Keelan Vargas 1133

[keelanvargas1133]

Digital Portfolio Link!

https://keelanvargasdp.tumblr.com/

Thanks for such a fun quarter! 

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Comp In New Genre Draft

Project Overview

Modern technology allows for worldwide connection and discussion about any and all things within contemporary society. Further, the significant presence of social media in our daily lives provides an accessible platform for the creation and advancements of trends, whether it be clothing, entertainment, travel, or food. In order to bring awareness and interest to my research, I will be creating an Instagram account about my findings on some social trends among young people, specifically women, concerning the environmental connection to our dietary choices, focusing mainly on the Vegan diet. Within both my primary and secondary research, I found it clear that Veganism and other diet trends are popular themes on the social media platform Instagram. 

By using Instagram, I hope to effectively communicate my findings in the same environment that has a significant influence on young people’s information and perspectives. Instagram is centered around images, but the ability to create a video story will allow me the tools to create short video blogs on my findings as well. 

Audience Strategy 

Social media, including Instagram, is one of the most effective ways to communicate with young generations in modern society. A study done by Oxford University’s Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found that 28% of people within the ages 18-24 say social media is their main source of news, beating out the 24% who get news from television. Social media platforms create quick, exciting, and aesthetically pleasing news stories; short and engaging enough for the modern young adult. 

The target audience of my research was young people around the ages of 18-22, specifically female. Based on this, the discourse community of my research incorporates those participating in the discussion of the Vegan diet using Instagram. The motivation for my research originated in the idea that this demographic was a large part of the increased popularity of the Vegan diet. As part of a young generation, the use of social media is part of daily life. Considering this along with the abundance of diet themed accounts on the platform Instagram, I believe creating an Instagram account will allow me to efficiently convey my findings in a way that is engaging to my target audience and the discourse community.

Projected Genre 

Instagram is a social media platform focused on a portfolio of images, comments, and temporary picture or video stories. An Instagram account can be crafted to a theme and draw the attention of users by including aesthetic motivations behind each photo. As Kate Bratskeir notes In Kate Bratskeir’s article, “17 Vegan Instagram Accounts You Should Definitely Be Following,” she notes how the “collection of 5-star food photographers will get you in the mood to whip up something tasty, clean and possibly green.” High quality images used within these accounts portray the aesthetic of a Vegan diet in an artistic sense. The quality of the photos attract followers and result in a considerably popular account. 

Instagram will be a successful genre for exploring and disseminating my findings through the use of quality images and an aesthetic theme for the overall account. The top results for the hashtag #vegan on Instagram illustrate how high quality and professional photographs of Vegan food exist on Instagram. 

The aesthetic of the Vegan diet on Instagram is extremely attractive for users. Professional photographs illustrate an aesthetic aspect of the Vegan diet that most likely does not include further information. Yet, the appeal of a nice photo is the minimal requirement for a popular account. In addition, the #1 and #7 Instagram accounts Bratskeir references in her article. 

Instagram will be an effective tool for this task through the use of artistic images that capture the attention of young users. Through the use of these staged, intricate images of food, these Instagram accounts are able to spread their motivation for Veganism, recipes, and advice for their large follower base. My goal for the use of Instagram is to create an aesthetic account that captures the attention of users. 

Design Plan 

Instagram has several features that will be useful for representing my findings. Beyond the photo portfolio, Instagram also has a feature called “Stories” that are photos or videos that appear on your account for 24 hours, but are also able to be saved in a folder displayed on the main page of your account. According to Plannthat.com, a website that helps people build their brand using Instagram, stories are “discoverable” meaning that even users who do not follow your account can view them. For my account, I would use stories to post short vlogs about facts concerning the environmental impacts of certain foods. For example, vlogging at the grocery store could be an opportunity to discuss how local items may be more sustainable than simply buying strictly plant based foods. 

In order to resonate with users who are attracted to the large concentration of Vegan themed accounts on Instagram, I would need to implement a theme. In Lauren Olson’s article, “Instagram Aesthetics: 7 Pro Tips to Stand Out & Increase Followers,” she points out how dedicating a theme to your account helps to “stay on track” and keep your content consistent. I would aim to keep the content of my account to tips for general environmentalism, quick facts about the environmental impacts of certain animal products, and open discussion about the social impacts of a large scale shift to Veganism. I would make the theme of my account centered around overall environmentalism, specifically around food and diet. The consistency of my account would stem from regular updates on new research findings, new opinions and explanations of motivation from other people who eat a Vegan diet, and companies that incorporate sustainable production practices.  

