Eck and Stomski 1

Melissa Eck and Jacqueline Stomski

ENGL297: Intro to Professional Writing
Ethnographic Research Proposal
I.

II.

1.
a.
2.
a.
3.
a.
b.
4.
a.

Introduction:
Through this ethnographic research project, we hope to observe an individual working in
the field of communications research. Specifically, our research will focus on Doctor
Khamis, who is an assistant Communications professor at the University of Maryland.
Specifically, Dr. Khamis uses her professional writing to destigmatize Western
perceptions of the Middle East through written and verbal communication. Our research
will focus on the different forms of writing that Dr. Khamis uses while communicating
with her students in her COMM498W seminar, which focuses on teaching Islamic
courses in the Digital Age. In addition, we hope to examine her professional publications
in order to understand her academic research process.
Research Questions:
The objective of our study is to examine the diction that Dr. Khamis uses to destigmatize
Western perceptions of the Middle East, especially Arab and Muslim women. Our
questions will allow us to form images of both her research process and the ways in
which she shares her research with the Arab and Western worlds. We aim to understand
how Dr. Khamis has had to alter her diction from researching in the Middle East to
publishing her research in the Middle East and Western World. Also, we hope to examine
the terminology she utilizes, and how it must change across cultures. We plan to
interview Dr. Khamis outside of the classroom, as well as conduct interviews with a few
of her students. In doing this, we will be able collect data on how her research has
impacted students perspectives of the Middle East. Some examples of questions we may
ask:
How did you conduct your initial research regarding the role of Arab women in social media
during the Arab Spring?
Do you find the questions you asked in your investigations to be inhibited by cultural barriers?
If so, how?
When publishing and/or sharing your research in the United States, do you encounter particularly
strong stereotypes towards the Middle East?
If you do encounter this, how do you alter your delivery of information to your students?
When delivering your research in a class lecture, professionally written document, or radio
broadcast, do you encounter bilingual differences with your audience?
Which of these settings do you find to be the most impactful for your Western audiences?
How has your research been received in the Middle East?
What types of assignments do you assign in your courses to help students understand the
dynamic media culture with the Middle East?
How do incorporate your published books, Egyptian Revolution 2.0 and Islam Dot Com, into
your curriculum? What writing methods do you use to help students understand your research?

Eck and Stomski 2

5. Through our own outside research, we have found that you use social media postings as data for
your research. Have you noticed specific stylistic or usage differences within social media
between Arabs and Americans?
a. Which of your social mediums provide the most responsive feedback?
6. When translating your field notes into workable data, do you depend on a specific writing
process?
a. How do you navigate between obtaining data and creating research documents based upon that
data?
We are investigating this topic and individual in particular because we are both very
interested in the role of the media in the Arab Spring, as well as its usage in combating
racial biases. We agree that Dr. Khamis is one of the best individuals to observe these
topics because she is an academic expert on Arab and Muslim media. In addition, her
role as an educator in the Western World probes our interest. Dr. Khamis publishes her
research in both the Middle East and in the Western world, so she has to use distinctly
different diction and styles in order to convey persuasive information about her subjects.
As Dr. Khamis emphasizes her bicultural status and knowledge, we believe that she can
offer insight into the experiences she faces in combating racial stereotypes.
III.
Research Subject:
Our research subject, Dr. Sahar Mohamed Khamis, is a Communications professor at the
University of Maryland, with expertise in Arab and Muslim media. Originally from Egypt,
Dr. Khamis headed the Department of Mass Communication and Information Sciences at
Qatar University before coming to teach at the University of Maryland. Dr. Khamis has
published numerous books and papers in both Arabic in English, and currently hosts a
radio show on the first Arab-American radio network. Her show broadcasts throughout
the U.S. and Canada. In addition, Dr. Khamis teaches COMM428A, a seminar course that
demonstrates her research on Arab communication through the lens of social media. In
particular, we would like to inquire about the writing and research methods she used in
creating her two books, Egyptian Revolution 2.0 and Islam Dot Com.
IV. Data Collection Methods:
We intend to gather various writing samples of Dr. Khamis, including her published
works, radio show transcripts, and lesson plans. In order to gain a holistic image of the
ways in which she broadcasts her research, we will compare the differences in diction
that she uses in her multimedia approach. Furthermore, we intend to interview Dr.
Khamis to learn how she sees her style of writing changes when addressing her Western
audiences. Through our interviews, we hope to understand the impact Dr. Khamis has on
Western and Arab culture through her different types of publications. While we would
ideally conduct all interviews in person, we can conduct interviews over the phone if
needed. If we cannot attend Dr. Khamiss class in person, we would hope to review her
lesson plans and course materials. We would also like to be put in contact with a handful
of her students to discuss their perspectives of media in the Middle East while taking her
course.

