Writing the Information Superhighway

Project III Assignment Page

As we have already learned from reading Virtual Communities and from the recent events here on campus, a number of controversial issues arise as the information superhighway grows. For Project III, I would like to you to identify one controversial issue, research it, and write a 5-7 page argumentative essay about it.

Due Dates: (all the below should be posted to infohighway@umich.edu)

Thursday 2/14 (10am): Issue Statement

A three hundred word statement about the issue or issues you are considering including a rationale as to why you want to research and write about it.

Tuesday 2/28 (10am): First Draft (see notes below)
Wednesday 3/1 (midnight): Research annotation #1
Thursday 3/2 (10am): Research Annotation #2
Friday 3/3 (midnight): Research Annotation #3
Monday 3/6 (midnight): Research Annotation #4
Tuesday 3/7 (10am): Research Annotation #5
Thursday 3/9 (10am): Second Draft
Tuesday 4/18 (10am): Portfolio Submission

Working Definitions:

Issue: An "issue," often phrased as a question, is a topic of some controversy.

Argumentation: The term "argument" often confuses people because we often associate the word with agression, conflict, and perhaps irrational behavior. Academic argumentation, however, is not any of these things. Argumentation, one of the most commonly employed forms of academic writing, strives to go beyond mere persuasive writing in which you might appeal to ones emotions in an attempt to persuade them to your point of view. Academic argumentation is a technique of analysis which employs logical inquiry. A strong argument does not rely on the quantity of evidence but rather on the quality of evidence and analysis. We will discuss the concept of argumentation in more detail during class discussions, but briefly, we can say that an effective argument:

*offers a history and context for the issue.
*offers a clear point of view or position on the issue.
*explores a number of the various positions, perspectives, and points of views surrounding the issue.
* critiques the alternative points of view in an attempt to determine the strengths and fallacies of the arguments.
*offers logical evidence and support for the writer's position.
*demonstrates the logical superiorty of the author's position over the other alternatives

The Process:

Identifying an Issue.
(You should start doing this immediately)

The first step is to identify an issue which you find interesting. The following list of questions is suggestive rather than exhaustive. During your next set of readings and our upcoming class discussion, other issues may become apparent. Some issues you might consider include:

* Should the Internet be censored?
* Should the information superhighway be run by private industry
for profit or should it be a sort of public utility run by the
government?
* Some critics argue that the information superhighway will increase
the gap between the haves and the have nots. Are such concerns
legitimate? If so, what should be done about it?
* Can the information superhighway fulfill visionary's dreams of
electronic democracy or will it actually turn into a sort of "Big
Brother" environment in which the government can gain greater
control over its citizens?

Researching the Issue:

In one sense, you have already begun "researching " as you have been reading the course texts and following current events in the local news. Once you have identified an issue, however, you will need to conduct further issue to learn the who, when, where, what, and whys of it. BEGIN YOUR RESEARCH IMMEDIATELY. You should do research around the following:

*What is the history of the issue?
*Who does the issue affect?
* How is the issue defined by various commentators on it?
* What are the various arguments offered by those representing
various aspects of the issue?
* What are the perceived shortcomings of the various arguments?

Your research techniques should employ as many Internet research tools as possible.

* Search journals through Mirlyn's Wilson Index and the National
Newspaper Index.
* Use the various Internet search tools on the various ftp, gopher,
and WWW sites around the world.
* Search through the hundreds of e-texts and on-line journals and
magazines available on the Internet.
* Join various mail groups and newsgroups that focus on the issue. If
the list you join has any "experts" on the issue, attempt to
"interview" them on-line.
* As you find sources, be sure to copy as much as you can to
diskettes.

One of our resident webmasters, Stephen Chim, has collected a number of links that classmates might find useful for Project III.

I suggest you will need to find, critique, and read at least 15 articles and essays to come up with at least five that will directly contribute to your paper.

Writing and Sharing Research Annotations:

As you are conducting your research, I would like you to "share" your findings with the whole class on infohighway. For each of the five or so core documents you will use to develop your argument, write a 150 word annotation of the essay in which you give the standard bibliographical information such as author, title, publication, dates, and page numbers, a brief summary of the article, a statement of the value of the article to your own research, and an evaluation of what makes this article reliable and useful.

Writing Your Paper:

1. Don't wait until you've completed your research to begin your paper. As soon as you settle on an issue, write a exploratory draft in which you write as much as you can about the issue from your present knowledge. What do you already know about the issue? Where do you currently stand on the issue? What evidence might you use to support your position? Why do you feel the way you do about the issue?

2 With each draft, you should be exploring numerous points of view, testing the assumptions and evidence of those perspectives, and gathering concrete evidence and details to support your positX

3. Get feedback on the draft by sharing it on infohighway@umich.edu, sending it to the U of Michigan OWL, go see a peer tutor face to face, or visit the ECB for a Writing Workshop appointment.

Click here to return to Part Three page.

Contact wbutler@umich

with comments or questions.

Modified: 3/4/95