Erin Hill, Cecily Greene, Janae Thompson, Aileen Wood

ENGL297

Research Proposal for Ethnographic Report

Introduction

Our teams ethnographic research project will involve interviewing Professor Erica
Glasper, an assistant professor here at the University of Maryland who is the head of the
Behavioral Neuroendocrinology lab on campus. From our research, we hope to learn
more about Professor Glaspers research involving structural plasticity in adults and the
aging, and to discover the role professional writing plays in the career of a researcher of
behavioral sciences.

Research Questions

The aim of our research is to observe the process of any writing that is necessary for
research psychologist to analyze, discuss, and publish their findings. Our research
questions to obtain this understanding are as follows:

1. What are the genres of writing that are involved in every step of the research
process?
2. How much written material do you consume in the research process?
3. What is the process in writing a research report?
4. What are your target audiences and how do you adjust your writing based on
audience?
5. How much of your workload is writing?
6. What skills do you utilize most daily?
7. How have journal article formats and styles changed over the course of your
career?
8. What level of formality do you maintain in your writing?
9. What aspects of and approaches to rhetoric do you utilize most?

These questions are extremely important in establishing an encapsulating

comprehension of the approaches, processes, and formats of a professional researcher.
There may be many different strategies with which a researcher publishes their work, as
well as mediatory pieces of writing and artifacts that streamline the writing process. By
asking about genres and approaches, we can better illustrate how written work impacts
many steps of the scientific process in the social sciences. This understanding will help
us to better apply our knowledge of formal research in the future.

Research Subject
Our research subject, Dr. GA, is a principal investigator (PI). PI's are researchers whose
responsibility is to make sure their project is a success by delegating tasks and
communicating to their research staff, planning the work of the project, and managing
financial resources. The PI has the main responsibility of managing projects and
ensuring the technical success of the scientific project they are working on. For the PIs
to maintain their studies, they are granted financial awards from their institution and
from outside organizations like the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National
Institute of Health (NIH). To compete for these financial grants, PIs must write grants
and scientific proposals describing the nature of their research. If they are granted the
award, PIs will conduct their research, send progress reports to their sponsors, and have
their research published in peered reviewed scientific journals.

PIs are found working at pharmaceutical companies, NIH, and educational institutions.
Our research subject works here at the University of Maryland's Psychology department.
Where Dr. GA serves as an assistant professor in the Neuroscience and Cognitive science
graduate program. She focuses on structural plasticity in adults brains by investigating
interactions of rewarding experience like mating and parenting.

Given our research questions, most the PIs duties are managing the research lab, the
writing portion is small but is the most important part of maintaining the lab. Writing a
strong grant and scientific proposal for funds is what keeps the lab in operation.
Without funds, the lab cannot operate and the PI cannot complete her investigation.
Therefore, no science is published. It is important to publish scientific findings because
it assists fellow PIs with their research and vice versa.
Data Collection

The primary data will be collected by interviewing and speaking with Professor Glasper.
The information she shares will come from what she is willing to share. If what she
shares does not answer the specific research questions we have prepared, we will go
forth and ask them. Hopefully we will also be able to read some of her pieces to get a feel
for how she writes. Additionally, we will observe the space/office that she operates in
and take valuable field notes. We will treat the data that we collect as very sensitive and
private if Professor GA wishes for us to do so. Ultimately, we will be compiling the
information that is shared with us into an ethnographic report.

Data Analysis

Once we have collected the data from our interview with Professor Glasper, we will then
meet as a group to discuss the information that we have gathered, and to analyze her
different peer reviewed articles that she may present to us. Because we want to know
what the process of professional writing is like for a research psychologist to publish
their studies, looking at the Professor GAs previous writings in addition to analyzing the
notes we will collect from the interview will allow us to form the most complete idea of
how the professional writing process works for a researcher. We will also closely read
her writings to obtain a full understanding of her style and approach to rhetoric.

Schedule of Work

We are currently in contact with Professor GA to organize a time to meet for interviews
and observation. We hope to have this step completed by late March.

DEADLINE
TASK ROLE* STATUS

Feb 20 1st Draft-Team Charter Janae Complete

@1:59pm

Feb 20 @ 1st Draft-Team Schedule Aileen Complete

2pm

Feb 24 @ Final-Letter of Inquiry Erin Complete

2pm

Feb 26 Revise Charter Everyone Complete

Feb 27 @ Final-Team Charter Cecily Complete

2pm

Feb 26 Revise Schedule Everyone Complete

Feb 27 @ Final-Team Schedule Janae Complete

2pm

March 5 Complete 1st Draft of Proposal Everyone Complete

March 6 @ Turn in 1st Draft- Ethnographic Aileen Complete

2pm Research Proposal
March 10 - 12 Revise Proposal Everyone Complete

March 13 @ Turn in Final-Proposal for Ethnographic Erin Complete

2pm Research Report

March 17 - Complete 1st draft of Report Everyone Complete

April 15

April 17 @ Turn in 1st Draft- Ethnographic Report Cecily Complete

2pm

April 20 - 25 Revise Report Everyone Complete

April 26 @ Turn in Final- Ethnographic Report Everyone Complete

2pm

*the Role column indicates the person who will oversee the assignment and make sure
it is complete, but every group member should participate in every assignment.

*subject to change based on availability