Eck and Stomski 3

V.

Data Analysis:
In order to make sense of our data collection methods, we will create Microsoft Word
documents that reflect the comments made in our handwritten fieldnotes. In order to use
those fieldnotes to answer our research questions, we will develop word clouds for each
Microsoft Word document so that we can see the most used words in Dr. Khamiss
profession. We will eliminate article words to ensure that our word data are used in
understand the genre of communication studies, specifically in the context of Arab social
media. We will also make audio recordings of all interviews, so that we can accurately
describe the perspectives of Dr. Khamis and her students. In order to collect and analyze
our data from our ethnographic research project, we will use the following methods
indicated below in Solving Problems in Technical Communication:
-To begin our ethnographic research project, we will be studying communication.
Clay Spinuzzi describes communication in Solving Problems in Technical
Communication as the ways that people exchange their information, thoughts,
writing, and speech with each other (266). In particular, we will be looking at the
kinds of information that Dr. Khamis hands off and to whom, as well as how she
handles delivering and communicating information to students, faculty, and her
radio audience. For example, we might examine how she interacts with her
students when she starts class. Does she use a powerpoint to lecture to her
students? Does she provide paper handouts to her students to allow them to
engage in group work? These are just some of the questions that would be
addressed in us studying her communicative behaviors.
-Jim Henry argues that every organization possesses an organizational culture
that distinguishes it from others, and technical communicators who seek to fit into
any organization must develop skills as cultural analysts (75). In order to
accomplish this, we must gather information about Dr. Khamiss workplace
culture. This collection of information gathering is broken down into four parts.
First, we have to discover what basic assumptions seem to drive UMDs
organizational culture. Second, we should examine how these assumptions
developed and are sustained. Third, we have to uncover the problems of external
adaption that a professor faces. Fourth, we come to an consensus about how
these assumptions are taught to new faculty in UMDs Communication
Department (Henry 78). By examining these various levels of organizational
culture, we will be able to understand Dr. Khamiss role at UMD as a professor,
radio broadcaster, and faculty member.
-Blakeslee and Savage present a heuristic that helps ethnographic researchers
understand how to trace and analyze the writing process (366). Their heuristic is
divided into six categories:

Eck and Stomski 4

1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
5.)
6.)

the amount and quality of writing entailed and expected,

the nature of writing,
specific genres and rhetorical strategies,
various approaches to and processes for writing,
the knowledge and skills used in a profession, and
the subjects personal traits and qualities.
These categories will allow us to create detailed field notes that help us to
understand the types of writing that Dr. Khamis uses as a professor, as well as her
unique characteristics that allow her to be successful in discussing Arab media.
-Blake Scott states that in their discussions of ethics, technical communication
researchers have drawn on various philosophical traditions, including those that
emphasize duties and obligations, respect for difference and care of others,
impacts or consequences, and the communicators character (217). Dr. Khamis
began her academic studies in Cairo, Egypt, so we must pay special attention to
how her character has been shaped by her experiences in Egypt and the U.S. In
addition, we must note where her biggest obligations and commitments lie,
whether that is in her work as a professor, faculty member, or radio host.
-In order to describe and analyze project management activities, we will be using
R. Stanley Dickss heuristic for project management (315). This heuristic
functions as a waterfall method and includes seven parts in descending order:
1.) planning,
2.) research and information gathering,
3.) composition/invention,
4.) reviewing and/or testing against quality criteria,
5.) revision,
6.) production, and
7.) dissemination
If we are successful, we will be able to conduct our research of Dr. Khamis in an
effective and encompassing manner for our audience.
-Brent Henze argues in Solving Problems in Technical Communication that the
genre chose and used by technical writers must adapt and evolve to new
circumstances (342-343). In addition, he notes that by knowing the boundaries
[of your subjects technical writing genre]...you can more comfortably stretch
those boundaries when its necessary to do so (345). As ethnographic
researchers, we must have the competence necessary to understand Dr. Khamiss
writing as a professor who provides lessons to her students and analyzes the
assignments her students turn in. In addition, we must be flexible to the changing
pace or topics in Arab media that her students adapt to. In doing this, we will be

Eck and Stomski 5

able to act as a liaison between students and Dr. Khamis, providing our audience
with an unbiased observation of the documents and writing techniques she uses to
communicate areas of interest within Arab media.
VI.

