Assignment 3

  • The aim of this final part of your Portfolio Exam is to share what we can learn from research in conversation analysis.

    In our very first seminar we saw that using real evidence is the ideal platform for communication training (i.e. Liz Stokoe’s work).

    In this assignment, you will write a short article for the public sharing insights from the research you reviewed in Assignment 2. You can of course also draw on course readings and other evidence-based publications.

    You will write an article 600-800 words, thinking about public interest as a frame for the evidence you’d like to share.

  • The general public. Your audience is not made up of conversation analytic academics. Think of one of your friends or family members, explaining to them what you learnt from your research reading in this subject.

    The Conversation guidelines state: “Our readability rating is based on Flesch-Kincaid readability tests, set at the level of an educated 16-year-old. That’s still higher than most media outlets. And we focus on ‘readability’ because we want to share your expertise with everyone – including young people and a big,global audience of people whose first language isn’t always English.

    THIS is the sort of writing we ALL need to get better at, so the exam is designed to support your skill development as well as learning about applied conversation analysis.

  • Work hard on the first paragraph to grab the reader’s interest. Start with a short, sharp statement of the article’s essential facts, in no more than two sentences.

    Start with what’s new, relevant, or surprising. Readers want to know Five Ws: who, what, where, when, why, and sometimes how.

    Make a brief sketch of your main points and stick to them. Put the most important information first. That allows readers to explore a topic to the depth that their curiosity takes them (not everyone reads to the end).

    Tone and ‘Readability’

    Write the way people talk. Why say “A male person disembarked from the vehicle”, when you could say “a man stepped out of the car”?

    Explain complex ideas. Don’t get too technical. Avoid jargon.

    Referencing

    If you make any claims, please back them up with research. The same goes for facts and figures; e.g. if you’re saying 28% of Australians are obese. We reference with online links that readers can click on, preferably to full research papers, but to abstracts or news stories if the full paper isn’t available. Ideally, please put your reference/web link in brackets beside each statement to be referenced (i.e. where you would use author surname and year of publication in a standard essay).

    How to end

    The last sentence should aim to summarise or reiterate the point made in your opening paragraph. Or you can just raise the question of what should happen next.

  • Research should make a contribution to the human endeavour of understanding and improving the world. This does not mean that all research needs be applied, but rather that our intention is to do something useful.

    It’s important that you learn about the process of research, and develop a preference to rely on evidence rather than commentary. But academic writing is not essential. It IS essential, however, to learn to write in a clear and engaging manner. (I am good at the first, but trying to get better at the second!)

    If research is designed to make people’s lives better, it would be great if people know about the research! So your article is one way we can achieve this.

    The aim of this assignment is to develop our skills in clear, straightforward expression of ideas, to think about the needs of the reader, and consider the broader implications of our studies.

  • Use the style and formatting of artciles in The Conversation as a guide and template for the third assignment to be included in the exam.

    Here’s an example…

    Headline tips

    •  Keep your headline simple and direct – it should be seven to ten words at most, with the

    • most relevant and important words at the start.

    •  Avoid puns and “smart” headlines, unless it suits the story. Instead, aim for an accurate

    • and engaging label that summarises the content.

    •  Names of people, things and places are good. Don’t abbreviate these.

    •  Aim to employ active verbs, which add muscle and emphasise the “actor” in the story,

    • eg. “Aspirin cuts cancer risk” or “WikiLeaks reveals flaws in new privacy laws”.

    •  Think of ways to distinguish your article from others. Is this new, or a first? Does it

    • answer an important question, or solve a puzzle?

    •  Would you read it? Remember, you are writing for people reading online. What

    • keywords would you Google to find a story like yours? Try using those.

    •  Would you feel compelled to read beyond the headline or first sentence?

  • Resources to support your Assignments are available HERE.

    All assignment and portfolio questions should be asked here!

    Check if your question has already been answered.

    If not, add a new post and Amelia will respond!