Sadie Collett

RC-2001, section 190

Dr. Walzer
31 January 2021

Project 1 Worksheet
Infographic: https://create.piktochart.com/output/57547844-psychology-discourse-analysis

Part 1: Discourse Community Analysis

1. What kinds of “artifacts” or textual products that are produced in your discipline (and
think about which one you might want to analyze for Project 1)?
Some textual products produced in Psychology include literature reviews,
recommendations, lab reports, research papers, theory papers, case-studies, and
meta-analysis.
2. How is knowledge constructed in that discourse community?
In Psychology, there are many resources for constructing knowledge. Therapists,
psychiatrists, researchers, social workers, organization members, policy-makers, teachers,
and students all contribute to the discourse community. Each one of these sources
experience this discipline in different ways-- a psychiatrist and a teacher do two very
different jobs, but both experience and work with Psychology.
3. How might established members of your academic discourse community act as
gatekeepers and determine the modes of discourse that emerge in your discipline?
In an academic discourse community, the themes that emerge in your discourse are
generally determined by your instructors. Established members of the discourse
community can gatekeep the discourse in the discipline by filtering what information is
released and/or explored more deeply.
4. What kinds of citation practices are utilized? Why?
The citation practices used in Psychology are APA (American Psychological Association),
APA Thesis style, and APA Journal style. The APA is used in education, Psychology, and
science. Thesis style is best used for research design and results, and journal style is best for
research papers.
5. How is metadiscourse useful in your field?
Metadiscourse is essentially “discourse about discourse.” In Psychology, metadiscourse can
be used to analyze multiple independent studies that all examined the same psychological
instances.
6. How does it help you evaluate sources?
7. What does it mean for genre and methodology?
8. How does corporate metadiscourse enable leaders to shape ethos?
9. What is the relationship between intentionality and function of the form? How much are
they shaping and being shaped by the discourse?
 10. Use passages from Hyland and Swales to support your thinking.

Part 2: Overall points to address in the Project

1. What kind of words/terms/language patterns, genres, and mediums are unique to your
field? Use specific examples/quotes from your artifact. Has this shared language changed
over time (think the last 10-20 years)? For example, in communications and journalism,
the discourse community has changed radically with the advent of social media with new
language being introduced all the time. Additionally, the medium has shifted radically
from print to digital forms, which has introduced all sorts of new words and language.
Some important terms present in Psychology include Diagnosis, Evaluation, Critique, DSM
(short for Diagnostic Statistical Manual, which was published by the APA to classify mental
disorders), Empirical Evidence (which is obtained from observation, research, and
experimentation), Abstract (which is used in APA formatting to summarize the paper
before the introduction), and SSCI (short for Social Sciences Citation Index). Some of the
most prevalent genres and mediums present in Psychology include literature reviews (used
to organize the themes in preexisting studies), research papers (used to put an amount of
researched information into one clear place), theory papers (used to deeply interpret and
reevaluate the origins of an area of research), case studies (used to evaluate an individual
study or phenomenon), and empirical reports (used to describe the theory, methodology,
and results of an original study). This shared discourse in Psychology has changed over
time due to the expanding internet. While a lot of the information and terminology has
remained the same, researchers have a lot more access to information than they ever have
before. Some research has made a shift to being virtual, making it more accessible. There is
also an excess of resources and information online, which gives you more options when
researching, and may also expose you to information that you couldn’t have found in
person or in your own community.
2. What does your field value in terms of methodology, activities, etc? Has this changed
over time? For example, in journalism the methodology shifted because media
organizations had to turn out their news so much more quickly. Similarly, the
methodologies of research and access to information in other fields influenced by
technological advances have changed significantly over the past few years. Demonstrate
with specific examples from your artifact.
Psychology as a discourse community has made the switch to being more technological and
virtual, especially since the start of the pandemic, but the basic methodology of Psychology
has not changed that greatly. Psychology has always kept its main focus on mental health
and wellbeing, and there has been an increase in mental healthcare in recent years,
especially since the pandemic started. If anything, with Psychology and mental healthcare
being moved online, it becomes more accessible to others and provides you with different
resources you may not have previously had access to.
 3. What kinds of assumptions does your field make? This includes knowledge base, ethical
stance etc. How does this show up in your artifact? For example, the assumed knowledge
base in science changes all the time with new discoveries and better science (think: what
we now know about the transmission of Covid, or the severity of climate change).
Additionally, in media, some would argue that what is valued now is less deep
investigative journalism, and more entertainment-style journalism (what will sell vs. what
is important for the public to know). Remember to demonstrate with evidence.
My field makes the assumption that you have a strong foundation of knowledge involving
mental processing and are familiar with previous studies and research. This assumption is
present in my artifact, since it is filled with references to older studies and includes a lot of
advanced terminology. It is also assumed in Psychology that you are familiar with and
skilled at working with other people, along with remaining level-headed and being able to
actually provide help to others. Another assumption is similar to science in that the
assumed knowledge base is constantly changing and improving with time.
4. What kinds of citation styles does your discipline use? What does this citation style
privilege in terms of order and why (e.g., the order of MLA is Author, Title, publication
etc with the date at the end. This is largely because in the humanities the author’s name is
more important than how new the knowledge is. Conversely, in the sciences the more
recent it is, the better, which is why the date is often used in the in text citations).
The main citation style used in Psychology is APA, which stands for American
Psychological Association. Within this format, there are two styles: APA Thesis and APA
Journal. Thesis is mainly used for research design and results, and Journal is mainly used
for research papers. APA is used primarily for citation in the social sciences, and lists the
author and year of publication first. It is done in this order because being in the sciences,
relevance is important when using sources.

