Meeting dates:

Tuesdays and Thursdays
28 September – 07 December 2017 (fall quarter)

Meeting times/rooms:

TR 11:00 – 12:50, Girvetz 2108

Office hours:

Wednesdays 12:00 – 3:00, and by appointment

Course overview: requirements, grading and schedule

Accessing UCSB Collaborate's Box and reading/annotating electronic articles.

Human subjects module [see Note 1(a)]

Overview of Assignment #1: Autobiographical summary

Your Research Paper: It's not too soon to begin thinking about a topic for your final paper (due at the end of the quarter). Your paper will require you to research an urban legend, conspiracy theory, or hoax. Here is a list of typical examples. See also the Snopes.com archive.

Interested in the Writing minor at UCSB? Writing minors are available with emphases in Science Communication, Multimedia Communication, Professional Editing, Writing and Civic Engagement, and Business Communication. The deadline for portfolios is Thursday, October 05 by 4:00 p.m. in South Hall 3432. For more information, see the UCSB Writing Program minor website. Hurry...!

Writing minor application

APT writing: audience, purpose and tone
Audiences: lay, professional, and expert/specialist

Readability models: the Fog index
Word choice and conciseness

Logical fallacies (see reading assignment)

Readings / Viewings
"Logical Fallacies Reference Guide"

Rick Fulker, Deutsche Welle (2017 JAN 01)

Christopher Ingraham, Washington Post (2016 DEC 07)

Adam Taylor, Washington Post (2016 NOV 26)

Assignment #1
Autobiographical summary

Career Services Center resume and cover letter workshops

***DROP DEADLINE FOR WRITING 50***

Resumes and CVs
Overview of Assignment #2: Resume or CV

Document layout basics
Working with headings, subheadings, and bullets

Note: For additional help with your resume, see the resume books at the Reserve Book Desk (UCSB Davidson Library). They contain many fine resume examples that you can use as templates:

101 Best Resumes for Grads [HF5383. B5342. 2003. #8981]

Best Resumes for College Students and New Grads [HF5383. K87. 2003. #8999]

Readings / Viewings
Sam Wineburg & Sarah McGrew, Education Week (2016 NOV 01)

"Evaluating Information: The Cornerstone of Civic Online Reasoning" (executive summary), Stanford History Education Group (2016 NOV 22)

"Cognitive Bias Codex," Benson & Manoogian III (2017)

Interview questions
NOTE: Questions are posted here for reference only, to help you with interviews. You do NOT have to answer them.

Career Services Center resume and cover letter workshops

Career Services Center resume and cover letter workshop

Definitions and ideas in urban legends, conspiracy theories, and hoaxes—a look at some of our readings for this week.

Previewing the final research paper
Refining a research question
Research proposal

Written correspondence: Memos (memoranda)

Overview of Assignment #3: Proposal Memo

Readings / Viewing
J. Brunvand (2000)

Ryan Britt, Inverse (2016 NOV 09)

Jefferson Pooley, Slate (2016 NOV 11)

Bakshy, et al., Science (2015 JUN 06)

"Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent U.S. Elections," National Intelligence Council (2017 JAN 06)

Career Services Center resume and cover letter workshops

Resume peer review

C.R.A.P. test

Interviewing research subjects, and being interviewed yourself (e.g., for a job)

Survey and interview design

Research methodologies

Survey / Interview Questions
Come prepared with ten (10) survey or interview questions you can use to research your topic and be prepared to share them with classmates. We will refine them in class.

Assignment 2: Resume or CV

NOTE: Bring two (2) hardcopies of your resume for in-class peer reviews.

Also bring ten (10) survey / interview questions for peer review.

Readings / Viewings

"Katie Couric on how to conduct a good interview," Katie Couric YouTube Channel (2009 June 26)

Amanda Taub, Vox (2016 MAR 01)

Peer review of research proposal memos (Assignment #3)

Discussion of human subjects research
In-class exercise: reviewing human subjects protocols

Read OWL entry "Conducting Primary Research"

The peer review process in journal publication

Assignment #3: Proposal Memo

NOTE: Bring two (2) hardcopies of your memo for in-class peer reviews.

Readings / Viewings
J.W. Johnson (2007)

"Researching Urban Legends, Hoaxes and Conspiracy Theories"

Colleen Jenkins, Reuters (2016 SEP 09)

Written correspondence: letters

Overview of Assignment #4: Cover letter

Outlining and brainstorming strategies

NOTE: The Human Subjects Module must be completed by today.

Readings / Viewings
D. Dewey (2005)
J. Fernback (2003)
I. Inglis (2007)

Fall Career Fair
UCen Corwin Pavilion

10:00–11:00 Early admission with your Writing 50 resume and pre-approval from Career Services

10:00–2:00 [All others]

This career fair is well attended by employers, with over 100 participants. Don't miss it!

Plagiarism, sourcing and bibliographic citations: MLA, APA, CSM, CSE formats, and custom journal formats

Integration of sources into text

Readings / Viewings
B. Guerin & Y. Miyazaki (2006);
Heath, Bell, Sternberg (2001);
G. Lakoff (2004)

Peer review of cover letters

Assignment #4:
Cover letter

NOTE: Bring two (2) hardcopies of your cover letter for in-class peer reviews.

Working with numbers and statistical data in prose text

Readings / Viewings
R.A. Goldberg (2001a)

Representing quantitative information graphically with infographics

Overview of Assignment #5: Progress report memo

Readings / Viewings
R.A. Goldberg (2001b)

Infographic: "Fight Fake News. Know Who is Reputable"

Public speaking and oral presentations for Writing 50

"Death by PowerPoint"

Overview of Assignment #6: Interview/Survey
[See also: Interview/Survey Rubric]

Readings / Viewings
N. Postman (1985)
N. Gabler (1998)
K.F.E. Wong, J.Y. Kwong, and Y. Ng (2008)

Graphics and visual organizers

Framing and priming

Research paradigms and problems

Assignment #5: Progress report memo

Readings / Viewings
M. Gladwell (2005)
O. Brafman and R. Brafman (2008)

*** UNIVERSITY HOLIDAY ***

Peer review of research paper drafts

NOTE: Bring at least the first four-to-five (4–5) double-spaced pages of your draft research paper.

[NOTE: Bring two (2) hardcopies of your draft paper.]

Final preparation for presentations

Peer review of PowerPoint slides

NOTE: Your slides should be ready now, or near done; bring whatever you have to class.

[NOTE: Bring PowerPoint slides to class for peer review]

Presentations

Discussion of William James

Assignment #6: Interview/Survey

Reading:
Wm. James (1896)

*** UNIVERSITY HOLIDAY ***

Presentations

Presentations

Presentations

Presentations

Student portfolio checks

Instructor evals

Deadline for all assignments. Deliver to South Hall 1523, or leave in the blue dropbox outside of South Hall 3422.