Considering the large percentage of people ages 18-22 who use social media as their primary source of news, I believe using Instagram as a tool for education. Through the use of Instagram, I could use an account themed about environmentalism to spread awareness of social trends among this age group I had found concerning Veganism. Instagram has many features that allow for an artistic, engaging, and informative platform to spread information. Due to the fact that Veganism is such a significant trend within the general platform of Instagram itself, I believe that creating an account that imitates these popular Vegan accounts would help draw attention to some of the social trends that I found during my primary research. 

References 

Olson, Lauren. Pagecloud.com, 10 Jan. 2018.

13 Reasons Why Instagram Stories Need To Be Part of Your Strategy. (2019, August 26). Retrieved from https://www.plannthat.com/instagram-stories/.

Bratskeir, K. (2015, February 24). 17 Vegan Instagram Accounts You Should Definitely Be Following. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/vegan-instagram-accounts-not-just-kale_n_6715422.

Communications, E. X. T. R. O. V. E. R. T. B. (2017, November 6). For Many Young People, Social Media Now Main Source of News. Retrieved from https://www.extrovert.gr/en/many-young-people-social-media-now-main-source-news-2/.

[keelanvargas1133]

Research Journal #9

(Lol this is long, I kinda went off once I started) 

Assessing oneself is a difficult task. Because you are writing about yourself, it can be difficult to be honest and not avoid the little things you know you have done wrong. This quarter, I believe that I did a good job of keeping up with due dates and organization. I have always been a person to get things done early and get them out of the way. A Sunday due date is usually turned in by Friday afternoon. Within this course, I completed all of the assignments in a timely fashion even if I may have fell a couple tweets behind during midterms. Overall, I feel like the effort I put in this class is reflected in my posted work. 

And to be honest, I think a big reason that I was so engaged in this class and the material of it was because we were not graded on each assignment. For most of high school, I had always enjoyed learning. But once I started taking AP classes and got into college, I became more stressed than I had ever been about a number. Through the readings about reflection and different teaching styles, I think I realized that I had lost my love of learning during the past few years. In addition, reflecting on academic teaching and learning styles helped me finally change my major, something that I had been struggling to decide about since last winter. Not having grades for every assignment made me feel like I could actually breathe while trying to learn. If you are constantly suffocated with the idea of being assessed on everything, it feels like there is no more room for learning. Instead of asking questions and freely being curious about things, the pressure of grades limits you to trying to memorize what you need to know and nothing else. For that reason, among many, I loved this class and everything about it. 

I believe that there is always more to practice when it comes to writing skills. Especially within research. I have no doubts that I could have done a better job narrowing down my research topic or laying out my paper. I think when it comes to research, I have learned that although primary research is less scary than it seems, that does not mean it is trivial, simple, or easy. When drafting my research paper, I realized where I went wrong in the research process, both primary and secondary. I should have made my topic more clear so that I could draw more direct connections between my primary and secondary research. 

Back to the idea of assessment, writing is more than a grade because it acts as a microcosm for all other learning. In writing, it is important to practice and reflect, build upon other ideas, and be patient with the process. In my opinion, learning in our society does not incorporate these soft skills into academia as much as we should. Memorization and speed and random facts and consistency and perfection are far more stressed than reflection or process. Taking this class has only highlighted this idea for me and it came at the right time. Spring quarter last year was brutal. By the end of it, I hated learning. But I didn't hate the material of my courses. I hated constantly worrying about every grade I got. Instead of actually learning things, I did some primary research, *haha*, and figured out what I needed to know in order to put on the illusion that I knew what the eff was going on. The first day of this class gave me hope for the process of learning again. And I think that is why I believe that I did well in this course. Beyond turning things in on time, I got to use my love of writing and be free. I didn't have to think about grades and therefore was able to slow my breath down enough to have a conversation with the ideas we discussed over the quarter. 

I have learned how to apply this idea from writing to other courses. Unfortunately, merciless grading still exists in other courses. But from this class I have learned how to effectively reflect and I hope that this will allow me to approach these different subjects with a more open mind to the big picture. 

