Content:
A multi-genre research project is designed as an alternative to the traditional research paper. This type of project utilizes genres, pieces of writing, to convey information. Instead of presenting information in standard paragraph form, the author chooses voices, characters involved in the chosen topic, and creates pieces of writing appropriate for each voice. These voices represent professionals, family members, individuals, and others who may be involved in the particular topic being researched. By creating characters as vehicles for the material, the author is also able to generate for his audience a sense of human involvement. The audience is not only learning about the topic, but they are also learning about how that topic affects people.

For a thorough project, six genres and three voices are needed to address fully the research question. For this particular project, a power point presentation, poem, and webliography were all required genres. The other three genres were of our own choosing. The three voices were all chosen by the author, based on what was found to be appropriate for their topic.

In addition to the genres, each project required a table of contents, preface, about the author, acknowledgments, and references. The most important part of each project is the unifying theme. This is not necessarily a separate section, though it can be represented in an introduction. It is what ties all the genres together. A standard research paper has a thesis. Each subtopic relates back to this thesis, providing a sense of unity to the paper. An MRP must also have sense of cohesion. Whatever the unifier, it serves the purpose of allowing the reader to draw meaning from the project and understand the relationship of the genres and voices.

Process:
After choosing a topic for my project, the first thing that I had to do was decide on my genres and voices. Since I only had three genres to choose myself, I tried to select pieces that would allow me to convey as much information as possible, while also allowing my voices to be expressed in a natural manner. My voices were selected on the basis of involvement. I wanted people who were the most involved with children with Autism, so I selected a mother, an SLP, and a peer of the child. I wanted genres that would be well suited for the voices. For example, I expressed the voice of the mother through a newsletter and journal entry. These are two very different pieces intended for very different audiences. A journal entry is for self reflection. It is very personal. A newsletter is very public. It is designed to create a sense of community for other parents who have Autistic children. It is educational and informative.

When actually writing the genres, I tried to stay honest to the purpose of the genre, while still communicating the information I needed the audience to know. This was not easy. The type of genre chosen really came into play here. Again, I really tried to pick genres that would allow the information to be appropriate. For example, I chose a newsletter for parents of Autistic children because I felt that would a piece of writing in which you would be able to find information on new types of therapy or research. It is a casual and informative piece.

One of the points I was trying to address in my project is the benefits, long and short term, of types of therapies. I ran into some problems because I discovered that few therapy methods had long term research to back up their claims. Because of the lack of research, I was nervous about the results and tried only to use the information in a general sense. I also tried to be sure to note the styles needed additional research. I also did not want to present therapy results strictly from the point of view of a clinician or researcher. I tried to include parent reports, alluding to progress that their child has made, so that more than one voice could be used.

The hardest part has certainly been tying the project together. I tried to use the relationships of the characters to create connections between the genres, natural links that would allow the reader to transition easily from one piece of writing to the next. My voices are all connected by the fictional Autistic child, Andy. We hear from his mother, his SLP, and his friend. In my project, I tried to make Andy a fourth, unheard, voice, that is mirrored in the other three voices. I tried to make Andy real enough that the readers would understand the feelings and concerns of my three personas.

Premise
This has been a difficult project to complete. The concept of the project, though well explained, was hard for me to grasp until I really started to write the genres and express the voices. I think that the method of conveying the information was what confused me. With research papers, you just present the information. It is very strait forward. With this project, you have to really think about how you are going to create a natural vehicle for the information. I feel that I implied some of information and lead the reader to conclusions instead of stating them outright. This is very different from a research paper, in which you state you conclusions over and over again. I feel that I have given the reader more benefit of the doubt than I usually do. Any reader can pick up a research paper, read the first and last paragraphs, and discern the author’s point. This project does more than make a point, it expresses emotions, depicts voices, and describes relationships.

I feel like I have learned alot from this project because I really had to look at the information from more than one point of view. Normally, I would approach my topic from the view of an SLP, or future SLP. For this project, I tried to view the topic also as a parent and a friend. This helped me create a microcosm for my child, Andy. When I become an SLP, I will function in the capacity of a therapist, which is a role I take classes to prepare for. However, in the microcosm of the real world, clients have parents who want to talk to you and friends who need help understanding their peers. I think this project exposed me to what it really means to be a therapist in the real world. The real world contains more than just my point of view, more than just my voice. A successful clinician should be especially sensitive to the needs of her client and her client's family.

I chose this topic because I want to help myself, parents, teachers, children, whoever, understand how we can help these special children. It would be naive to believe that these people would help in the same way that a Speech Therapist would help a child. These people, the client's support system, are a valuable resource. For a client with Autism, you would need the parent or teacher to let you know how they are communicating outside of the therapy sessions. You would need them to tell you if the child was having any problems that would affect their behavior or language. Clients and disorders do not exist in a vacuum. I think this is an awareness that I have developed this summer. To fully understand your client and their disorder, you must also understand their support system, like family and friends. I really think that this project has helped me understand the role that family can play in treating a client.

View my References

Table of Contents