Ryan Gallagher

UWRT 1104-031 Class

10/22/16
Unit 2: Studio 3 Work
Part 1: Scholarly Texts?
Overall, Id compare the process of reading a difficult text to analyzing a piece of
art. For example, various paintings constitute different interpretations and levels of
understanding. Complex texts are arranged and analyzed in a similar fashion. My
experience with scholarly texts is quite varied. Through the latter half of my high school
career, I was exposed to countless narrative works that challenged my understanding
and comprehension. Scholarly texts differ from one another; therefore, it is hard to
narrow down a strict generalization of mastering them all. I have experience in some
areas, while in others Im not as proficient. For example, college has exposed me to
coming into contact with more scientific scholarly texts. Compared to the narrative
focused texts discussed in English class, I wasnt exactly prepared for these differences
in college.
As examined in, Helping Students Read Difficult Texts, the notion that students
lack cultural literacy in some regards, (as implied by the author,) is something that
embodies differences between scholarly genres. Through working on my LOI, I have
come into contact more with studies that challenge my analytical skills. One thing that
has been helpful when digging through material is setting a pace for how I want to
decode that information. The authors of, Helping Students Read Difficult Texts, address
this concept - stating that students, need to know that a good reader's reading
process will vary extensively, depending on the reader's purpose. This has been a skill
that Im proud of utilizing during my studies. Id consider myself proficient when tackling
a source and picking out the best strategy of comprehension. For example, during my
LOI research Ive encountered research studies, news articles, and peer-reviewed
journals. My analytical process has differed extensively based upon each source. Ive
had to keep a close eye on attention to detail within research studies and peer-reviewed
journals, but in terms of news articles there is a greater range of flexibility in terms of
interpretation and comprehension.
Another point in the article that describes my feelings towards examining
scholarly texts is how the juxtaposition of sources yields another level of understanding.
This notion for me was built upon the framework of previous experiences, and ultimately
enhanced through my personal research in college. In the past, my teachers utilized this
method to demonstrate that simply engaging with a text isnt worthwhile. Comparing and
contrasting sources allows for the stimulation of questions and knowledge. Within my
LOI research Ive juxtaposed various ideas to cohesively tie information together. For
example, I was curious on how Social Media impacts commerce and marketing online. I
discovered that behavior exhibited online, (in terms of shopping,) is directly linked to
social perception and hierarchy. I wouldnt have been able to synthesize this information
without juxtaposing various sources and coming to a logical conclusion.

Ryan Gallagher
UWRT 1104-031 Class
10/22/16
Part 2: Practicing Comprehension with Genre Remixing.
For my scholarly article I decided to do a Glogster digital poster remixing a peerreviewed journal. http://rgallag8.edu.glogster.com/dashboard/
Schivinski, B., & Dabrowski, D. (2016). The effect of social media on consumer
perceptions of brands. Journal of Marketing Communications, 22(2), 189-214.
doi:10.1080/13527266.2013.871323. Retrieved from
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2013.871323

Part 3: Explanation
The PDF version of the article utilized can be taken from the source above.
For the genre remix, I especially enjoyed utilizing a Glogster to creatively
implement aspects of my original source. The format of a digital poster allowed me to
utilize several modes to match the theme and topics presented by the original authors. I
decided to remix a peer-reviewed journal which discussed the effects of social media
upon consumerism. Peer-reviewed journals are intricate scholarly texts; therefore, its
becomes quite complicated to draw information from without some sort of expertise in
the subject. Information contained within these texts is locked behind several walls of
comprehension and professionalism. I felt like the format of a Glogster allowed me to
break this boundary and come up with a concise summary of the text.
My Glogster was designed with flow and consistency in mind. I decided upon this
notion of format through how cumbersome peer-reviewed journals seem to be towards
unaccustomed readers. The elements, (text bubbles, pictures, and headings,) stand to
draw focus on important questions contained within the article. I decided upon four
questions to be placed around the website. The questions were, Who did this
research?, How was this research conducted?, Whats the point?, and How does
this affect me? Overall, these questions served to accurately match aspects of
research contained within the article. They represent a synthesis of points discussed
and ideas questioned.
Although I was confident with my website, I felt as if substantial elements
contained within the original article were left out. For example, my website accurately
addressed the themes and topics of the original work, but evidence was a crucial point
that was hard to include. Simply put, I felt as if my work was somewhat broad.
Schivinski and Dabrowskis work included a plethora of research making their article
pinpoint accurate. The problem with the Digital Poster genre is that due to its limited
canvas and focus, there isnt room for extensive detail.
Reflecting on this activity, Im confident on my abilities to decompose a scholarly
text into something tangible for later research. Mastering a genre requires awareness

Ryan Gallagher
UWRT 1104-031 Class
10/22/16
and competent understanding of other works. As I discussed earlier, its through this
juxtaposition of sources that a more coherent understanding can be made. My Glogster
helped narrow down important ideas for later discussion and research.