RATE MY STUDENT :)

Overall Quality: 4.5

Level of Effort / Commitment : 4.5

Characteristics: Organized, Proactive, Curious

Summary: As a student in this class, I believe I was an overall good student, a couple off days and texting in class instances here and there. But, because I really enjoyed this course, I gave myself a high rating of commitment. I believe I was well organized and was curious about the things my classmates had to say during discussions and did my best to be a positive influence and presence within the classroom and on Twitter. 

Would Take Again? You betcha!

[keelanvargas1133]

Research Journal #8

Sometimes you just have to put words down even if they don't sound like your voice to get a foundation, then within the editing process you can go back and stylize, to make it sound more like yourself

Research starts with a question but what you find will usually lead to more questions

Writer's block is real, even for college students 

The process of drafting, editing and revising, and then concluding that a piece is done is applicable to so many other subjects as well as just life in general. 

Write something, let it marinate, and then go back and say “Hello, old friend.” Your brain works differently on different days

Be okay with when one piece of writing does not go as well as you had envisioned. Like every other course you will take, things usually don't turn out how you first think of them in your head. Adaptation is key. 

A course like this is critical for success in so many other things. A course like this requires a student to learn the skill of reflection, and in that process, the student can conclude what type of learner they are. Being aware of the ways that you learn allows for you to plan accordingly on how to approach the course work of a class, the environment in which you work, or even social situations.

[keelanvargas1133]

Research Essay Basic Intro Outline

Introduction 

Research Question: What are the environmental benefits and drawbacks to the Vegan diet exist?

Establish background of the difference between a Vegan lifestyle and a Vegan diet (just briefly because will explain more in depth in discussion section)

Talk about recent popularity in Vegan diet

Demographic target and why

Personal motivation for this research

Lit Review

Include overview of some major themes found within the different sources

Discuss how many considered negative unintended consequences of mass grain, fruit, and vegetable production and export

Similarities in methods of those sources and why they are similar / what is the importance of that 

Methods

Overview of primary research

Survey and who I sent it to / how and why this pertained to my target demographic

Observation and why it doesn't give me direct information about the increased popularity in the Vegan diet but how it can show me some overall social trends

Interview - who I chose to interview, why, and how they played a part in motivating me for this research

[keelanvargas1133]

Maps Take 3

For my Maps Take 3, I chose the word “voice.” I believe that good writing is a representation of yourself as a thinker and it should be individual and unique. I think good writing sounds like the writer but in a subtle, stylistic way. Writing, even academic, can employ elements of your voice. I believe that even when we use pen and paper rather than audible sound, we all have a unique and distinct voice.

[keelanvargas1133]

Research Journal #7

Researching has been a lot more reflective than I thought. Plus, it has made me write questions in a way that someone I am interviewing or surveying will answer in order for me to get the type of information I am looking for. When we talked about the eight habits of mind in class, I think metacognition and creativity are two that have been highlighted the most for me during this primary research process.

For my own research, I am struggling with coming up with an observation. That, of all the research methods, is the one that requires the most creativity. Interviews and surveys are very straightforward and for the most part, you can expect the types of answers you will get. As of now, I am planning on going to a coffee shop and listening in on orders to see how many people opt for non-dairy milk and which milk alternatives they choose. I think I will have to use a lot of reflection when tying this into the other data that I have collected during my research process. 

In class, we talked a lot about having to think outside the box when conducting research. We also mentioned how it usually doesn’t turn out how you would expect, but I think this is a harder idea to grasp until you are actually doing research. This whole research process has just made me think of what my dad used to say to me all the time: “Good Athletes Adjust.” 

I think writing and reflection is a lot of adjustment. When transferring writing skills from one subject to another, you have to be able to adjust to the task at hand, expecting that it will most likely not resemble the same things you have done for a writing class. 

When research goes wonky, you have to be able to adjust and work around it.

[keelanvargas1133]

Homework Post #8

I completely agree with the readings claim that a majority of students believe that writing courses are full of “fluff” and other courses differ in the way they focus simply on getting to the point. I think there is a disconnect within different subjects in the sense that writing teachers encourage putting your style and voice into writing, no matter the subject of the work. Writing teachers are able to encourage these practices because they are there to teach writing. On the other hand, teachers of other subjects are focused on whatever material they are teaching. This is where students disconnect writing skills from a course such as first year composition from writing skills to be applied to other subjects. Because they are learning a different subject, they do not retain the soft skills learned in writing classes to apply them to other ideas. 

