IMMJ 5011 Critical Analysis &Reflection Guidance for Term 3 Project Forms and Final 5k word Dissertation

The written component of your third theory module (IMMJ 5011Critical Analysis and Reflection) is the dissertation: an in-depth critical review of your final project. You will also need to hand in a project form with all theory sections complete. If you have not changed topic from Term 2, then your Theory Sections including Research Questions, Abstract and Proposal will simply need an update. However If you have changed topic and focus from Term 2, you will also need to completely rewrite your project form (Both theory and Practical sections).

The dissertation is a development of the research proposal from the previous assignment (as submitted in April for IMMJ 4013) in light of your experience doing the final project.

The dissertation will be 5,000 words in length and presented as a properly sourced and referenced academic paper when you are discussing the background information. Without proper references for the research context, you will not do well. Please consult the guides on referencing I provided in the materials from the research lecture.

There is no template/form to follow for this paper so you construct your own document, but it has to be submitted in PDF format.

The due date is Friday 19 August, 12 midnight Beijing time. It must be emailed to me before that deadline as a PDF document only.

Please note: that date is fixed, immovable and non-negotiable. This means you must plan to give yourself time to write this up during the final edit month.

Your final paper will discuss:

• the concepts, context, issues and research that inform your final project
• your evaluation of those elements as you conducted your final project
• what your project taught you about the state of multimedia journalism

It is not an entirely new piece of work. In the first part it is a development of the research proposal for the topic that becomes your final project. That means you can take the research proposal from the relevant IMJ4013 assignment and revise and improve that in light of my feedback, with proper referencing as before. That section might make up 1/3 of the final paper. But do not just cut and past the old research proposal — it must be revised to reflect earlier comments and additional research.

After that, we are looking for a critical self-analysis of how your project unfolded.

• In light of your experience doing the final project, what turned out to be the central themes?
• What decisions (and why) did you have to make about the project’s narrative as you proceeded?
• What worked and what failed?
• What did you learn about multimedia storytelling from the bits that worked and the bits that failed?
• What conclusions would you draw about your topic — and multimedia storytelling generally — given the way things worked out?

These questions are guides to the analysis and reflection we are expecting. It’s all about putting your experience doing the final project into context.

Want more guidance between now and August?

If you have any questions, you can email me to arrange a Skype tutorial on your project and the written assessment, and we will sort out a mutually convenient time. It is up to YOU to request assistance.

The last date for consultation with me will be Friday 12 August — but, please, don’t leave it until the last day to seek advice!

David Campbell — david(at)david-campbell.org

Project Forms