ENG 101 Fall 2018

Writing Project 2: D.I.T.C. (Digging in the Crates)

Primary Research

Overview and Background. The second major writing assignment of the course asks you to
conduct primary research to better understand and engage with a local community. You will
practice how to critically write questions, effectively ask them, and reflect on the primary
research process. To that end, you will observe objects that represent a group, immerse
yourself into a location representative of that group, attend an activity or event related to that
group, and interview a representative of that group. The community/culture that you choose
should be local to ensure accessibility and immersion. By conducting this primary research,
you will come to understand a group’s values and beliefs, its stereotypes, and how it resists
those stereotypes. By completing Writing Project 2, you will collect a bank of observed data.
This databank will be used in Writing Project 3: The Ethnography.

In order find a subject for this assignment, you might begin by grappling with a pertinent
question:
• Who are the group’s members? Who are the “the movers and shakers” (notable figures) of
the group?
• What are some of that group's values or beliefs?
• What object, artifact or item is important to the group? How do they represent a group
value?
• What location, activity or event is important to the group? How does it represent a group
value?

ENG 101 Fall 2018

WP2 Outline

• Section 1, Question Bank: You will list your research questions and the interview questions

• Section 2, Sites of Inquiry: You will list places, people, objects, activities, and events
important to the group

• Section 3, Inquiring into Objects /Artifacts: You will conduct a hands-on investigation of an
object or artifact to discover its significance to the group. Its value may be functional,
symbolic, or otherwise
‣ This section will include prepared questions, observation notes, and a reflection.

• Section 4, Inquiring into Place: You will conduct an on-site investigation of a location to
discover its significance (symbolic, functional, etc) to the group. Its value may be functional,
symbolic, or otherwise.
‣ This section will include prepared questions, observation notes, and a reflection.

• Section 5, Inquiring into Activities/Events: You will conduct an on-site observation of an

event or activity to discover its significance to the group. Its value may be functional,
symbolic, or otherwise.
‣ This section will include prepared questions, observation notes, and a reflection.


• Section 6, Inquiring into People/Person: You will conduct an interview with a group
representative.
‣ This section will include prepared questions, observation notes, and a reflection.

• Section 7, Soundscape:
‣ You will record at least 5 minutes of audio inclusive of ambient sound, interviews, or
other relevant sound that relates to your group/site of inquiry.

• Section 8, Proposal
‣ In 500-700 words, you will (1) summarize the major outcomes and insight of the primary
research you conducted in the above sections, (2) describe how this research leads to or
was prompted by a core question or set of questions about a group (3), demonstrate
why these questions need answering, should be addressed, and are worth a reader's’
attention. This proposal prompts Writing Project 3. 




Due Dates
Rough Draft 10/22
Final Draft (Google Doc link) 10/26