Embedded Resources: SNC

The JWU Writing Lab is open for online appointments.

Whether you're just getting started or need final editing advice, writing coaches are super kind and trained to help you at any stage of the writing process. 

Top Tips for Working with the Writing Lab:

1.    Book an appointment by phone: 401-598-1785  
2.    Book an appointment online via USucceed: In jwulink, click Academics tab,  Academic Support Services.

For 24/7 free online revision feedback, submit your paper to Smarthinking. Look for the link in jwuLink, under the Academics tab, under Academic Support Services.

There are two possible formats for this research project: a paper or an audio/visual file.

For the draft, submit a 1-2 page outline (paper format) or a 1-2 minute file (video or podcast format).

For the final project, submit a 6-8 page paper or a 6-8 minute video or podcast. The paper must be written in 12 point Times New Roman font with standard margins. The file must be emailed to the professor as an attachment or a link.

For whichever format you choose, cite a minimum of six scholarly sources, not including any interviews, trade, or popular news sources that you may wish to add. Be sure to include at least one article from Global Media & Communication; Global Media Journal; International Journal of Communication; International Journal of Cultural Studies; Critical Studies in Media Communication; Media, Culture & Society; Communication/Critical Cultural Studies; New Media & Society; Communication, Culture & Critique; or the Journal of Communication. Beyond your six sources—defined here as journal articles and scholarly books—you may also wish to include research from government organizations, NGOs, and international regulatory agencies (e.g. UN, UNESCO, WTO, etc.). Include a complete works cited page and cite all sources parenthetically in either MLA or APA style.

Need help? Reach out for a Research Appointment with a librarian.

Global Media Journal;

Global Media Communication

International Journal of Communication;

International Journal of Cultural Studies;

Critical Studies in Media Communication (18 month delay)

Media, Culture & Society;

Communication/Critical Cultural Studies; (18 month delay)

New Media & Society;

Communication, Culture & Critique;

Journal of Communication. (12 month delay)

Option 1: Global Media Project: Provide detailed information about media in any country outside of the United States. Discuss the historical development of media in that country, the contemporary media landscape, the structure of a media industry, an example of content, or media usage. Possible media include print, news, television, film, music, gaming, advertising, sports, etc. Choose only one form of media. Comment critically on what you observe: what are the implications of your research, and what do you think about what you learned?

Strategy: 

1. Choose a Country and/or ethnicity such as the Maori in New Zealand.
2. Search International Communication Journals, under the Database & Journals page, using keywords such as "New Zealand" or "Maori" and "History" or "Modern" and your choice of media.
3. Use the Articles tab from the library's home page and click Full Text
4. Make an appointment with a Research Librarian for help

EX: Discuss the historical development of media in New Zealand, the contemporary media landscape, the structure of a media industry, an example of content, or media usage.

Historical development of media in New Zealand's Maori community:

Indigenous cultural values and journalism in the Asia-Pacific region: a brief history of Māori journalism.

Structure of a media industry in New Zealand:

The New Zealand Film Commission as a Government-Sponsored Film Producer

Contemporary media landscape
The construction of a national Maori identity by Maori media.

Example of Content or Media Usage

Anti-Mäori themes in New Zealand journalism—toward alternative practice.

Option 2: Comparative Global Media Project: Compare a media industry (e.g. Hollywood and Bollywood), a media text (e.g. The Light Between Oceans in Spanish and English), or a media audience (e.g. U.S. television viewers and Dutch television viewers). Discuss the industry, text, or audience in a comparative way, highlighting the ways in which it has been portrayed in at least two countries. Choose only one form of media. Comment critically on what you observe: what are the implications of your research, and what do you think about what you learned?

Strategy: 

1. Choose two media industries, texts, or audiences, such as U.S. television viewers and Dutch television viewers.
2. Search International and American Communication Journals, under the Database & Journals page, using keywords such as "American" or "Dutch" and "television audience".
3. Use the Articles tab from the library's home page and click Full Text
4. Make an appointment with a Research Librarian for help

EX: Discuss the Dutch and American audiences in a comparative way, highlighting the ways in which it has been portrayed in at these two countries.

Asian-American Television Audiences

Understanding the Invisibility of the Asian-American Television Audience: Why Marketers Often Overlook an Audience of "Model" Consumers.

Black Television Audiences

Watching While Black : Centering the Television of Black Audiences

Dutch Television Audiences

The Performance of Cultural Citizenship: Audiences and the Politics of Multicultural Television Drama

Option 3: Comparative Global Media Levels Project: Compare a media industry, text, or audience within or between various levels; for example, research local U.S. radio and local French radio, local Iranian film and transnational Iranian film, or regional Turkish and global Finnish news. What are some of the similarities and differences that you observe within or between geo-cultural, geo-linguistic or geopolitical levels? Discuss your analysis with reference to theories about local, regional, national, transnational, or global media. Comment critically on what you observe: what are the implications of your research, and what do you think about what you learned?

Strategy: 

1. Choose two media industries, texts, or audiences, such as U.S. College radio and local French radio.
2. Search International and American Communication Journals, under the Database & Journals page, using keywords such as "College", "American", or "French" and "Radio".
3. Check out radio-specific journals, such as the Journal of Radio & Audio Media.
4. Use the Articles tab from the library's home page and click Full Text
5. Make an appointment with a Research Librarian for help

EX: Discuss American and local French radio in a comparative way, discussing your analysis with reference to theories about local, regional, national, transnational, or global radio.

American College Radio

College Radio Takeovers and Shutdowns: An Analysis of News Coverage from 2006-2016.