In order to transfer knowledge/learning from one situation to another, it is important to first fail. Learning and the foundation of transfer comes from adapting to a situation in which you first fail, then go on to learn how to handle it. The reading highlights an idea about the “one-draft-and-it's-done”  mindset. This way of thinking deprives the student of valuable time tweaking their work. Instead, they are trying to figure out what their teacher wants and trying to provide it to them on the first try. I believe that students do this because like to check things off the to-do list, and turning something in that is only sort of complete and finished is not efficient or satisfying.

To me, the most important way to get better at transfer is to get comfortable with the way your own voice sounds in writing. Doing this takes time, trial, and error. Learning what your writing voice sounds like comes from lots of practice and revision. In writing class, you get to practice failing, revising, and discovering a little more about what you really sound like. Then, when you begin writing for other courses, voice will be more natural and the writing will be more thought through.

Photo by moren hsu on Unsplash 

[keelanvargas1133]

Research Journal #6

Interview Questions

What environmental issues do you feel the most threatened by and why? 

Do you feel more optimistic or more pessimistic about the future of the environment, such as climate change? What is your reasoning? 

In what ways, if any, do you practice environmentalism? 

What is your relationship to agriculture or food production? 

What ways, to the best of your knowledge, do you think animal products affect the environment?

How would you define Veganism and do you practice any aspects of Veganism?

Which cultural influences have shaped your perception of the vegan diet the most? 

If yes, what motivated you to choose this lifestyle / diet? 

What benefits or drawbacks do you feel like you have experienced by eating a vegan diet? 

What type of research or information did you have about the connection to the vegan diet and the reason you decided to eat this diet before making the change? 

What unintended consequences of a large scale shift to veganism do you think are possible? 

For my interview, I plan on interviewing my roommate who began eating a Vegan diet over the summer for environmental reasons. I also want to interview a female of the same age who does not eat a vegan diet and compare them. During my secondary research, I found that the Vegan diet is very popular among young women, sometimes looking to lose weight. I would like to focus my interview on this demographic group and see what cultural influences have shaped their idea of veganism.

Survey

Age 

Race

Gender

Do you feel at all concerned about the state of the environment? (Yes, no, other)

Which of the following issues do you feel contributes the most to environmental change? (OPTIONS)

Define Vegan

Have you heard of the Vegan diet? 

Do you think the vegan diet is a fad? 

Do you eat a Vegan diet or very close to a Vegan diet? 

If yes...

What were your motivations for starting to eat a vegan diet? 

Did you do research about your motivation before making your lifestyle change? If yes, please explain what 

 How do you think eating a vegan diet affects the greater environment? 

If no...

Would you ever consider eating a vegan diet if it had proven environmental benefits?

Do you believe something small, such as a change in diet has the power to affect larger social issues? 

How hard, on a scale of 1-5, 1 being easy, 5 being extremely difficult, would it be to cut animal products out of your diet? 

I would like my survey to target college aged students because our generation is very involved with the climate strike and there is increased cultural awareness, especially in my generation, about the future consequences of climate change. I think surveying mostly young people will help me recognize cultural influences on peoples view of what the Vegan diet is and why it is so popular.

Observation

For my observation, I would like to go to a coffee shop and listen to orders to observe how many customers order non-dairy milk. Although this will not help me know if these people are vegan or not, it will help me understand if there is a significant amount of people interested in non-dairy products. In addition, I think this will be interesting because usually, non-dairy options are more expensive.

[keelanvargas1133]

Me feeling confident about my first draft vs. me going back to re-read it later

[keelanvargas1133]

Homework Post #7

Failure is inevitable. When I was a senior and I was applying to college, I struggled so hard to come up with a topic for my college essay. I wanted it to resonate. I wanted it to be unique. Because they tell you that if it's not, you won't get in. To say the least, I was stressed. Then one day, I was driving and it just came to me. 

I have always been obsessed with Toyota Tacomas. One of my moms employees was selling hers for super cheap and I wanted it so, so, so bad. I even came up with a name for it before we knew if we were going to buy it. The only catch was that it was a manual car and I didnt know how to drive stick. I thought, foolishly, how hard could it be? 

It sucked. I cried. After an hour and a half of stalling it and smelling the clutch, I looked at my mom and said, “I am never going to learn. I just can't do it.” Point is, I wrote my college essay on learning how to drive stick and made my central claim about how I am someone who needs practice. I envy those who are able to pick up skills on the first try. 

