Drones
JMU X-Labs Drone Project
Innovating the Archives
Digital Archive for Furious Flower Poetry Center
Community Innovations
Mobile Health Clinic
Interdisciplinary Research Opportunities
WRTC is an inherently interdisciplinary major, and so students can engage in a variety of projects that blend theories and methods from WRTC with a wide range of theories and methods from other, interrelated fields of study. One way WRTC students conduct interdisciplinary research is through classes in JMU's X-Labs.
In JMU X-Labs classes, WRTC students solve complex problems for a range of clients including nonprofits, private companies and industries, and government departments. Working in interdisciplinary teams, students learn industry-ready design and innovation methods that enable them to build prototypes of viable solutions and products. Students also learn and practice research methods (such as client interviews) that can be used in a variety of professional contexts. WRTC majors and minors will find opportunities to use their writing and communication skills by designing research documentation, final reports, infographics, social media posts, pitch decks, and more.
Examples of projects WRTC students have contributed to include:
- a prototype of a phone-based game app on ethical resoning aimed for at-risk youth in Tunisia (designed for the Department of State)
- a sensor that could be attached to a drone to find invasive plant species in dense forest undergrowth (designed for the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute)
- a mobile health clinic designed to provide basic healthcare to homeless people in the Harrisonburg area (designed for JMU nonprofit The Suitcase Clinic)
Student Research Journals and Publications
WRTC is home to two journals where student researchers can find a venue to share the results of their orginal research:
JMU Research Journal (JMURJ)
JMURJ is a multidisciplinary, student-run, peer-reviewed undergraduate academic journal that gives undergraduates an outlet for their research and scholarship while preparing them for their experiences beyond JMU.
JMURJ's mission is to promote, publish, and share the excellent research and scholarship by undergraduate students across James Madison University. JMURJ seeks to connect James Madison University's undergraduate students in all fields of study with their peers, their school, and their community.
Contact: Kevin Jefferson jefferkx@jmu.edu
RhetTech Journal for Undergraduate Research
RhetTech was founded in 2017 as an update and expansion of James Madison University's longtime online journal for work generated in university writing courses. RhetTech showcases the very best work from undergraduate writing, rhetoric, and technical communication courses around the country. The journal is managed, edited, and published by WRTC students at JMU.
Contact: Dr. Cathryn Molloy molloycs@jmu.edu
Engaged Research Opportunities
Community-based learning (CBL) courses are a key part of the WRTC curriculum. In these classes, students work with community partners to take on dynamic projects contributing to the organization's mission. Inevitably, students engage in a wide variety of research practices in order to deliver products designed to address specific problems or to fulfill organzational needs.
Writing for Nonprofits
Students in WRTC 484: Writing for Nonprofits partner with local nonprofit organizations to produce proposals, grants, and publicity materials. This work includes extensive research into community contexts and national initiatives, as students work across a variety of media to develop internal and external documents.
Read more about what students are doing in WRTC 484: Writing for Nonprofits
Writing in the Health Sciences
Students in WRTC 488: Writing in the Health Sciences work with local clients to produce carefully researched, health-related materials for a general audience. In the process, students gain experience in researching, writin, and editing information concerned with healthcare and well-being.
Read more about what students are doing in WRTC 488: Writing in the Health Sciences
Writing in the Community
Students in WRTC 486: Writing in the Community use writing, discussion, and hands-on projects to examine the central role of rhetoric in citizenship, leadership, and social change. Students practice research skills and learn new communication tools to target various real-world audiences and purposes.
Read more about what students are doing in WRTC 486: Writing in the Community: Project 1 | Project 2
Writing for Business and Industry
Students in WRTC 480: Writing for Business and Industry conduct preliminary research into the local business community in order to first understand the overall market, the competition within industry sectors and opportunities for growth. Each student will find a unique 20-hour volunteer placement with a for-profit entity and then define the necessary skills and expertise to function as a consultant to their business client.
Read more about what students are doing in WRTC 480: Writing for Business and Industry
Professional Internships
As part of their core program, all WRTC students complete a professional internship. These internships take place in a variety of settings (including virtual ones), and almost always involve research into "working-world" contexts.
Examples of research activities include conducting small focus groups and administering surveys to determine an organization's communication needs, or evaluating color palette and other creative choices based on intended audience and aim.
By working with internship providers, and employing a broad range of skillsets, WRTC students put their research skills to immediate professional use.
See more examples of WRTC student internships here
Featured Student Research Projects
WRTC students constantly engage in innovative research, both short- and long-term. Using the theories and methods of the disciplines of writing, rhetoric and technical communication as their guide, they design original projects to make a positive impact on real communities. Click some of the links below to explore some of this recent work.
