Throughout the course, we’ve completed different assignments that allowed us to explore and analyze the different genres and rhetorical situations in our work. Our three major assignments were our informative review, our position paper, and lastly our research proposal. In completing these assignments, I feel that I’ve learned a lot of knowledge and also gained a lot of new skills that will be extremely useful in my future. Along with these assignments we completed reflections and had to create voice-over presentations to reach those who may have language differences. Of all the assignments, I personally loved the research proposal because it allowed me to choose a topic I was interested in which made it extremely fun to complete.
The first assignment we had done was an informative review. The purpose of this was to write a paper informing readers about either therapeutic or reproductive cloning. The audience for this paper could be anyone, but we were writing specifically to a secondary audience that didn’t have much knowledge of the topic. Due to this circumstance, we had to use techniques such as visuals, graphs, and in-depth explanations so that the reading would be understandable to everyone. To further build an understanding and trust between the audience, we would use previous or personal accounts to form a connection. In my critical analysis reflection, I was forced to reflect on how I would reconstruct my informative review to be more fitting for those who may not read English or have dealt with structural racism in science. Commonly, linguistic differences impact science and science communication because they promote bias and inequality in science writing. Due to this challenge, science writers would apply linguistic differences to inform and educate audiences of various language varieties through the use of addressing questions and concerns, writing about personal connections to the issue, and much more to build trust with the audience. Science writers should also consider language differences and institutionalized racism when writing about science because this allows for the audience to feel heard when they realize the adaptations made in writing to fit them. By considering these things, the audience is more likely to understand and trust the writer. I address these issues in my paper by using visual images, explaining terms, making connections to myself, and considering memories of structural racism.
Our next assignment was our position papers. In this paper, we were required to take a stance on a specific topic and argue/convince readers to support our specific energy program. Similar to our first assignment, we would have a secondary audience that may consist of people that may not have full knowledge of the specific topic. For everyone to be able to fully grasp the information in my paper, it is required for different adaptations and use of rhetorical situations. I had to use images that presented information regarding the topic, graphs to explain the significance of the energy sources, and define/explain terms that may be difficult to understand. One major component of this assignment was the use of primary sources to further support my stance. In completing this paper, I learned a lot about the specific things we should look at when looking into the background of a specific topic. Typically when the sponsors of the research and the topic have some correlation, there tends to be a lot of bias. The research tends to favor/support the topic to not risk losing the funding they are receiving. By doing this, it causes the outcome of the research to be insufficient in a way due to the fact that the writer may not be speaking truthfully. When looking at a review paper, it is extremely important to investigate all opposing views to gain full insight into the topic and its pros/cons. By looking only at the supporting viewpoints, you will not know the full truth of a specific idea which may cause future issues. Using this method helped me when selecting a paired alternative energy option for NYC because I was able to gain full insight into the different energy sources and pair up the ones I saw were most compatible. Although they did have some cons, they both worked hand in hand to cancel the cons out. Seeing how not everyone may read a full paper when in a rush, we had the opportunity to create an outreach flier. By creating this flier we were able to get the main points out, along with some visuals to grab people’s attention. In my outreach flier, I introduced a common challenge that individuals in the South Bronx and Northern Manhattan related to so that they’d be hooked to further listen. I also used colors that weren’t too bright, but still popped out the major points for readers. I used minimal words but made use of visuals because although not everyone can fluently read English, a picture could speak a thousand words. By speaking in my native language I felt that I was able to connect with the audience and express how I felt through my words. It allowed me to put more emotions and feelings into the way I spoke, thus building a connection with my audience. I truly enjoyed this assignment as I not only gained more information as to the benefits of renewable energy sources, but I also learned new skills to take in when presenting to those that may not speak English.
Our third and final assignment from this course was our research proposal. The purpose of this assignment was to research a topic of our choice and form a proposal to gain approval or receive funding to expand/test our research. The audience for a research proposal would typically consist of sponsors or those who decide whether or not my research deserves to be approved. The style of this assignment was a bit different as it required background information on the topic chosen, a methods section that focused on selecting sources that justify our hypothesis, and lastly an outcome paragraph that substituted for a conclusion. In our research proposal we had to find a “niche”, also known as a gap in the previous study, questions about the study, or proposing an extension of the research. The steps I took in identifying the niche in my research were researching the topic I was interested in and looking for the limitations in each one. For our methods section, we were required to search for different scholarly sources. To locate the best sources I found databases such as google scholar, jstor, and CCNY library databases the most helpful in locating my sources. In searching for sources I came across many peer-reviewed articles that I used a lot in my research proposal. I found peer-reviewed work to be more reliable after seeing it had been reviewed by other researchers thus validating the information given in the research. Along with the proposal, we had to create a research presentation through a voiceover video. I liked doing this because it made the presentation a little less nerve-racking compared to doing it in person. However, seeing how the audience couldn’t see my face, required me to put feelings in my words to express the significance of my research and why I deserve the approval. To adapt my audience to the science issue I used many visuals such as graphs, images, and diagrams to strengthen my presentation. I also tried organizing the presentation to flow well and thoroughly so that the audience isn’t tackled with loads of information at once. I believe that with presenting research orally it allows for individuals to bring out the major points and expand their thoughts on those. It also allows for the audience to hear a reader’s tone when presenting to get a better understanding of how they feel about the topic. I believe that with an oral presentation I was forced to use less words on the presentation, but more visuals and speech. Individuals are more likely to remember something that they heard, rather than read so I feel that there are many benefits in this.
In our first week of class, we completed a letter of introduction to help the professor get to know us a little better. There were two questions on this assignment that I feel I’ve seen major changes in myself through this course. The first one asked about the characteristics of an articulate speaker and whether or not having these characteristics makes an individual intelligent or not. Although I said that it doesn’t make one intelligent, I believe my opinion has now changed on this. Having the characteristics of an articulate speaker allows for you to be understood clearly and easily by different audiences and this requires making adaptations to the way you speak. This does make one intelligent as you are changing things to see fit for others which is not something that could be easily done. The second question asked why Standard American English makes science writing more accessible to the general public. I believe my answer to this question hasn’t changed since then as I am still seeing how popular the English language is. The benefit of English is how easy it is to translate it to other languages and make it accessible to those of different ethnicities that may not understand English.