With everything in my life, I have always needed to practice before I felt confident. Writing is no different. I like writing, and I think it is because I have written in a lot of different contexts. And, as Shirley Rose mentioned, you are never done learning how to write better. I like that writing is a skill that can be constantly developed. There are so many different directions you can take writing, each of which requires practice to find your style and voice within them.

(Meme in a different post so I could post a video) 

[keelanvargas1133]

Conference Part 2: Maps Take 2

For my Maps Take 2, I decided to break down my key terms of writing into a metaphor for an acai bowl. I took the terms that I used in the first take of the mapping activity and applied them to the structure of an acai bowl. I chose to do this because an acai bowl has a universal base. Yet, based on individual preference, individuals can choose their toppings. To me, this is a metaphor for writing. All good writing shares certain components such as planning, multiple drafts, and a solid structure. Yet, the voice, word choice, style, and reflection is dependent on the individual. 

This map differs from my first draft because it illustrates how writing differs between different individuals. My first map focused on what I believe are the components of good writing in general. Yet, as I began to think about the second take of the map, I started to think about how the foundation of writing is different from the individual spin that is put on it by individuals. This second take of the maps demonstrates the idea of a structure that is uniform that is complemented by the creative freedom the writer has to distinguish their work from others. 

This second draft of my mapping activity is helpful in the visual display of the key terms that I believe are important. In addition, if you think about the way that an acai bowl is made, with the base first and the toppings following, it represents how the foundation of good writing comes before the individual components such as word choice, reflection, and style. In terms of my theory of writing, this metaphor illustrates the process of writing along with the important terms and ideas. 

After this activity, my current theory of writing is: “Writing is a process that begins with foundation and builds individual distinctions from stylistic elements such as word choice, voice, and reflection.”

[keelanvargas1133]

Practice Run - Is Mary Reed Haunted?

Group Members: Keelan, Julia, Patty, Britta

Question: “Is Mary Reed haunted?” 

Direct Findings: 

The majority of our survey respondents, exactly 85%, believe in ghosts

Many of the reasons people believe in the rumor is because of personal feeling associated with the building 

The majority of the respondents who do not believe in the rumor demonstrate solid logic and seem to have thought about where the rumor comes from and if there is any evidence behind it. 

Methods: 

1 interview

Survey with 20 responses

35 minute observation

In order to gather our primary research about the ghost of Mary Reed, we used a mixed method. First, we used a survey to gather thoughts and opinions from other students on campus. Because it is a rumor, we were curious to see how many students had heard the rumor in order to get an idea of its popularity. We also interviewed a faculty member whose office is inside Mary Reed. Finally, we spent about 35 minutes at dusk in Mary Reed, exploring the building and looking out for any paranormal activity. 

We surveyed 20 different DU undergrad students that we either knew or asked to take at the beginning of our other classes. We conducted our interview as well as our observation inside of Mary Reed. 

Our surveys were printed out and given to respondents then collected back. Our interview was more of an informal conversation with a faculty member who works inside Mary Reed. As far as our observation goes, we hung out in the building at dusk. We attempted to play spooky music and call for Mary Reed to see if we could notice anything out of the ordinary about the building. 

Most of our survey respondents had heard about the rumor and those who believed it seemed to base their opinion more on emotion than logic. During our observation, we explored the building and noted any differences that we felt during our time walking around. There was a group consensus that we felt spooky but we did not notice anything visibly or audibly noteworthy that was paranormal.

Results: 

Survey:

85% believed in ghosts

20% said they had personal encounters with ghosts 

““A ghost kept opening up a door upstairs” 

“On the Queen Mary in Long Beach I have heard music coming from broken down elevator shafts and seen objects appear out of nowhere” 

“Spirit that lived in my childhood house and was centered in my room, it was harmless but I knew someone was there the entire time”

“My house is very old, and my friends say it’s haunted”

55% had been inside Mary Reed 

80% had heard the rumor that Mary Reed was haunted 

Those who believed in the rumor provided the following explanations

“I do because they close at night on purpose”

“I heard the elevator was haunted”

“Yes because she's spooky and if I were her I’d love to come and mess with students” 

“Yes, just based on the heebeegeebees I get every time I’m in there”

“If the rumor is this popular, it’s probably haunted” 

“I think the ghost is Mary Reed herself because I feel as if it is her domain to haunt. She has a whole building named after her, I feel as though my spirit would find a place of solace within a building in my name. I believe she is lonesome and haunts those in the building because she simply wants attention, like moaning myrtle in the Harry Potter”

“I always get really cold in the building”

“That building gives me the chills every time I walk in”

Those who had not heard the rumor were instructed to read a short excerpt about the rumor and then respond. Here are the responses provided:

“Possibly, if I were to see anything interesting going on. Maybe talk to someone who had an encounter with the Mary Reed Ghost. Otherwise, the excerpt is too vague to be convincing” 

“Seems credible”

“Before I assess the credibility I feel like I would need to know who has experienced these encounters and who is compiling the information” 

“Yes, that stuff is not explainable by anything else. Especially when there's no other people around. Its ghosts!”

