SWAs

A few times this semester will be asked to complete a “SWA” or Short Writing Assignment. These assignments are not as long as the formal essays you’ll be asked to complete during the course, but they will be writing you do out of class and count toward your “Blog Writing” grade. SWAs should be posted on your course blog before class on the day its due. We will typically use the SWAs in class that day, usually in group peer-review, class-wide workshop, or by revising them in class. SWAs will usually be around 1-2 pages in length, but make sure to check this page for specific instructions for each SWA.

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SWA 1: Research Proposal (due before class on 3/11; post to blog)

For this SWA , I’d like you to make a plan for your Project 2, by thinking through the methods of primary research (outlined in Driscoll’s “Introduction to Primary Research”).

Part 1: Proposal

In a proposal of 300-500 words, address the following questions:

What is your research question?

What do you want to know about the job/career/industry in question?

Have the the course concepts prompted you to think of the economics of writing in a particular way? If so, how do these concepts shape the research question you are bringing to this project?

What are the best methods to answering this question? Who do you need to talk to? How do you know this is the right person to interview? What documents do you need to collect? What situations do you need to observe?

Part 2: Protocols and Scripts

Since at least one interview is required for Project 2, draft an “interview protocol” or a list of 5-10 questions you’d bring to the interview.

Lastly, I’d like you to draft a “recruitment script” in which you inform the interviewee about the project and gain their consent to record the interview.