February 2021

The purpose of my research essay is to get the readers interested in the Mpower organization. I wanted my essay to leave a positive encouraging effect on leaders in the making, as well as getting students excited about the activities that Mpower offers. The intended audience is any Ole Miss student who has a passion for leadership and loves helping others and our community. During the writing process I really wanted to strategically hone in on the organizations keys points and main attractions. I tried to plan out this essay as if it was my first time hearing about this organization. When making decisions for my essay I tried to see this essay from a different perspective. When talking about the organization’s history I tried not include too much information because I know sometimes that can be boring. I tried not to add information that might be considered boring or repetitive. I have always really enjoyed the peer reviews. I take them very seriously and I like hearing different feedback. Sometimes I miss something that others can see. For example, I forgot to put my name on the paper and the date, but thankfully one of my classmates reminded me. I really like the blog posts that we do in class. I don’t feel as nervous for our research paper. While I was writing MP1 I felt pretty confident in my writing because of the examples that were given throughout the articles we had to read for class.

 

Title of Article + Proper MLA Citation for Works Cited page	Seth Kahn, “Putting Ethnographic Writing in Context,” “Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing,” volume 2, pages (175-192), 2011.
Summarize the article — include your reaction, thoughts, anything to help you remember its claims. 100 to 150 words	Kahn describes ethnographic writing as, “…a means of engaging and understanding cultures and cultural differences with respect and care for the members of those cultures,” (page 176). He explains that ethnographic writing does not follow a conversation formula. Like when we journal we keep a running internal monologue. Kahn said that for essays we have to experiment with style, voice, structure, and purpose in ways that we probably never have before. He expresses the positive and negative effects that this type of writing can have. There is no way to ensure a participant won’t get upset, and even our field notes can have consequences. We must be very careful about protecting the identities of the participants. There are also many benefits. This can really help solve issues and can serve as a learning opportunity. Kahn also illustrates the importance of understanding ethnographic writing’s history.
Define new terms and concepts by quoting or paraphrasing the original author.	“…ethnographic writing.* You may have a vague idea of what ethnography is—what anthropologists do when they live in faraway places for long stretches of time, trying to understand what makes a culture unique or interesting,” (page 175). “…is recursive, e.g., that a journal entry near the end of the project might call on you to re-interview a participant, or that something you’d forgotten about in your field notes makes you rethink your analysis in a 178 Seth Kahn third draft of the paper,” (page 178).  “…If its primary goal—as least as I’ve been putting it—is to benefit the cultures and participants in studies, then why do ethnographers pay so much attention to procedures, kinds of data, style, voice, authority—a….” (page 185).
How does this reading connect to other articles from class and/or your own research?	Just like the other articles, this one is teaching us skills to help us with future research projects, and how to write them the right way.
Based on the reading, craft one question to act as a springboard for class discussion.	Do you think that you would struggle with keeping participants’ identity a secret?

 

For my research paper I chose the Mpower organization. Oftentimes when we read articles there is a surfeit amount of information and details that we have to break down to find the raw material that we are looking for. What helped me decide what information was most important for my draft is thinking to myself, “What would the audience find most interesting.” There was some information that I had left out because I felt as if it would be boring to the audience and it wouldn’t catch their attention. Like any essay or article if the reader is not interested then it is most likely that their attention will start to turn to something else. To ensure that my paper is the best that it can be I plan to implicate certain steps for my research. I first wanted to collect all of my information and have it written down. Second, I plan to type out all of my interview questions and print them out and put them in a folder. Next after I interview Haley Anderson I plan on compiling all of the information and writing a thorough review on my thoughts about this organization as a discourse community. Lastly, I want to incorporate these ideas into all of my papers. I believe what makes me a little biased is the fact that I am already a part of this organization. By contextualizing this I put some of my personal experiences into my research. I think by adding this it will help other students see a realistic example of what it is like being in this program rather than an outsider trying to look within. I worked with the facts and observations by validating them through my personal experience within this organization. Everything that this organization stands for I am able to validate that it is true. Some information that I am currently searching for is the social aspects of this organization and how they promote their organization.

 

