Research Project

Throughout the semester, I would like you to work independently on a project, paper, hypertext, film, or visual project that examines or displays the nature and/or function of visual rhetoric in print, film, art, photography, performance, or electronic media (or in some combination of these forms). In the end, your finished project will need to be very sharply focused and draw on the readings and concepts discussed in class, as well as any relevant outside sources. One purpose should be to articulate the way or ways that the visual and the verbal interanimate each other as part of a wider rhetorical system, of which the visual is but a part. (Individual; 25% of course grade)

Steps in the Process: I would like you to complete the final project in a series of steps, as outlined below. By the midterm, you will have made good progress on the project and at that time will be asked to provide the rest of the class with an update. You should post each step of your project to your blog by the end of the day on the date listed. For the shorter pieces, it is okay to embed any text or images in the blog body. If your work is longer or involves complex verbal, visual, or design elements, you should submit it as a PDF or Flash file. Please don't attach Word files to your blog posts.

  1. A Contract Proposal in which you explain your subject, suggest some parameters for your research, and indicate why the subject interests you and how studying it will be beneficial. (Suggested length: 150-200 words;.due: Thursday, January 25.)
  2. A Clarification Project in which you explain what you already know about your subject, reflect upon your feelings and thoughts about the subject, and suggest how you might develop your understanding of the subject. (Suggested length: 250 to 300 words; due: Thursday, February 8.)
  3. An Information Project. Find out what is already known about your subject and communicate that knowledge concisely in 1,500 words or less. The form of this portion of the project could be an annotated bibliography, a bibliographic or informative essay (i.e., a review of the literature), or some other format conducive to conveying information. Your purpose at this stage will be to inform, not to take a critical stance. (Suggested length: 1,500 words; due: Thursday, March 1)
  4. The Exploration Project will be the stage when you foster intellectual "turbulence" by investigating the many facets and problems of your subject, asking a number of questions and offering a number of answers for each question, without feeling the need to present these questions and answers in a tightly organized essay. You may compose your Exploration Project as an exploratory essay or by answering more directly a set of questions that will be provided. You'll be given additional guidelines for this step. (Suggested length: 1,500 words; due: Thursday, March 29)
  5. A Working Document Project where you will present the results of your inquiry in a format and with the depth that suits it. If you use a traditional format, think of your working document as the draft of a journal article. If another format, you'll just need to be careful to cover your subject matter effectively, given the medium and your purpose. A website or other multimedia presentation is encouraged. (Suggested length: open; due: Thursday, May 3, during final exam week )