“Yes I believe there is a such thing as paranormal activity and spirits can attach themselves to objects and people” 

“I'm not really sold on the idea because no one has told me evidence on encounters, they've just told me that it is haunted” 

Interview:

For the interview, we spoke to Lin Ma, a Senior Research Analyst whose office is located inside Mary Reed. When asked if she believed if the building was haunted, she said no. But, she mentioned that she has heard lots of people talk about the rumor and has had colleagues tell her about encounters that their students have had while studying in the building. 

Lin said she has never experienced anything spooky but said that when she was there late at night, she has thought about it but overall “feels very safe.” As our final question, we asked Lin if she thought the ghost was Mary Reed. She explained to us that it could be a possibility because in Asian cultures, it is believed that your spirit stays alive after you die. 

Observation:

We decided to go to observational research and “ghost hunt” at dusk. We went on a Thursday night which was snowy and cold. We took the elevator up to the fourth floor but were not able to access the fifth, sixth, or seventh floor with our ID cards. During the interview, Lin mentioned that there are offices up there but with our Pio IDs, we were not allowed to get to these floors. The elevator was quite small and had a door with a door knob to get in and out. It was quite old. 

We then walked around the building, searching for stairs, but could not find any. WE finally went to the Renaissance Room and spent some time in there playing spooky music and hoping that the ghost of Mary Reed would show herself in some way. 

Although we did not hear or see anything noteworthy of being paranormal, we all felt significantly more heavy while exploring the building, almost as if there was extra gravity. 

Discussion:

Based on our mixed method research, we cannot conclude confidently about whether Mary Reed is a haunted building on the DU campus. While the majority of our survey respondents had heard the rumor, those who believed it seemed to be working more with emotional and gut feeling evidence. On the other hand, those who did not believe in the rumor spoke about significantly more logical arguments concerning the lack of evidence and did not believe that it was true solely because it was a popular rumor. 

Based on our interview with Lin Ma, we can continue to note the popularity of the rumor, but Lin has never experienced anything paranormal and works in her office in Mary Reed everyday, even late at night. 

Finally, based on observation, nothing extremely out of the ordinary happened to us while inside Mary Reed at dusk, despite feeling heavy and spooked during our observation. Although, we believe it is noteworthy that the general DU population does not have access to the 5th, 6th, or 7th floor, especially because according to Lin Ma there are offices up there. 

In conclusion, our research does not conclude whether or not there is really a ghost in Mary Reed. Through our research, although, we did note how popular the rumor surrounding this topic really is.

[keelanvargas1133]

Research Journal #5

At this point in my research, I am feeling a little disoriented. First, I need to ensure that I have at least 10 sources and focus in on which ones I think I would realistically use in my paper. Then, I need to go through and re-organize my sources and highlight key themes within them. By doing this, I think it will help me figure out what is missing and help me feel a little more confident about the primary research and paper that is looming. 

As far as my understanding of my actual topic, I think I have a decent grasp on the information I have found. One thing that I have found is difficult is to synthesize in my mind the different quantitative data that I have found and trying to think about which sources will be the most effective within the actual paper. I also have been thinking more about which specific direction to take my paper because a lot of my sources incorporate ideas about people's motivations for veganism. Having so much information to sort through can feel super stressful and although I have been chipping away at it for a while, it sometimes feels like you haven't even made a dent in the research process. 

Hopefully the cold weather will prompt me to get inside, hunker down, and really sort through everything. I think maybe I should buy some fun pens and try to color coordinate…? Maybe that would help?

[keelanvargas1133]

Lit Review: Self-Analysis

Analysis/Synthesis

What is your overall goal with the lit review? How are you using the existing body of research to make connections?

My overall goal with the lit review is to try to organize my sources a little better. I am hoping that by breaking my sources down by themes and working to find connections between them, I will make it easier for myself during the process of doing primary research and writing my paper. 

