For the Internet Technology Paper, you are being asked to research and write about a particular Internet technology which facilitates communication and (perhaps) collaboration. Your audience for this paper should be upper-level GVSU students who have an interest in learning more about writing and communicating via the Internet. During this project, you are to conduct primary research through hands on experience with the technology and incorporate secondary sources which evaluate its use and the cultural implications of its use.
Choosing your topic
Avoid applications which are commonly used by many students (e.g., email, social networking). You might look at technology which has been historically popular yet not in much use today (e.g., MOO's). But remember. You must be able to gain hands on experience using the technology.
Focus your research on a particular technology and not just a site which uses it. For example, Facebook and MySpace are examples of social networking sites. Social networking software would be the technology--and thus the topic--to research.
Deliverables
- A topic proposal (at least 500 words). Your proposal may be informal in that it would not follow the standard conventions for professional proposals. However, this proposal should be a polished, well-written product. It should be written exclusively for me (your instructor).
- 1st draft (1200-1400 words + bibliography). This draft should be well-written and well-cited for workshop.
- Final version (1200-1400 words + bibliography). The final, polished draft of your paper should make good use of visuals to enhance your text.
- Process memo (500 word minimum). The audience for this document is your instructor.
Evaluation
Projects will be evaluated on
- How well your documents are rhetorically situated for their audience(s).
- Timely completion of deliverables.
- Quality of research.
- Quality of writing.
- Use of visuals in the completed version of your paper.