Title of Article + Proper MLA Citation for Works Cited page	Dana Lynn Driscoll, “Introduction to Primary Research: Observations, surveys, and interviews,” “Writing spaces: Readings on Writing,” Volume 2, pages (153-174), 2011.
Summarize the article — include your reaction, thoughts, anything to help you remember its claims. 100 to 150 words	Driscoll describes the basic rules for  conducting research. Driscoll breaks this down into three methods: observations, interviews, and surveys. Driscoll also provides an overview for ethical considerations when conducting primary research. These considerations include: voluntary participation, confidentiality, and anonymity, and researcher bias. These are all important when involving human participation in your primary research. I liked that Driscoll included the point that a timeline is very important when conducting research. One thing that helped me understand was Driscoll’s explanation of an inductive and deductive approach. Furthermore, Driscoll explains each method by using student examples which I found very helpful when trying to understand this article.
Define new terms and concepts by quoting or paraphrasing the original author.	“ Primary research is often based on principles of the scientific method, a theory of investigation first developed by John Stuart Mill in the nineteenth century in his book Philosophy of the Scientific Method” (Driscoll 154). “… deductive reasoning, where researchers start with a hypothesis or general conclusion and then collect specific data to support or refute their hypothesis. Other fields use inductive reasoning, where researchers start with a question and collect information that eventually leads to a conclusion” (158).
How does this reading connect to other articles from class and/or your own research?	I think it connects to others because this article is directing the researching process which is much like the writing process in which the other articles address.
Based on the reading, craft one question to act as a springboard for class discussion.	Do you believe that a timeline is essential for conducting research?

 

 

Title of Article + Proper MLA Citation for Works Cited page	Kate Warrington, Natasha Kovalyova, and Cindy King, “ Assessing Source Credibility for Crafting a Well- Informed Argument,” “Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing,” volume 3, paged (189-203). 2020.
Summarize the article — include your reaction, thoughts, anything to help you remember its claims. 100 to 150 words	In this article we learn how to use critical thinking strategies to help select credible sources for research papers. This article teaches us the importance of ethos, pathos, and logos and how to properly use the tactics when writing. We learn seven questions that help us evaluate an argument to determine whether an author is credible and logically acceptable. I really liked that the authors mentioned that credibility is established, not an “innate quality.” By showing you know who argues against your case, your audience will take your argument earnestly. The authors also explain the importance of accepting nothing at face value. The authors show us the importance of asking the tough questions with examples.
Define new terms and concepts by quoting or paraphrasing the original author.	“Striking as it might sound, credibility is not an innate quality. Credibility is established.” page 194 “You will come to understand that strong, well-defended arguments need support, just as, for instance, most singers need a solid back-up band. And like any good front person, you should audition and choose carefully those who will stand behind you.” page 201
How does this reading connect to other articles from class and/or your own research?	I think that all of the articles from class are teaching us how to properly write a research paper or an argumentative paper. They are also showing us how to properly evaluate essays.
Based on the reading, craft one question to act as a springboard for class discussion.	From the reading we learned the importance of not being biased when writing a paper. What practices do you do to ensure that you are not biased when writing?

 

 

Title of Article + Proper MLA Citation for Works Cited page	Sandra L. Giles, “Reflective Writing and the Revisions Process: What were you Thinking,” “Writing spaces: Readings of Writing,” Volume 1, pages (191-204), 2010.
Summarize the article — include your reaction, thoughts, anything to help you remember its claims. 100 to 150 words	Giles describes the process of reflective thinking. Giles describes reflective thinking as the umbrella term that we use to think about our own thinking. By verbalizing and writing down one’s intentions for writing a piece ensures that those intentions are acted upon. Giles explains that the goal for reflective writing is not what you say but how you think in certain ways. What I found interesting was the three questions that act as a cover letter. These questions point out problems within the essay without even reading it. It helps target problems that need further revision. This practice establishes a self- reflective way of thinking.
Define new terms and concepts by quoting or paraphrasing the original author.	“…what she called a “process note” in which we explained our processes of working on the essay, as well as our thought processes in developing the ideas. We also discussed what we might want to do with (or to) the essay in the future, beyond the class.” page 192  “Intentions—a sense of audience and purpose and of what the writer wants the essay to do—are essential to a good piece of communicative writing.” page 198
How does this reading connect to other articles from class and/or your own research?	I think by doing this practice the next time that I revise a paper will give me a better understanding of problems within my essay. Most of the time I am looking for grammatical errors within my essay.
Based on the reading, craft one question to act as a springboard for class discussion.	Do you think this way of reflecting will help you when revising your own papers?

Taylor Steward

2/03/21

Analyzing the writing in two student essays. 

 

In, “You Better Think Before You Spit,” the author does a really good job of explaining the S.P.I.T project from the University of Central Florida. The writer gave numerous examples and details regarding this community. It was well written and regarding the organization the writer labeled each paragraph which I think the writer could have left out the labels in my opinion.  

Sources: Dirk Kerry, “Navigating Genres,” John Ann, “Discourse Communities and Communities of Practice: Membership, Conflict, and Diversity,” Project: S.P.I.T. “About” Facebook. 

 

In, “The Puerto Rican Student Association: A Community Identity Analysis,” the writer gives a very interesting hook right off the bat. The writer did a great job tying in the sources with the writing as well as giving plentiful information regarding the organization. The organization was strong and well written. I did not find anything weak. I loved the pictures as well.

Sources: Dirk Kerry, “Navigating Genres,” John Ann, “Discourse Communities and Communities of Practice: Membership, Conflict, and Diversity,”  Puerto Rican Student Association, Swales John, “The Concept of Discourse Community.”