Multigenre Research Portfolio Prospectus



In this prospectus, you will commit to a topic for your portfolio project. The decisions you make will create a plan for your work. You may modify these early decisions slightly in the future, but the topic selected now will provide your focus for the multigenre project work.

Please include the following headings in your typed/word-processed (double-spaced) prospectus. I envision a paragraph or two of thoughtful speculation/explanation for each section.

A. Topic: What is your topic? Be as focused as you think you can be at this stage. What do you know about it now—what knowledge, experience, or background do you already have? Also, what questions do you want to answer about your subject?

B. Reasons: Why are you interested in pursuing this particular topic? What draws you to this choice? What is significant and compelling about the life/event you select?

C. Sources: What sources might you consult? What information might you seek/expect to find in such sources? Do you anticipate any specific challenges finding certain types of sources and, if so, how do you plan to overcome them?

D. Voices: What voices might you employ? These may be various voices of your own or voices of various characters/people/players in the life/event you select.

E. Genre-voice combinations: What genre-voice combinations seem possible at this point? Perhaps you see a journalistic obituary, or a poem from a spouse’s point of view, or a narrative from the subject as a child, or a dialogue between the subject and his/her best friend.

F. Goals: What are your research and writing goals for this project?

 Remember that these decisions are preliminary and modifications will undoubtedly present themselves as the work gets underway and as your understanding of the multigenre concept grows. Please feel free to ask me when questions arise.
 
 

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Special thanks to Dr. Jackie Swensson for sharing her multigenre research assignment models.