Progress Report #3

June 12, 2008

To: Dr. Holmevik
From: Amy Jessee

Introduction

This MAPC thesis proposal explores the connections between organizational narrative and strategic communication through the genre of profiles. I will conduct a textual and visual analysis of profiles used by universities on their websites or in print publications.

Work Completed

I finished a first draft of my proposal by writing the introduction and conclusion. Though I might have been tempted to start with the introduction, this class has taught me the value of saving this important section for the end. By writing the introduction in conjunction with the conclusion, I was able to concisely summarize my thoughts and pinpoint the focus of my research. I pulled ideas from the executive summary drafted early in the writing process and updated certain aspects with revised ideas compiled from my literature review. Surprisingly, my proposal followed this original outline, through with more focus. I think this focus has enhanced my ability to describe my topic in my own words, evidenced in the strong conclusion that I eventually drafted.

Both Dr. Holmevik and Ron noted the strength of my conclusion in their comments on the draft; however, I still have several sentences in need of revision. For instance, I learned that I favor introductory phrases and that I might want to consider shortening some of my sentences, though I will consider their length in conjunction with the flow of my writing. On the other hand, if something interrupts the flow, such as a confusing sentence structure or an awkward word choice or citation, I will revise the sentence or section.

Next Steps

Now that I’ve received feedback on the draft, I will use the comments to guide my revisions. These comments highlight areas that I simply skimmed over in my familiarity with the material, and their suggestions allow me to see my words in a new way. Specifically, I need to check a few citations, add more linguistic theory, and specify my thesis chapters. However, these changes are small compared to the next challenge: the multimodal presentation. I could easily prepare a PowerPoint presentation to accompany my proposal, but I’m not certain that this standard choice would be the most persuasive. We are currently learning about films, and due to my stress on the visual aspect of proposals, this option might fit well with what I’m trying to accomplish. In addition, making a film would be an accomplishment in itself, since I’ve never used the film editing software available in the lab. To prepare for the presentation, I will design a storyboard, record a script, and acquire or take images or video to visually represent my thesis proposal.

Conclusion

At this point in the proposal process I’m literally “revisioning” my research in many different ways. I’ve written my initial vision for the research, and I’m editing this draft for content and style. I’m also revising sections that might be confusing to readers. In addition, I’m visualizing my research in order to add any necessary graphics and to present the research in a five-minute film.