CMU Communications in Computer Information Systems Essay
You will conduct online research and then write a 4-6 page paper that uses sources you found online to explain and show what the formal and information professional communications expectations and standards are in your chosen career field.
Think of it as the linguistic version of something you’ve likely done many times in your personal/social life: You go online before a night out or big event to look at photos of the venue or event ahead of time to figure out how people dress, how they do their hair, what the attitude is, who all goes to it, how they act there, what kind of food and drinks they serve, what kind of people you’ll meet, etc. You’re doing that in this assignment, but instead of a club or destination, it’s your chosen career field and instead of looking at outfits and vibe, you’re looking at how communication happens.
In other words, by researching what professional managers, entrepreneurs, CEOs, etc. read, where they communicate, how they communicate, what they communicate about, and why they behave (linguistically) in those ways, you should be able to deduce how they talk, what they talk about, what their style of communication is, who participates in their conversations, what the expectations are in terms of tone, length, use of media, and more. You’re basically studying the field writ large/macro level for its communication standards and norms so that you can better prepare to become someone who participates properly in those communication standards and norms when you enter the field in earnest, if you haven’t already.
2. Find a website or social media account of a company, icon or organization in your chosen field. Be sure it’s a well known and/or highly respected and successful choice.
- Take a volume (not issue—volume) of this publication and browse through it. Read over the titles of the articles, skim articles that look interesting, take detailed notes about this publication and the kinds of features it contains: Does it contain only full-length articles, or articles of various lengths? Does it include a lot of graphics, or is it mostly text? Does it contain advertisements? Does it list job openings? How long is each issue? Who publishes it? Where is the publisher located? Do you note any discussions or concerns that seem to arise frequently, either on the “letters” page or in the articles themselves? Does the volume you selected contain any “new” or “breaking” research? Write down as many specific features of the publication as possible.
- Now that you’ve thought about the kinds of information the publication contains, who do you think it’s written for? Who’s reading this? Why would they be interested? Make inferences and guesses based on what you’ve observed about the publication itself: A publication that contains job openings, for example, may have a large novice/student readership. Would the general public understand any of this, or is it directed towards a more “expert” readership?
- What is the background for the writing; why was it written (its occasion)? Who is it written for (its audience)? What is it intended to do, or teach, or accomplish (its purpose)? Note any words, phrases, concepts, or ideas that come specifically from your field, which might cause confusion for “general” readers. It’s your job to write about how the source you chose exemplifies, demonstrates or represents the communication style, habits and expectations of your field.
Questions to ask yourself (and answer in your paper):
- Who is it written for?
- What kind of audience do the editors and publishers want to reach?
- What are its distinguishing features and characteristics?
- What evidence can you provide from the journal and website that show patterns around: audience, context, tone, vocabulary, purpose, what counts as evidence, and what trends do you see?
