Paper #3: The Research Paper/Digital Experiment
(click here to download a pdf of the detailed assignment)
For your final paper assignment of the semester, a research paper with a “digital component,” we will be revisiting the various debates and definitions of bioethics that we’ve spent all semester exploring. What do you think the various texts, case studies, literary ventures, and scientific theory all have in common? Or, in other words, where does bioethics live?
In “When Philosophers Shoot from the Hip,” James Rachels points out the relationship between bioethics and “ethical issues” and the media. He writes, “…and so the ethicist is asked for a comment to be included in the next day’s story, which may be the first report the public will have seen about the events in question…What makes good copy is the ideal that the events being reported are morally troubling, or worse.”
Think about what Rachels says here about what the media is interested in receiving from the “ethicist.” What purpose do you think the “news” serves? Can we always believe what we read? For this paper, you will need to pay close attention to the way the media represents issues that would fall under the category of “bioethics.” How do the various forms of media we encounter daily shape what we think and what we know?
This assignment is hugely general, and intentionally so. In order to help you move past research topics that might lead you astray, I suggest you follow the following steps:
- Identify an overarching topic you would like to investigate for the remainder of the semester—This overall topic designates the general purpose of your research project, and evokes the investigative questions you will want to ask.
- Focus on a Specific Artifact or Object of Study: As a researcher, you will need to pick a specific object that your entire analysis will revolve around. This might be a newspaper article, an image from As Nature Made Him, a commercial, etc.
- Brainstorm and come up with Three Investigative Questions—These questions should represent what you hope to discover and prove by writing this paper, and doing research on this particular topic.
- Process/Methodology—What kind of research do you need to do to answer the questions you’ve created? How will you analyze your artifact/object? Why is this thing important enough to merit study? What do you hope to discover through the process of doing this research and writing this paper?
Once you’ve completed these steps, you need to figure out what your stance on this topic is—why does this matter to you—and that position will serve as the basis for your thesis.
Because this is a longer, research paper, you must refer to (quote) at least one of the texts we’ve covered over the course of the semester, and two outside sources. One of the outside sources must be found through the library—either using a database search or borrowing a real book! Remember, your object/artifact does not count as a source.
When using sources, I encourage you to present examples of false representation, overly persuasive writing, as well as writing that appears factual. Your goal is to expose how you think media works (successfully or unsuccessfully) in its influence on the larger public. And, you also need to think about why the media has such an impact on the way bioethics has become such a controversial phrase in our daily lives.
ROUGH DRAFT DUE: Tuesday, December 4 (7-10 pages typed, bring 3 copies to class)
FINAL DRAFT DUE: Tuesday, December 11 (7-10 pages typed, include an MLA Style Works Cited page, please hand in your previous drafts along with the final draft)
**I do NOT accept papers by email**
The DIGITAL Component
OPTION ONE: The Digital Essay
What is a “digital essay”?
A digital essay (in the context of this course) is a piece of work that uses audio, video, text, and/or images. Your goal for this project should be to create a short film that essentially illustrates the thesis of your research paper visually. Your digital essay should be two to three minutes long.
How do I do this? I don’t have a camera! I don’t have the right software!
Video Cameras: You may borrow a Hitachi camcorder from the Newman Library. All you need to do is go to the Circulation Desk on the 2nd Floor and request one. You are permitted to borrow it for three days, with the possibility of renewal.
Production Information:
- As you know, a movie is a short video or film that includes actors and has some semblance of a narrative or plot. To do this successfully you might want to ask some friends to help you out and draft a “script” or choreograph what will happen when and where.
- Select the tools you will you use create, edit, and share your project. We will review these tools in class. The tools that are available are all free and user friendly, so do not worry if this is your first digital project!
- Make sure to visit the “Digital Project Resources” page on the class site—everything you need to know (regarding “how to”) is there!
Guidelines/Goals:
The purpose of embarking on this “digital essay” project is to give you the chance to explore your thesis statement visually—using images instead of words. Some examples of what this might look like include: a commercial for a new kind of prosthesis that your paper advocates for, a coming attraction for a film starring a protagonist generated from plastic cells, or a short satire of a PETA ad. Your central goal should be to use the powers of persuasion that the visual has in order to persuade your reader to believe the argument your research paper makes. When you post your completed digital project, please make sure to also post a reflective process note—let your viewer know how and why you made what you made and what you hoped to accomplish in this visual medium.
OPTION TWO: Making a 3D Object
If you prefer to actually create a “physical” object, and try your hand as producer, instead of making a short film, for the “digital” component of the research paper, I invite you to try your hand at creating a physical object that represents the same “solution” to a bioethical problem that your research paper investigates. You will need to draft a 3D object of your own—this means that you can either create something from “scratch” or use a design you find on a site like “thingiverse” and edit it. You will then need to take screenshots of your process and be prepared to present how and why you made what you made, when your classmates are showing their films.
Depending on how many students opt for the 3D option, we will figure out how to print these objects when the time comes. 3D printing is very time consuming, so is lots of people make 3D objects, not all projects will be able to be printed by the semester’s end.
DUE: All digital projects must be posted to the class blog
no later than 9AM on Tuesday, December 11
Examples of past digital projects:
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