I am using my existing body of research to make connections by finding similarities between the methods used by different sources. Through doing this, I am finding sources that may not be as useful because they are too similar to another one or just do not provide any substantial discussion that would be of worth to my paper. By making connections it is getting easier to see where I lack information and where I have an overflow. 

What is your intended purpose beyond the assignment expectations? What do you hope your audience will understand after reading your lit review?  

Beyond the assignment expectations I am hoping that the readers of my lit review will be able to understand some of the common methods of research in this field as well as the motivation behind the process. I hope that my audience will understand the connections between the sources that promote going Vegan for environmental reasons and those that argue it has environmental and social drawbacks. In my lit review, I want to address how some sources do not take into account certain aspects of the environmental and social aspects within their discussion of findings. 

Revision

Based on your own self-analysis as well as your peer, what do you need to do in revision? Be specific. 

For revision, I need to incorporate the rest of my sources. I also spaced on including a reference page so I need to do that. I think I also need to work on making the connections between my sources more clear. My synthesis is definitely the section of my lit review that needs the most work. In addition, I need to go through and make sure that all the little details including in-text citations is correct.

[keelanvargas1133]

Lit Review: Peer Review - Patty

What is the writer’s main claim about the current research? Summarize it in two-three sentences:

The writers main claim about the current research is that there are many sources concerning the problems of race at both a student and faculty level in secondary education institutions. Patty claims that there are many different themes within college level institutions that concern race. 

How does the writer break the research into themes? Be specific.

Patty breaks down the themes by first introducing them broadly in her introduction. Then, goes on to break them into a couple more specific themes including how racial acts affect students and faculty on campus and the way in which policies can impact race relations between people on campus. 

How does the writer synthesize his/her sources? Do you understand the connections between sources? If so, how? If not, explain this to the writer.

Patty synthesizes her sources by providing paraphrased examples of specific incidents that relate to the corresponding themes so that the reader is provided with some concrete connections to the theme. I think for the next draft Patty could work on connecting the sources together a little more because they each relate to the theme provided but it is a little less clear how they relate to one another. 

Is the writer’s language and tone appropriate for an academic audience? Is there too much casual language? Is the tone too instructional or informational, rather than analytical? Is there too much summary of sources? If so, point this out for the writer.

Patty’s tone is academic within the body of her lit review but is a little more casual in the introduction and conclusion. I would suggest trying to stray away from the style that she uses in the conclusion that is more her own voice and analysis than synthesis. 

Does the writer use evidence to support his/her claims? Are there in-text citations (parenthetical citations)?

Yes, Patty uses paraphrase within the body of her work. There aren't any quotations but when she paraphrases, she uses in text citations correctly by providing the name of the authors and the year published. 

Does the writer use supportive sources (i.e. using direct quotations)? What are some of them—point them out. Do you understand how and why they were used? Are they incorporated smoothly into the paper? Tell the writer if not, and tell him/her why it doesn’t work.

I think adding a couple direct quotations instead of using strictly paraphrase would really help the reader get a clearer sense of what the purpose of the source was. I think using the examples she provided were good but maybe including what those sources discussed and claimed would help connect the source to others as well as the overall theme. The paraphrased examples from the sources do flow well into the rest of the writing though. 

Where do you feel the writer could develop his/her claim more fully? Where do you feel the writer limits his/her synthesis?

I think Patty could develop her claim a little more by providing a couple more themes and taking time at the end of the paragraph to note how one source relates to the other. I think her synthesis is limited by the number of themes she has and I think adding more could help find more connections between the different sources that she has. I say this because she mentions a lot of possible themes in the introduction but only explores 2, but it is a first draft so that is totally understandable. 

Does the writer use the appropriate style (MLA or APA) through the paper? This includes in-text citations, work cited/reference page as well as correct use of a heading, punctuation and spacing.

Her in-text citations are correct but she probably needs to reformat the reference page, make it double spaced, and add a header. 

Does the writer have any misspelled or misplaced words? Any awkward phrasing? If so, where, point them out. 

I think the only awkward phrasing from this came at the end when Patty used more of her own analysis and it felt more like a thesis for her paper than a closing statement about the connections and themes of the sources she found.

What did you learn as a reader of this paper?

I learned about specific examples and patterns of race-based discrimination at the level of secondary education and that there is a lot of research being done about the effects and implications of this kind of behavior. 

What are the two most important revision suggestions for this writer to address before the next draft? 

