insight into how to potentially structure larger projects. I don’t think I will follow the exact outline of work from this course for future projects. I do plan though to break them down into to a few more manageable sections. That should allow me to build the project as I go, so I can then bring them together for the final presentation. I wouldn’t follow this outline exactly, because I struggled with the division of work for the timeline of this course. I found some weeks much easier to manage than others.

Working through the process this way though has shown me a new way to engage with text. It has made it easier for me to build from one project to the next. Having the work of the previous week’s journals and projects to draw from has given me a base for each new assignment. I have also previously struggled to part with sections of pieces I have written. I tend to get attached when I work with a piece as one large body of text. Instead of willingly letting a part of my project go, I will spend hours editing and reworking it. This approach has given me a fresh perspective on the level of text that may need (and be ok) to be produced to create a final text. I’m hopeful that this will make it easier for me to adjust course when working on projects in the future.

My sense of what it means to be a writer in general has not so much changed, as slightly evolved. The general idea of the concept is still the same, my understanding of process and what is possible has deepened. That said- my sense of what it means for me to be a writer has changed quite a bit. This course has pushed me to create on a scale I have previously struggled with. I have learned that I am quite capable of producing thousands of words a day. And more impressively, on topics I am far less passionate about than I am for my personal fiction projects. I have learned new strategies and renewed my love of writing. Though I hadn’t touched my personal work -in-progress for months, I have been struggling this week to stay focused on classwork. I have a sudden renewed interest in working on my novel. I am hoping that as I further adjust to my new course load, I will be able to find time to also work on my personal projects.

Writing Journal #20

I can’t believe this is already the last week of my first college course at ASU. I have read through the assignment description for the academic poster project taking my persuasive research paper and condensing it down to an academic poster style page on my eportfolio. It takes me back to making physical posters in high school, which is apparently pretty close to this assignment. Condensing weeks’ worth of work and research down to a couple of short paragraphs and a single eye-catching graphic.

The saying the medium is the message, I’m not sure that I necessarily. That said, I do think the medium definitely affects the message. Presentation is everything. Obviously, it affects what information and how much can be shared with your audience. Different presentation styles also attract different audiences. In short the audience affects what and how the information is provided.

I think I am going to struggle a little to condense my project down to an academic poster style presentation. My biggest struggle will probably be my research section. I am sure I’ll be able to condense my own words down. Both my introduction as well as my analysis and conclusions can be summed up, though they will of course lose a bit of their nuance. I am a bit nervous condensing other’s words though. Several sources are quoted in my persuasive research paper. I left the quotes intact, because they offered good information and also because when you shorten quotes you change the meaning of what is said. It may change a little, it may change a lot. It may not have been the intent to change the meaning, or that may have been the entire point. Either way I am nervous about having to try to paraphrase their work as I wouldn’t want to stray into the realms of plagiarism.

The benefit of course is that the poster format definitely makes the project more readable. Those short on time can decide if their interest has been peaked and they want to invest in reading the full paper. I do think the poster will be able to snag interest, but I think the full paper will still be the more persuasive of the two. The paper provides the fully flushed argument, along with the information to back up the controlling purpose. It has the space to explain the background of the project and why it’s important; why now and why here. The poster will have the chance to hint and tease at these things, but they are why the project was done in the first place. They’re important. I think they along with the facts are what make the project worth reading.