1) Select a research journal in your field, either print or electronic, for closer study. Examine several issues of the journal, and read the instructions for authors and other editorial information posted on the journal’s website.
2) Write a 4-6 page (1,000-1,500 words) rhetorical analysis in which you discuss the following elements of communication:
a. Author. Who publishes this journal? Whose research is reported here?
b. Audience. Who are the intended readers? What types or levels of expertise do they have? Are they primarily researchers, policy makers, resource managers, educators, or other experts?
c. Subject. What topics or kinds of topics does the journal cover? How general or specialized are these topics?
d. Text. Describe the distinctive features of the text that helped you make inferences about author and audience. Do the articles have a formal or informal tone? Does the journal include more than one type of article (e.g., reports, letters, technical notes, reviews)? If so, how do these texts differ in style, tone, format, and purpose? (Hint: don’t overlook obvious features of the journal that might provide important information about its primary purpose and audience: the journal’s title, institutions represented on the editorial board, announcements and advertisements, types of books reviewed, and so forth. If it is an online journal, who has access?)