Add more themes

Make connections between the sources after introducing a new piece of evidence.

[keelanvargas1133]

Research Journal #4

Source #4:

Baroni, L., Cenci, L., Tettamanti, M., & Berati, M. (2006). Evaluating the environmental impact of various dietary patterns combined with different food production systems. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 61(2), 279–286. doi: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602522

This article focuses on the environmental impacts, specifically of the Italian situation, of four different diets: omnivorous diets, based on products derived from conventional farming and non-organic agriculture; omnivorous diets, based on products derived from organic farming and agriculture; vegetarian/vegan diets, based on products derived from conventional farming and non-organic agriculture; vegetarian/vegan diets, based on products derived from organic farming and agriculture. This study, similar to other sources I have found for secondary research, uses life-cycle assessments to study the comprehensive environmental impacts of the four complete diets listed above. The study compares “Three weekly well-balanced diets, equivalent to one another for energetic and nutrient content, have been planned by a registered dietitian: one omnivorous, one vegetarian and one vegan” and discusses critical points of environmental impact. 

This article could be useful in my research because although it is focused in Italy, Italy has a generally equivalent quality of life and overall lifestyle compared to the U.S. This study does a nice job of categorizing and separating different diets. In addition, this article discusses how each of these diets are similar in nutritional value, which could be helpful for exploring the health benefits or limitations to eating a vegan or vegetarian diet. Having the diets categorized into these dietary equivalents will provide some insight into what foods someone who eats a vegan or vegetarian diet needs to eat to make up for lost nutritional benefits. 

Source #5:

Reijnders, L., & Soret, S. (2003). Quantification of the environmental impact of different dietary protein choices. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 78(3). doi: 10.1093/ajcn/78.3.664s

This article does a more general job of comparing the environmental impacts that stem from processing certain categories of food. The study discusses how less processing of plant based foods means less industrial environmental harm. But on the other hand, the study notes the pitfalls of large scale plant based eating by noting how “Long-distance air transport, deep-freezing, and some horticultural practices may lead to environmental burdens for vegetarian foods exceeding those for locally produced organic meat.” 

This source could be useful to my research because it develops both sides of the argument. This article explores some of the hidden limitations to a plant based diet in certain parts of the world and how in some cases, opting for locally grown meat could be a more environmentally friendly option in the long run. This study heavily focuses on the quantifiable data concerning the consumption of processed animal products which will provide me with significant factual data to work with, compare, and analyze. 

Source #6:

How Does Meat in the Diet Take an Environmental Toll? (2011, December 28). Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/meat-and-environment.

This article is a less scholarly and more accessible source for my research. It is an online article from the Scientific American and the article is based off a fans submitted questions concerning rumors that the less meat one eats, the better for the environment it is. This article gives a very brief overview of some of the environmental issues that are associated with eating meat such as:  “the production, processing and distribution of meat requires huge outlays of pesticides, fertilizer, fuel, feed and water while releasing greenhouse gases, manure and a range of toxic chemicals into our air and water.” It pulls a majority of its data from the Environmental Working Group (EWG). 

This article could be of use to me during my research process because it provides a simple summary of what some of the environmental impacts of animal products are. This article is not as scholarly and could be used as more of a study of what type of information the average person intakes about the relationship of animal products and meat to the environment and climate change. 

Source #7: 

Henderson, E. (2018, January 29). Why being vegan isn't as environmentally friendly as you might think. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/veganism-environment-veganuary-friendly-food-diet-damage-hodmedods-protein-crops-jack-monroe-a8177541.html.

This article discusses the hidden detriments to local populations and certain regions based on the recent exponential growth in eating plant based diets. Author Emma Henderson explores how such high demand for fruits and vegetables is wreaking havoc on agricultural communities. Henderson explains that “Back in 2013 – which the UN dubbed the year of quinoa – prices of the so-called miracle grain of the Andes had reportedly become too expensive for local people to buy. But this grain is a staple part of the region’s diet.” Henderson goes on to illustrate how importing fruits and vegetables that are out of season and out of region puts a significant strain on the communities that grow them as well as the environment. 

Emma Henderson’s article will be very useful for my research because it is a very substantial article that discusses the limitations and negative consequences that eating a plant-based diet has. This article analyzes these situations in a way that counters the mainstream idea that if we all go Vegan, the planet will be healthier. This article provides me with a less academic counter argument to the fad of Veganism.