Overview
Task: During week 2 we will discuss rhetorical criticism. There are various approaches you can use to critically analyze rhetorical acts and artifacts. Each student is responsible for exploring a specific type of rhetorical criticism and presenting what they learned to the class. The fact sheets will serve as quick guides that inform about rhetorical criticism. For the final proposal, these fact sheets should serve as a guide and starting point. You should still conduct your own research on the approach you are proposing.
Purpose: Research rhetoric and share your findings; research a specific method of rhetorical criticism; learn about different methods of rhetorical criticism from your classmates to help with your final proposal.
Format: The fact sheet should be 1 full page and organize the content into sections (at least two). Present your sheet in a format beyond a traditional paper with paragraph format. The sheet should provide (1) basic information about the method of rhetorical criticism, (2) an example of a scholarly research study that applied the method to study some act/artifact, and (3) APA citations for all research used to complete the fact sheet. All other formatting decisions are up to the student (consider the role of visual rhetoric, the goal of the assignment, and your audience). Present your fact sheet like a poster or brochure. In addition, provide an oral explanation of the fact sheet (audio or video). This can be as a separate audio file or a file directly attached to the fact sheet (ex: single PowerPoint slide with audio included or Zoom recording of you discussing your fact sheet).
Research Tips: This assignment requires at least one piece of scholarly research (for the example of the approach in use). Review the “Research Tips” handout in the general information folder. Dissertations are allowed for this assignment and may be especially helpful since they have longer method sections than journal articles.