ENG 215 Research Journal Review
Due February 25 (draft due Feb. 18)
Assignment: You will examine the full series of a respected print journal in your disciplinary field and write a 2-3 page critical/historical review of the journal based on your close observations (format information will be provided on a separate handout).
As undergraduate students, it is likely that much of the reading you are currently doing in your chosen academic fields comes from textbooks. Textbooks are typically written for entry-level education and represent what professionals feel are appropriate approaches to acquiring the basic principles and practices that you will need for future study and application towards your own eventual chosen professions. While textbooks may not represent the kinds of reading and writing that professionals actually do, they are ultimately influenced by professional values and academic research and publishing. This next assignment provides you an opportunity to examine a prominent journal series in your academic field to study and analyze the kinds of reading and writing that professionals actually do (besides writing textbooks). Further, this next assignment will provide an introduction to the three-part academic writing research project that you will be involved in for the bulk of the semester.
Use the following steps to help you get started in the process:
First, determine what is considered an important print journal in your field. You can use the online library resources to browse the periodical collections, but you will also need to go to the library and browse the stacks to familiarize yourself with the various holdings. Identify what appear to be important journals for your field and make a list.
Next, meet with a professor or senior graduate student in your field to determine which print journals on your list are considered prominent (i.e. which ones do professionals read and subscribe to, and consider important to their careers in terms of publishing their research).
Choose a journal series to review. The series should have been established for at least 10 years and be available in print form (yes, there are electronic journals, but for this assignment, manual browsing will be necessary).
Browse through at least 10 issues of the journal over the full run of its series from the first issue to the present. Take note of the various features of the physical publication itself, as well as the content of the articles. Examine publishing and submission information and guidelines, the contents (articles, book reviews, proceedings, etc.), the scope of the journal (range of topics, special issues, audience, etc.), the history (changes in: publication criteria, mission statements, editorial policies, research emphasis, etc.).
Finally, write a review and analysis of the journal providing an historical overview of the series and how it represents what is considered to be important academic reading and writing in the field. Make to sure to include specific references and examples from the various journal issues you examined to support and illustrate your findings.