The lecture notes for todays guest lecture by Jenny Weight can be found here.

Due the the downtime of the RMIT servers, the deadline for the submission of the assessment will be extented to 4 May 2007.

Essay Guides

• “How to Write — and Edit — a Paper” [pdf] Barry Wellman
• “Essay-Writing: The Essential Guide”[pdf] David Gauntlett
• “Guide to Writing a Basic Essay” Kathy Livingston
• “Student Study Guide: Advice on Essay Research and Writing” The University of Queensland
• “Learning Lab - Writing Skills” - this site has a series of online tutorials from Learning Skills Unit at RMIT University

Grammer Guides

• “The Elements of Style” William Strunk - this book is a great resource that I recommend everyone who has to write have in their library and give it a read every few months.
• “11 Rules of Writing” [home] - this is derived from Strunk but a very useful list of things to keep in mind when writing.
• “Guide to Grammer and Writing” Capital Community College Foundation - this page is very easy to use and well organised. However, the section on essay writing is best avoided as it has a lot of detail. You are better off reading the resources above.

Reference Guides

• “What, why and when” - understanding referencing
• “How to reference” - remember to use only the Harvard (Author-Date) Referencing Style
• “Referencing - Harvard” - online tutorial from Learning Skills Unit at RMIT University
• “Harvard author-date style examples” Monash University [at the bottom of the page there are links to specific examples][printable - all examples]
• “Harvard: resources” - this site has the best printable reference guide

Plagiarism

• “Academic Integrity” - this page has information what is academic intergrity at RMIT University
• “Plagiarism” - this page has all the documents on RMIT University’s polices on plagiarism
• “Plagiarism” - online tutorial from Learning Skills Unit at RMIT University
• “Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It” Indiana University
• “Avoiding Plagiarism” Northwestern Unversity - a very basic and short resource

Some of you might find mind mapping to be a useful way to think through your research projects. Being a visual thinker, I find it a invaluable tool for research. Here is an online tutorial from RMIT University’s Learning Skills Unit that might be useful for you.

Mind mapping software is a very useful tool for moving from the brainstorming stage to the structural stage. Its kind of a hyperlinked way of going about doing a research project. I use MindManager myself but it costs a bit. I have heard good things about FreeMind, which is open source.

Someone made a very valid point on their blog about the word limit for the hyperlink essay being the same as the conventional essay. I agree.

So I have amended the word limit for the hyperlink essay to 1800 - 2200 words. If anyone has suggestions or comments, please leave them in the comments.

Overview

Step One - Research Plan

Step Two

What you should have done

1. Divide the work up between the group
2. Began researching
3. Began consolidating your research
4. Map out a structure for the presentation of your research

What you need to do

1. Visit http://www.asiandigitalcultures.com/wiki/
2. Have a play around and try the software out. To do that, you must sign up
3. Create a user page with you details - name, bio, blog address, etc
4. Upload your group’s research plan [Step one], so I can look at it and offer advice
5. Start your project
6. I will periodically check the wiki to offer guidance and help
7. Due date 18 May (Friday week 11) or 21 May (Monday week 12)

Due Date: 4 June 2007 (Monday)

Essay Questions
Answer one of the following three essay questions in an independently researched essay of 2200-2500 words, a hyperlinked essay of 2200-2500 1800-2200 words or a podcast (in consultation with Terry):
1. Using a digital communication form/practice of your choice, examine the impact it has had either as a cultural form/practice or as political tool. (use only case studies/examples from Asia)
2. Discuss with examples the present and potential use of the new media spaces facilitated by digital communication technologies in one Asian country.
3. Examine and assess the reaction and solutions of the conservative governments in Asia to the impact of digital communication technologies on either the political or cultural arenas.

[Edit: I have decided to give you three questions in order to provide greater guidance for those who have requested it] (more…)

Research Plan for Essay

The steps below are a useful way to start thinking about the essay. What you need to do is to write something under each of the numbered points. You must bring this to your tutorial on 20 April for Alvin to look at. He can then advise you on any changes (if so required). The final submission will be on 27 April.

1. Essay Question
2. Summaries
   • Object of study [ONE paragraph of approx. 50 words]
   • Name and define object
   • Name and define arena of investigation
3. Framework/Theoretical Approach Used [ONE paragraph of approx. 150 words]
   • How will it be used?
   • Why is it being used?
4. Evidence [ONE paragraph of approx. 250 words]
   • Approximately THREE points of investigation
5. Argument [ONE paragraph of approx. 50 words]
   • Use your Framework to investigate your EVIDENCE which should lead you to your argument
6. Working introduction
   • Summarise 2a and 2b into one or two sentences each. Summarise 2c into two or three sentences. Summarise 2d into one sentence. [ONE paragraph of approx. 150 words]
7. One sentence summary
   • I am studying [your object and its arena] __________
   • because I want to find out [your question] __________
   • in order to help my reader understand better [your argument] __________.
8. Your reworded essay question (to be more specific to you one sentence summary)
9. Bibiliography
   • At least 15 relevant resources in Harvard format.

For some reason, the lecture did not get recorded. So there is no podcast available for those who missed the lecture.

For some reason, the lecture did not get recorded. So there is no podcast available for those who missed the lecture.