French Radio

Towards a Democratic Public Sphere: A History of Radio FreeDomin Réunion

Option 4: Global Media Issue Project: Choose a major issue such as poverty, climate change, terrorism, inequality (racial/ethnic/gender/sexual/political/religious/socioeconomic, etc.) and discuss the issue in a particular geographic context (e.g. the U.S. and the Middle East, Israel and Palestine, the Caribbean, etc.). How have global media affected and reflected this issue through a particular lens? What is the relationship between this issue and global media? Comment critically on what you observe: what are the implications of your research, and what do you think about what you learned?

Strategy: 

1. Choose a major issue such as racism in film and discuss the issue in a particular geographic context  such as "Race" and "the U.S" OR "South Africa" and "Film".
2. Search International and American Communication Journals, under the Journals page, using keywords such as "Hollywood" or "South Africa" and "race" and "film"
3. Use the Articles tab from the library's home page and click Full Text
4. Make an appointment with a Research Librarian for help

EX: How have global media affected and reflected racism through a particular lens? What is the relationship between this issue and global media? 

Race in Hollywood

#OscarsSoWhite: How Stuart Hall explains why nothing changes in Hollywood and everything is changing.

Race in South African Film

Watching Hong Kong martial arts film under apartheid.

Option 5: Globalization in Providence Project (Participant Observation/Interviews): Describe a globalization process in Providence. Pick two different research sites from which to participate, observe, and interview. A research site could include a neighborhood (e.g. Olneyville), a street corner, a restaurant, a bookstore, a public building, a public performance, etc. Your dorm room or apartment does not count. You are looking for intersections of the global, the national, the regional, and the local. Think about how global processes manifest in local forms in Providence. Identify, describe, and analyze at least three examples (at least one example from each of your two research sites) of globalization in action. Think about differences in religion, similarities in audience activity or passivity, customs or traditions, and any of the other theories that we discussed this term. Spend at least two hours at each site making observations or talking with people. Take copious notes and attach them to the paper. Comment on what you observe: what are the implications of your research?

Strategy: 

1. Make an appointment with a Research Librarian for help.
2. This is a great choice, but if you choose this option, sitting with a librarian face-to-face is probably the best way to begin.

Beyond your six sources—defined here as journal articles and scholarly books—you may also wish to include research from government organizations, NGOs, and international regulatory agencies (e.g. UN, UNESCO,, WTO, etc.). 

Attach a complete works cited page and cite all sources parenthetically in either MLA or APA style. Check out the MLA tab for help, or reach out for a Research Appointment with a librarian.

Did you know you can copy and paste citations if you use the library's databases?

1. Save time -  look for the "Cite" Button or " " icon.

2. Scroll to the style you need (MLA, APA)

3. Copy and paste the full citation into your paper

Ta Da!  You're done!  Well, almost.  Sometimes weird formatting issues happen, so always double check your work.

Need help with in-text citations or more complicated citations?  Use the OWL!  It's super easy, and totally simple. This is also a really good time to make an appointment with a writing tutor to make sure your paper is totally perfect and all your citations are good to go.

Citing Images 

Image label (If including image in your written work):

Fig. 1 New York Sunshine. (WGSN Denim Team, [Sept. 2018]).

In the text:

WGSN Denim Team [Sept. 2018].

In your list of figures or references (omit figure number if you haven't included the image in your assignment)

Figure 1. WGSN Denim Team. [Sept. 2018] New York Sunshine. WGSN. Denim Forecast S/S 20: Empower Up! [Online image]. available from https://www-wgsn-com.jwupvdz.idm.oclc.org/content/board_viewer/#/80499/page/1

Working on your Annotated Bibliography?  We can help!

An annotation is super simple - basically, it's a few sentences about the kind of source you're using.  Our friends at the OWL have some awesome, detailed tips!

An annotation is a summary and/or evaluation. Therefore, an annotated bibliography includes a summary and/or evaluation of each of the sources. Depending on your project or the assignment, your annotations may do one or more of the following.

1. Summarize: Some annotations merely summarize the source. What are the main arguments? What is the point of this book or article? What topics are covered? If someone asked what this article/book is about, what would you say? The length of your annotations will determine how detailed your summary is.

   For more help, see our handout on paraphrasing sources.

2. Assess: After summarizing a source, it may be helpful to evaluate it. Is it a useful source? How does it compare with other sources in your bibliography? Is the information reliable? Is this source biased or objective? What is the goal of this source?

   For more help, see our handouts on evaluating resources.

3. Reflect: Once you've summarized and assessed a source, you need to ask how it fits into your research. Was this source helpful to you? How does it help you shape your argument? How can you use this source in your research project? Has it changed how you think about your topic?

Your annotated bibliography may include some of these, all of these, or even others. If you're doing this for a class, you should get specific guidelines from your instructor.

Scenario: You have to write a research paper for a media communications class on the topic of how gender and race impact media representation. Some of your sources must be peer-reviewed and some of them will be other kinds of sources. You also have to think about how each source is in conversation with the other sources on your works cited.

Using the ABCD criteria on your handout, work with your team to score the source you are assigned.

Is your source credible? What is the theme of your source? How does it connect to your other sources?

Pro-Tip: Each team evaluates ONE of the following sources:

Source 1

Source 2

Source 3

Source 4

Source 5

Source 6

To take the Information Literacy Module, click here.

ABCD Handout

Did you know that the Providence Public Library is AMAZING and only two blocks away from Downcity?  They have thousands of books, films, audio books, music, and special collections that will terrify and intrigue.  Seriously.  It's awesome and totally 100% free!

Check it out at Providence Public Library

You can learn all about how to get your own super sweet Providence Public Library card here