Editing Organizing and Governance in Online Communities (UW COM597 Winter 2025) (section)

=== Final Project ===

For the final assignment, I want you to take what you've learned in the class and apply it to an original research project. I see this as taking one of several forms: (1) a detailed research plan/proposal; (2) a completed original research manuscript (i.e., a "submission-ready" draft of a journal article or conference paper, or some part of such a paper per arrangement); (3) a replication/revisit of an important and influential study; (4) something else as per arrangement with the instructor.

==== Final Project Identification ====

;Due Date: Friday February 7 @ 11:59pm
;Deliverables: Turn in [https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1808091/assignments through Canvas]
;Maximum Length: 1,000 words (~1 page double spaced)

You will submit an extended abstract and/or proposal for your final project. Because I understand that the most useful specific shape of this might vary, I'm happy to go back and forth with you on the details if you believe that a 1,000-word extended abstract that lays out the proposed work is not going to be sufficient or appropriate.

In either case, I will give you feedback on these write-ups and will let you each know if I think you have identified a project that might be too ambitious, trivial, broad, or narrow.

==== Final Deliverables ====
;Final Presentation Dates: Friday March 14 (in class)
;Paper Due Date: Friday March 21 @ 11:59pm
;Maximum paper length: 8,000 words
;Deliverables: 
:*Turn in a copy of the presentation before class (i.e., 1:30pm on Friday March 21) in [https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1808091/assignments the Canvas dropbox] ("Final presentation") 
:*Turn in a copy of the paper [https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1808091/assignments in Canvas] ("Final paper")

For your final project, I expect students to build on the final project identification assignment to describe what they have done and found. I'll expect every student to give both:

* A final presentation
* A final report that is not more than 8,000 words. I expect most will be in the 4,000-6,000 word range.

You will be evaluated on the degree to which you have demonstrated that you understand and engage with the course material, not on the specifics of your research projects. The very best papers will give us all a new understanding of some aspect of course material and change how I teach some portion of this course in the future.

Details on the presentation:

* The presentation content should be an overview and preview of your final project as described above.	
* Everybody will have 20 minutes for their presentation and the Q&A. I strongly suggest having your presentation be about 12 minutes so that you have about 8 minutes for feedback from your classmates. If you present for much less than that, I'm afraid conveying a clear sense of your argument will be challenging. If you present for much longer, there will not be enough time for Q&A. {{tentative}}