This research paper explores Peter Elbow’s theories on composition, such as the valuing of freewriting; the research serves both as a summary of key compositional theory that could be reapplied both to improve one’s writing and to serve as a unit of study/lecture for composition students. This research especially highlights important concepts within the “process movement” of composition that should be mentioned and taught within a composition class.
This research paper explores the differences between two opposite or conflicting metaphors/concepts (namely, “voice” and “footing”) and explores the pros and cons for explaining the principles of good writing that each can teach composition students. Moreover, this paper highlights reasons for including in a composition curriculum discussions of conflicting concepts, as each can help the student improve their writing and conception of writing in different ways. That is, this paper highlights that only using one or the other may lead to a constricted curriculum and an incomplete discussion of composition principles; by discussing both, teachers can highlight important themes that cross both terms, and teachers will also be able to capitalize on the aspects of composition that each explains better than the other.
This research paper explores social media discourses that demonstrate argumentation theories. Namely, this research centers on analyzing D&D arguments and discourse, as a way of theorizing the unique case of explicit narrative argument. By applying Toulmin’s model to discussions appearing in a D&D Facebook group, this research shows that D&D—due to being collaborative storytelling—naturally leads to narrative that has explicit warrants (supplied by metanarrative discussion, when Facebook users argue over what makes certain fantasy tropes more valid and realistic than others) for its claims. Moreover, this research references argumentation theory on the definition of “field” and “discourse communities”; it also shows how the fantasy genre can act as counterfactual, in that realistic world building relies on recreating trends from the real world (e.g., having language barriers, or different conflicting cultures).
This research paper analyses the trends across papers from within the journal Analyse du Discours. This paper shows how journals function to create genre constraints, such as accepting and containing similar methods and discourse. It also explores what different approaches appeared when explicit journal themes differed, year to year.
This reflective piece discusses the intercomplexities of language theory, both in terms of specific language theories and in terms of theories currently involving social media.
This presentation discusses the theory of “topographical deixis” (TD), which are classes of language such as demonstrative pronouns that indicate proximity and direction up or down a sloped plain. More particularly, this theory identifies classes fitting this description within Sino-Tibetan languages. This applied theory demonstrates that languages develop depending on geographical context, such that many classes with TD use the same or similar morphemes for uphill and up-river or downhill and down-river demonstratives (following the trend of Himalayan geography).
This presentation discusses theory behind the difference between localization and globalization in the context of religion. More specifically, it investigates the Tibetan diaspora as a means of demonstrating the segregation of religious sects as forming from a kind of localization; this is achieved by investigating the religious history behind Tibetan Buddhism’s specific practices, then investigating the factors behind the diaspora that have led to Tibetan Buddhism coming to the US and that have led to a unique US audience for Tibetan Buddhist texts.
This group presentation discusses principles of editing that especially matter in international or global correspondence and writing. This research compares successful international correspondence to editing work where colleagues come from different cultural backgrounds that must each be considered, with the base theory coming from research on global communication trends such as World System Theory. This research could be methodologically applied to improve correspondence between individuals within global companies coming from different parts of the world or to improve news writing that describes news situations taking place in a different culture and nation than the writer’s home one.
This comparative review compares the goals, approaches, and findings of the top 10 sources related to “influential blogging.” Most prominently, this research identifies key discourse goals, topics, and findings that are interconnected within the social computing discourse. It could be used to help edit and improve/confirm social computing research. In particular, this paper identifies key terms in the social computing discourse, such as parameters (both novel and old), parameter weights, trends in experimental design, and the active versus influential comparison.
This research uses social computing data collection and methods to analyze the degree of interconnection between followers of the official Northeastern University Instagram account, with the goal being to discover unique individuals Northeastern could adjust marketing for and to discover important connections existing between Northeastern’s followers and student population. Analysis of a network graph representing these connections identifies key network characteristics, such as the connections to hierarchies, corporate profiles, and specific student class years. This research could be applied to help Northeastern with marketing content by finding influential corporate partners to publish with and by finding influential student groups.
This research summarizes common approaches within feminist and rhetorical theorist Elizabeth Britt. By comparing two of her studies, this research identifies a common element in legal rhetoric theory: namely, how legal rhetoric theory often functions on identifying unique human perspectives that consistently occur in or influence court decisions. Additionally, such research shows how legal rhetoric not only concerns human conflict in terms of something to be decided on (i.e., the conflict within situations examined at court) but also in terms that the law itself decides by human conflict (i.e., the conflict that occurs within the legal processes itself). This research could be used as part of a legal rhetoric theory curriculum, and it could also be used to help draft legal rhetoric that takes into account this theory.
This research applies stasis theory to the Supreme Court decision Ellerth v. Burlington to discover edge cases where the sexual harassment Faragher-Ellerth defense introduces ambiguity. This research shows how slight differences in the definitions used and accepted by different courts can lead to larger differences in policy later down the line. This research could be used as part of a legal rhetoric theory curriculum, and it could also be used to help draft legal rhetoric that takes into account this theory.