Part 3: Finding and Interviewing your Expert

1. define “expert” in relation to discourse community - who might an expert be in this case
in your discipline?
An “expert” in the Psychology field would be someone who is educated in, certified in, or
has a degree in Psychology. Experts I could reach out to include professors, advisors,
psychologists in the local area, and graduate students.
2. What kinds of questions might you want to ask your “expert” if you are making a visual
text to teach someone about the discipline? In other words, what kinds of questions might
help you determine the discourse conventions of your discipline? Keep in mind you’re
asking about the how not the what.
I will ask my expert questions about how to be successful in a career in Psychology. I will
also ask how they’ve seen the community change firsthand in the past few years, especially
since Covid began.
 3. Develop a set of questions (2-3) that will be useful to ask your experts. Don’t forget that
these questions should be about how the field communicates (e.g: “how important is
written communication in your job?” Vs “do you like your job?”)
What skills are necessary to have a successful career in Psychology? How has the
Psychology community changed in the past few years, especially since the start of the
pandemic? What do you wish someone had told you when you first started pursuing a
career in Psychology?
4. Make a list of the experts you will reach out to.
I don’t have a lot of connections in the Psychology community here yet, due to the
pandemic and the fact that I have not taken any major PSY classes yet. I’ll reach out to Dr.
Mary Ballard, a Psych professor at App State, over Email.

Part 4: Rhetorical Analysis of your Artifact

Gilson, Stephen; DePoy, Elizabeth. "Child Mental Health: A Discourse Community." The Palgrave
Handbook of Child Mental Health, London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015. Pages 117-135.

