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ENGL297 - Ethnographic Research Proposal

Peter Chamberlain, Katie Ebel, Preston Foster, Paige Raymond

I. Introduction
A. This research project will study technical writing in broadcast journalism. We will work to
answer the question, how does the field of broadcast journalism use professional writing and
technical communication? Throughout our research, we will employ interviews, make
observations, and explicitly research the subject matter in order to gather information, as well as
a deep and coherent understanding of the subject matter. We will analyze and interpret this data
in particular by focusing on how writing goes through the production process. By the end of this
project, we will be able to make and explain connections between broadcast journalism and
technical writing. The answers to this research question will help us to better understand what
goes on behind the scenes of broadcast journalism, their technical writing process, and how the
professional writers communicate.

II. Research Questions


A. What is the basic function of broadcast journalism?
B. What forms of technical writing and communication are most prevalently used in broadcast
journalism?
C. In between preparing the first draft to broadcasting it, what is the writing process in between?
D. What is the average duration of thoroughly editing a piece before publication?
E. Which types of technology do you use to communicate, write, and broadcast? Did you have to
have a prior understanding on how to use it?
F. What kind of rhetoric is used in broadcast opinion pieces?
G. What media ethics are employed by different members of the production process and overall?

III. Research Subject


A. Iman Smith is a graduate student from the University of Maryland, who majored in journalism
and minored in Professional Writing. During her time here, she was the editor-in-chief of The
Writers Bloc, a literary publication on campus. Smith also has extensive experience in
conducting investigative reporting from various writing courses. Following her graduation, she
landed a prestigious internship with the National Public Radio (NPR). Currently, Smith works
for PBS, where she resides behind the scenes of their broadcast journalism department. Her job
specifically entails writing and editing various news stories that are to be read on air. For some
projects, she is required to collaborate with others and work together. In addition to working
behind the scenes, Smith is also occasionally stationed on the ground in Washington, D.C.. Her
tasks in this case include covering the presidential election, and researching/interpreting the post-
election effects. Smiths job is immensely demanding in regards to being on top of breaking
news and new information. She must consistently be up to date on her writing and maintaining
excellent quality, as well as stay on top of incoming international news stories.

IV. Data Collection Methods


A. Reiterating the overarching research question: What forms of technical writing and
communication techniques are involved in the process of broadcasting journalism?
1. Primarily, we can rely on comments Iman makes about her work in interviews. To gain
additional insight, we can also ask her coworkers for a brief, informational interview. This could
enhance our knowledge and research results by providing us with additional information from
multiple perspectives and experiences.
2. Gain first-hand knowledge by observing Iman and her coworkers while working at PBS. This
will be helpful because we will be able to analyze in person and see for ourselves how technical
communication functions directly from the source at PBS.
3. Research technical communication and technical writing strategies pertaining to broadcast
journalism, online, or in books. This aspect will be useful to us because we will be able to
establish what strategies may work for PBS, and why it may not work at other publications.
4. Meet with Iman after we have successfully collected all of our information and data needed to
verify the accuracy of the information we distribute. It is vital to the success of our project that
we demonstrate a deep understanding of the subject, as well as provide only credible
information.
B. Using data collection methods from Solving Problems in Technical Communication (80-94)
and FieldWorking sections.

V. Data Analysis
A. We will organize our collection of data into a chart in correlation with the interview questions we
asked Iman Smith. Our chart will consist of our notes and interview questions gathered from
experiencing the behind the scene process of PBS. This will help us to not only understand
intellectually, but to visually understand what Imans process is and how it works. This will help
us to better understand how pieces are initially drafted, the editing process the pieces go through,
what sort of communication this involves, and, finally, how the piece finally makes its way to on
air. We understand that keeping our data organized is vital to being able to thoroughly answer our
other questions, which we will conduct a series of coherent questions for each interview
(assuming we conduct multiple). These questions will also be categorized and will have them
categorized by which one of our questions were trying to answer. Analyzing field notes about
the communication between staff members might be a bit more difficult. Although not all four of
us can go to the site visit together, we will have two group members attend the site visit(s) and
take avid notes. To analyze this data, well read our notes together, which will be organized
based on time, to see what each other noticed. In all, in order to analyze the data best, keeping
organized and in communication is key.

VI. Plan of Work


A. Open communication is key to the success of our ethnographic report. It begins with planning the
dates of our face-to-face interactions with Iman, as well as keeping up with communication over
the phone. The first step of the scheduling process is to set up specific times where we can meet
and begin conducting the basic research. This will benefit our collection of data by providing it
with factual background information on broadcast journalism. Once we have clearly established
our initial intentions for this project, our group plans to schedule a day that allows us to shadow
Iman personally at her job site, PBS. This will allow us to observe first-hand a typical day in this
field of work. Once this day is set, it is recommended that we all meet up and discuss this, the
time in which it takes place, questions we will ask and things we would like to see. We must all
be on the same page, and make sure no one is stepping on each others toes. This brings us the the
actual field notes day, we will shadow Iman and conduct as many field notes as we can,
investigating the inner workings of the broadcast journalism world. After which we will share
and compare notes. The next task would be to synthesize the data we collect into a Google doc,
this way we all have access to the same information and an easy way to edit it as well. From here
comes the most important task. We must organize and compress our data into consumable
chunks that best fit the purposes of our assignment. Using this we can read, find, and use the data
as efficiently and quickly as possible. It can be accessed either remotely via Google docs or
together as a group.

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