Writing Project 2: Inquiry, Infographics, and Bibliography

Overview. In Writing Project 1, you analyzed a popular visual text to determine how well the text achieved its
rhetorical purpose. Yet, in many ways WP1 also introduced us to considering how well a text represented the
race, class, gender, sexuality, ideology, and issues of various social groups. In Writing Project 2, we will shift our
attention to the issues that impact the lives of various social groups and how we might work to understand
them more thoroughly.

Essentially a two-part project, you will spend the next several weeks exploring issues through a variety of
research methods and then you will compile that research into an informative infographic that demonstrates
what you have learned. During the inquiry portion of this assignment you will collect several different kinds of
texts, and annotate them using a variety of techniques. Once you have collected a number of sources, you will
then design an infographic that highlights the novel, compelling, and impactful aspects of your research.

Overused Topics: Unless you (1) have more than a causal connection to a topic AND (2) have obtained
instructor permission, do not engage the following topics, as they regularly do not promote innovative
thought or inspired writing:

Abortion; death penalty or capital punishment; legal drinking age; decriminalization of / medical use of
marijuana; addiction; euthanasia; religion; stem cells or cloning; steroids; concussions; recycling;
homelessness; gun control; animal testing; terrorism; immigration; conspiracy theories; eating disorders
or body image; global warming; social media; psychological disorders

Requirements
1. One infographic using a minimum of 5 secondary sources complete with in-text citations
2. One design statement (minimum 500 words) explaining the infographic’s purpose and design
3. One bibliography

The Infographic: Functioning as a “greatest hits” or “highlights” of the research you’ve collected over the past
three weeks, your infographic should be informative, included balanced perspectives on the issue, and appeal
to an audience who may not know much about your topic.

Rhetorical Principles
❏ Display a clear purpose
❏ Designed to suit the purpose (ex: serious topic would not use goofy cartoons)
❏ Is informed by audience expectations (“How is this appropriate for the reader?”)
❏ Is informed by genre conventions (“How does this meet the criteria for an infographic?”)
❏ Develops and follows an organizing principle such as
 - A story (narrative)
- A map (journey)
- A process (path, flowchart)
- A central image, object, shape or symbol
- A timeline
- A venn diagram
❏ Displays an awareness of the rhetorical situation as it applies to the research topic

Design Characteristics
❏ Defines and follows a color scheme (3-5 colors)
❏ Defines and follows a font scheme (3-5 variants, each with its own purpose)
❏ Consistent and appropriate use of whitespace
❏ Use of symbols to emphasize the order of or relationship between various design elements
❏ Use of images and pictures to illustrate and supplement data
❏ A balance between visualizations and text
❏ Use of guiding and explanatory text (title, data, quotes, etc)

Design Statement. Your infographic should be accompanied by a statement (minimum 500 words) explaining
the infographic’s purpose and design. This statement should briefly introduce the topic being researched, note
the research question or motive, explain the purpose of the infographic, explain the major choices made in
the design, and explain how the infographic is rhetorically informed by your research and topic.

The Bibliography: Your infographic should be accompanied by a bibliography, or “References Page” that
includes the sources referenced in your infographic AS WELL AS all of the sources you discovered during the
research phase of Writing Project 2.

Bibliographic entries should be APA formatted, alphabetized by the first element of each citation, and
included on a separate sheet of paper.

Suggested Reading

from The Norton Field Guide

● Chapter 12 “Reporting Information”
● Chapter 45 “Developing a Research Plan”
● Chapter 46 “Finding Sources”
● Chapter 47 “Evaluating Sources”
● Chapter 48 “Synthesizing Sources”
● Chapter 49 “Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing”
● Chapter 50 “Acknowledging Sources, Avoiding Plagiarism”
● Chapter 55 “Designing Text”
from They Say / I Say
● Chapter 1. “They Say”: Starting with What Others Are Saying
● Chapter 2. “Her Point Is”: The Art of Summarizing
● Chapter 3. “As He Himself Puts It”: The Art of Quoting