1. Author/s: How many authors are there and what do you know about them? How do you
know it? Is there a note? If so, where is this note? How does/do the author/authors
establish authority or hierarchy?
There are 2 authors for this artifact, Stephen Gilson and Elizabeth DePoy. There are no
notes within this handbook that include information about them. They established
hierarchy through the order of listing the two names-- Gilson came first, rather than it
being alphabetical.
2. Purpose/Aim: Does the text seek to inform, instruct, analyze, persuade, argue, or
evaluate? How do you know?
This text mainly focuses on informing, instructing, and evaluating. It discusses the meaning
of a discourse community, then delves into analysis of the children’s mental health
community and how it is analyzed in context.
3. Audience: Does the text write to members of the discourse community or to outsiders or
to both? Is the text primarily targeted to equals, experts, or beginners? In short, who is the
audience and how do you know? How much is the audience expected to know already?
What kinds of information is assumed?
I was struggling trying to find resources that discussed psychology as a discourse
community, and this was one of the only reliable and applicable sources I could find. I can
tell this text is fairly advanced, so I would predict that this was primarily written to expert
members of the discourse community. The audience is expected to know some advanced
terminology and already be familiar with a couple outside sources.
4. Rhetorical Situation and Context: Where is this text situated/published? Are there ads
surrounding the text or anything else? What can you tell about the venue as a whole? See
above—what information is assumed?
This text is published in a written collection of topics. There are no ads in the handbook.
5. Sources: Does the site use other sources? If so, how many and of what kind? Are they
peer-reviewed sources or not? How can you tell? How does the author treat the sources?
Respectfully or critically or both? How are the sources cited?
This text has a lot of other sources. There’s nearly 3 pages of them, and many are manuals
and scholarly articles published by universities. I can’t tell for certain that these sources
are peer-reviewed, but I don’t think that many of them are. The authors treat the sources
respectfully, since the information is used for the topics being presented in this text. These
sources are all cited in APA format.
6. Content Level: How specific or broad or difficult is the content, the ideas and information
in the text?
I would say the content in this text is fairly specific and difficult. There are a lot of
advanced terms throughout this text, and the information it provides is very technical. This
text was definitely written for advanced members of the discourse community who have a
better understanding of the content and context.
7. Format: What is the structure or layout of the text? Is there an abstract? Are there key
terms? Are there sections or is it one long text? Columns? Endnotes or footnotes?
This text is a literature review within a collection of essays. There is an abstract, with key
terms included at the end of it. This text has multiple sections, with an introduction and
multiple subtopics. There are no columns or footnotes.
8. Language: How would you characterize the tone of the text? The writing style? Is the
passive voice or active voice dominant? Is the first person or third person dominant? Are
the sentences long or short? Is there use of figurative language such as metaphors and
similes? Offer a sample sentence or two as evidence for analysis.
9. Visuals: Are there any visuals, such as charts, graphs, or pictures? What kinds of appeals
does the site use primarily (ethos, pathos, or logos)?
This artifact has many visual elements, including a couple tables, a photo of a brain scan,
and a graph. This artifact primarily appeals to logos, since the text is filled with research
and information, and provides evidence from other studies.

Peer Reviews
From Justis
Hello Sadie. When looking at your infographic, my initial thoughts are that I am drawn into the visual
appeals present. Specifically, I like the figures of humans communicating, as your topic is about
Psychology and how psychologists communicate. I also appreciate the visual appeal of the brain as it
allows the audience to connect to the topic on a deeper level. I am also drawn to the appeal of the
background as it gives the infographic texture. Overall, good use of colors and visual appeal to catch the
eyes of the audience or potential audience. Each section is clearly labeled so the audience can make out
the structure of your infographic. I like where you have the “abstract”, “introduction”, and “citations”
clearly labeled with an example, as well as a quick, short summary of the purpose they hold so readers
can better understand. It would also be beneficial to include more important sections and a quick
summary of their purpose in this area of the infographic. What more do readers need to know?
An idea of something you could add is elaborating on the “valuable resources” section. As I and other
audience members who don’t know anything about your topic, it might be helpful to provide a short
elaboration on the purpose of the “Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM)” and the “Social Sciences
Citation Index (SSIC)”. In other words, what are the purposes of these to Psychology and people within
the field? What does it do for them? What’s the takeaway from these valuable sources? Also, at the end of
the infographic before the citations, you need a “takeaway” section. What are the main/ important things
the audience should take with them as they finish reading your infographic appeal? How is this topic and
the information at hand of value? What does psychology serve? How can the audience relate to this topic
and the things they learned? At the end of your project, I feel you should state the “Project 1” and the
class name and section alongside your name. I look forward to reading your expert review once you get it
(: Good work.

From May:
You and I are in the same discipline discourse community. So when I first clicked on your
infographic, I can tell that you are definitely more talented and artistic than I am. The visuals in your
infographic are quite smooth and beautiful. And they fit the overall scientific, professional, and clinical
vibe of the psychology field. The poster-like style leads readers naturally to continue reading. The
wholesomeness of your visuals illustrates consistency. When we stop considering the psychic and magical
manipulative stuff that the general public believe to exist in psychology and examine psychology as a true
science, it unfortunately bears the same fate as many other sciences of being difficult and boring. Yet you
manage to transcribe all the difficult information into its most basic forms. I really admire your organized
way of presenting this information. The key terms you list out are definitely some of the most
fundamental and central concepts to the field. And the way you highlight those main points helps
outsiders to pick up which ones are the ones that need the most attention. I believe that most readers will
memorize a lot of information about psychology after they look through your infographic.
I think you are doing a fantastic job about all the parts you made. Yet you still need a recap
section since it is required. I think that is a part of grading rubric and losing points for this will be an
unfair treatment for the great work you've done. Also for the citation style, I think the requirement says
that we need to explain why we use this methodology. You can find more information in the Project 1
Worksheet since she specifically writes out examples of how we can do it. I like your artifact, it is quite
representative of the field. But I think research papers usually have more sections than abstract, intro, and
citations. You could list some other sections or all of them out, then elaborate on sections that you think
are the most significant to this discourse community. I suggest just attaching a small piece of visuals from
artifacts to each section, or only attach visuals to sections that you elaborate on. Because these artifacts
definitely are not pretty enough to take up too much space of your overall visuals.
You mention that DSM and SSCI are valuable resources to our field. I think you could include a
small section explaining why and how SSCI and DSM are valuable to our field.
I'm looking forward to your expert section!

