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Project 3: Genre Analysis “Exploring our communication”

Steps: 1. Identify a writing genre on campus and collect samples of it.

○ Some ideas: Posters, newsletters, brochures/pamphlets, flyers, reports, websites, apps

2. Select one specific example of the genre that you want to focus on analyzing. ○ Identify the specific organization that created this example. (Who created it?) ○ Also identify the specific users and audience for this document. (Who uses it? Who is it

designed for?)

3. Find additional information about your example. Some suggestions: ○ Interview someone from the organization to discuss it from the writer’s perspective. ○ Observe/Survey the document being used by other readers to get an audience perspective. ○ Research information about the organization and/or genre to give an outside perspective.

4. Analyze the genre and its use. Explain how the genre is shaped by its context and users. 
 (See tips on the back for ideas!)

5. Relate your analysis to key ideas in “Navigating Genres” by Kerry Dirk. 


6. Plan your essay. Decide what information to include and how you will organize this information. 


7. Write and revise your draft. As you draft, review the grading rubric. 


Assignment: Analyze a specific example of a writing genre being used by an organization on campus. Explore how this example is designed to accomplish its particular purpose. To do so, you will need to determine how the document both: ● Follows its genre’s writing conventions ● Is also modified/designed for its particular context, users, and audience

Ultimately, you should relate your analysis to some major concepts that Kerry Dirk discusses in “Navigating Genres.”

Important Dates: Idea Proposal Due: November 3rd Rough draft due: November 14th Final draft due: November 22nd (Upload all assignments to D2L)

Assignment Details: Length: 4-5 pages Audience: Academic audience Formatting: MLA (Times New Roman font, 12pt. size, double-spaced, 1-inch margins)

Tips for Project 3:

● Consider the writers, readers, and purpose of this genre: ○ Who writes in this genre? For what purposes? ○ Given these goals, what information/content is included for the readers? 


What content is excluded? ○ What are the writer’s goals in producing this genre? What are the readers’ goals in using it? ○ Given the readers’ expectations, how does this genre meet their needs? 


● Genre Conventions: What does the genre typically look like? Why does it look this way? 
 Consider:

● Design/layout of the document ● Organization of information ● Length ● Tone: language formality ● Visuals: Use of color, photos, videos, and/or graphics ● Text: Fonts types, font sizes, effects ● Citations (How is outside information referenced?)

● Analyze the rhetorical strategies used: ○ What rhetorical strategies/appeals (ethos/pathos/logos) are used? ○ How are these strategies/appeals effective for the genre’s purpose/function? ○ How do the genre’s audience and contexts influence the rhetorical strategies it uses? 


● Process: How is the genre carried out (written, distributed, performed, etc.)? 
 Is this process effective? Why or why not? 


● Community: Is the genre unique to this organization? ○ If so, why does the genre only exist in this organization? How does it relate to the

community’s specific needs? ○ If not, how is this organization’s version of the genre similar to other versions of this genre?

How is it different from other versions of the genre? Why is it similar and/or different?