Plan of Work:
Hard
Deadline

Soft
Deadline

Task

Assigned
To

Contributi Status
on
Value

Important
Remarks

Monday,
October 3

Sunday,
October 2

Draft
Team
Charter

To be
completed
jointly

Equal
contributio
n by both
partners
(5)

Complete

Due on a
Jewish
Holiday-Rosh
Hashanah

Monday,
October
10

Sunday,
October 9

Final
Team
Charter

To be
edited
jointly

Equal
contributio
n by both
partners
(5)

Complete

Monday,
October
10

Sunday,
October 9

Draft,
Team
Schedule

To be
created
jointly

Equal
contributio
n by both
partners
(5)

Complete

Monday,
October
10

Sunday,
October 9

Draft,
Letter of
Inquiry

To be
started by
Jacqueline,
then edited
by Melissa

Equal
contributio
n by both
partners
(5)

Complete

Monday,
October
17

Sunday,
Final
October 16 Team
Schedule

Edited
jointly,
with
Melissa
submitting
to ELMS
and inclass

Equal
contributio
n by both
partners
(5)

Complete

Due on a
Jewish
HolidaySukkot

Monday,
October
17

Sunday,
Final
October 16 Letter of
Inquiry

Edited
jointly,
with

Equal
contributio
n by both

Complete

Due on a
Jewish holidaySukkot

Eck and Stomski 6

Melissa
submitting
to ELMS
and inclass

partners
(5)

Wednesda Tuesday,
Send Letter Jacqueline
y, October October 18 of Inquiry
19

Email
complete
edited and
sent jointly
by both
partners to
Dr.
Khamis (5)

Monday,
October
24

Sunday,
Draft,
October 23 Ethnograp
hic
Research
Proposal

Created
and edited
jointly,
with
Melissa
submitting
to ELMS
and inclass

Equal
contributio
n by both
partners
(5)

Complete

Due on a
Jewish holidaySukkot

Monday,
October
24

Deadlineresponse
from Dr.
Sahar
Mohamed
Khamis

Received
response to
set up a
phone call
to discuss
our
ethnograph
ic project

Email
communic
ation
facilitated
by Melissa
(5)

ReceivedMelissa
set up
phone call
for
10/28/16
at 9 p.m.

If no response
is received by
this date, the
partners will
reach out to
another
individual

Phone call
between
Dr.
Khamis
and
Melissa to
inform her
of our
project

Melissa

Conducted
by Melissa
(5)

Complete
- will set
up class
visits

Jacqueline
unable to
participate
because
occuring on the
Jewish Sabbath

Edited
jointly,
Jacqueline
submitting

Equal
contributio
n by both
partners

Complete

Jacqueline is
back in class

Friday,
October
28

Friday,
October
28: 9 pm

Monday,
October
31

Sunday,
Final,
October 23 Ethnograp
hic
Research

Eck and Stomski 7

Proposal

(5)

Thursday,
Novembe
r3

Thursday, Class and

November office
3 12:30 pm hours visit

Both
Melissa
and
Jacqueline
visiting

-Both
partners
will visit
class (5)
-Melissa
will visit
Dr.
Khamis
office
hours
immediatel
y after (5)

Sunday,
Novembe
r6

Monday,
November
7

Field
Notes
write up:
share field
notes with
each other

Created
jointly

Equal
contributio
n (5)

Monday, Sunday,
December December
12
11

Final,
Ethnograp
hic Report

Jointcontinuous

Equal
contributio
n (5)

Jacqueline has
mandatory
class at 2

Note: As we arrange meeting times with Dr. Sahar Mohamed Khamis, we will reflect those dates
our schedule.

Eck and Stomski 8

Works Cited
Blakeslee, Ann M., and Gerald J. Savage. "What Do Technical Communicators Need to Know
About Writing?" Solving Problems in Technical Communication. Ed. Johndan JohnsonEilola and Stuart A. Selber. Chicago: U of Chicago, 2013. 362-85. Print.
Dicks, R. Stanley. "How Can Technical Communicators Manage Projects?" Solving Problems in
Technical Communication. Ed. Johndan Johnson-Eilola and Stuart A. Selber. Chicago: U of
Chicago, 2013. 310-32. Print.
Henry, Jim. "How Can Technical Communicators Fit into Contemporary Organizations?" Ed.
Johndan Johnson-Eilola and Stuart A. Selber. Solving Problems in Technical
Communication. Chicago: U of Chicago, 2013. 75-97. Print.
Henze, Brent. "What Do Technical Communicators Need to Know about Genre?" Solving
Problems in Technical Communication. Ed. Johndan Johnson-Eilola and Stuart A. Selber.
Chicago: U of Chicago, 2013. 337-61. Print.
Scott, J. Blake. "How Can Technical Communicators Work Together in an Ethical and Legal
Manner." Solving Problems in Technical Communication. Ed. Johndan Johnson-Eilola and
Stuart A. Selber. Chicago: U of Chicago, 2013. 213-36. Print.
Spinuzzi, Clay. "How Can Technical Communicators Study Work Contexts?" Solving Problems
in Technical Communication. Ed. Johndan Johnson-Eilola and Stuart A. Selber. Chicago: U
of Chicago, 2013. 262-84. Print.