Technical and Professional Writing Commons^™

Undergraduate Research Journals And Career Readiness, Alexandra Hoen

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This research aims to identify the effects that an undergraduate research journal, specifically the James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ), has on its past and present student editors’ career readiness. I began by exploring the existing literature surrounding undergraduate research, undergraduate research journals, and other studies done to measure the effects that these undergraduate research journals have on students at various institutions. Then, I conducted a survey on current and past members of the JMURJ editorial board, using a specific set of questions to determine if an undergraduate research journal such as the one at James Madison University …

Write Place At The Write Time: A Study Of How Writing Contexts Affect Rates Of Productivity And Perceptions Of Success In Creative Writing, Sydnie R. Long

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This research explores the writing contexts of a few creative writers in an effort to learn more about the habits and conditions with which creative writers prefer to work. My goal is to observe how different contexts affect the success or productivity a writer experiences. I will build my project off the central question, is there a correlation between writing contexts and success in writing? From there, I will divide the project into three subsections guided by four subquestions aiming to explore where and how writers write, and gain an insight to their views on what success and productivity mean …

Cross-Cultural Solutions Volunteer Handbook, Alexa Senio

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Alexa worked with Cross-Cultural Solutions to design and create a handbook that could prepare volunteers for their experience abroad. By using her personal experience abroad at El Pueblito, an orphanage in Cartago, Costa Rica, Alexa was able to compile resources and information that would be useful for a first-time volunteer to make the most out of their experience and to make sure they are prepared for working with the children. The final product is an interactive PDF handbook and an accompanying classroom activity bank on Pinterest that can be accessed digitally by CCS volunteers worldwide.

A Proposal For A Writing Center At Lafayette High School, Katherine Leigh Utne

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

While employed at the University Writing Center at James Madison University, I noticed how helpful it was for the students, tutors and faculty. Curious about the benefits of a writing center at the high school level, I began researching high school writing centers, and following my adviser’s suggestion, I created the initial draft of a proposal for a writing center at Lafayette High School in Williamsburg, Virginia.

After interviews with faculty at Lafayette and a personal conversation with the principal, I revised my proposal, adapting it to Lafayette’s needs. The following proposal identifies the need for and the benefits of …