Reflection and Self-Assessment

Reflection:
When we first started this project, I really had no knowledge about discourse
communities, including the one I am planning on entering. I had never even really heard the
word “discourse” discussed before. Researching Psychology as a discourse community actually
helped to broaden my knowledge about what my future career may entail. I learned which forms
of discourse are most commonly used in my discipline, along with which genres are mainly used
and where information is commonly sourced from. This was also the first time engaging with
APA format, which is what is most commonly used in Psychology. It was interesting to learn the
difference between formats, and to see it in action when I broke down my written discourse
artifact. Researching this project also put me in an interesting perspective, since I was trying to
learn the information that I would be teaching to others through my infographic. Knowing how
difficult some of this information can be, this gave me perspective for how to make my project as
clear and comprehensible as possible.
I usually have my own ways of going about composing a project, but since we did the
Project 1 worksheet first, I was kind of forced to try a different way of drafting. Because we
filled out the questions on the worksheet, it was almost like having the scaffolding of my project
already completed-- I just needed to put all of that information together and give it visual appeal.
It was nice to follow along with the worksheet as I constructed and edited my infographic, since I
usually do my research as I simultaneously design my projects. After seeing how helpful it was
to have the worksheet as a guideline, I might try to always do separate brainstorming before
starting on an actual project.
The peer reviews were also very helpful in producing this project. I had already read
through the requirements for this project, but in reviewing other peoples’ work, I became more
familiar with the requirements and became aware of aspects I was missing. It was also helpful to
receive constructive feedback from my peers, since they gave me a fresh perspective and helped
me pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of my first draft.

Self-assessment:

Category and Goals Student Student Comments

Points

Visual Rhetoric/Genre: 5/5 My main focus while making this project was
● Demonstrates visual appeal, and I am very confident in what I
strategic use of produced. The infographic flows as you read it,
rhetorical appeals and has a solid balance of visual appeal and
including ethos, logos, textual information.
pathos (where/if
relevant)
● Clearly organized to
move the reader
through the content
visually
● Relies on visual
representation rather
than text only
● Graphics that enhance
the content
Content: 4/5
● Does the infographic
demonstrate depth and
knowledge of the
field’s discourse
community?
● Are all of the required
aspects effectively
presented (title,
description of
discourse community
interviews, artifact
analysis etc)?
● Can an outside reader
walk away with more
knowledge of the
discourse community?
Credibility/Ethos 5/5
● Provides relevant and
credible information
● sources are cited
appropriately and
demonstrates
engagement with
kinds of sources
● Demonstrates effort in
the production value
Labor/Process: 5/5
Engaged in the drafting, peer
review, and reflection process
in good faith and in a timely
manner
TOTAL: 19/20
I feel there are likely some areas in this
infographic where I could’ve gone more
in-depth, but other than that, I think my project
effectively demonstrates thorough knowledge.
All required aspects of this project are present;
including a title and subtitle, a description of the
discourse community, information on genres and
research methods, an artifact analysis, and an
expert interview. A reader can definitely walk
away from reading this infographic with more
knowledge than they started out with.
My main source, my artifact, is broken down
effectively in its own section in the infographic.
Information from one of my other sources, the
Writing in Psychology website, is used
throughout the infographic. All of my sources
are cited at the end in MLA format.
Despite joining this class late in the semester and
having to catch up on the work I missed, I
completed all drafting and peer reviews by their
respected deadlines, and produced thorough and
thought-out work for everything I did. I also
took advantage of the suggestions from my peer
reviews and used that to improve my
infographic.

Professor Comments:
Dear Sadie,
Really great work here- especially because you had to catch up on this assignment and the work!
Overall, well done. Could you have done some additional polishing to the layout and design?
Sure, but given the time constraints I thought this was very effective. Good work!
Best,
Dr. Walzer