Website Review

A website is a type of text used across disciplines for different purposes and audiences, and there are many ways to design websites. Regardless of the content and discourse community, an effective website will help users achieve their goal for the visit and allow the website’s owner to achieve their purposes. Conversely, an ineffective website can frustrate the end-user (audience) and impact the credibility of the organization being represented by the website. Thus, a website’s design, functionality, and content should be easily accessible for the end-user, which also benefits the website’s proprietor.
Our purpose for Project 1 is to find, through research, a relevant and credible website for a professional association that would be valuable to someone learning about your major, and then write a review of their website. The site you choose should be an association that professionals in or around the selected field would join to network, give back socially, enhance training/development, or promote relevant research or best practices.
Begin your research by visiting the CSUS library guides at https://csus.libguides.com . You will see a list of academic discourse communities. Click on the link for your general area of study. Next, narrow your search by major and click on that link. For example, if I am an accounting major, I will click on the “Business and Economics” link and then the “Accounting” link. This takes me to a page with important information the assigned librarian has created for this discourse community.
Once you have located the page for your major, explore the information to learn more about the discipline. Many librarians have created a link for “useful websites.” The librarian vetted these sites, and they are a great place to start looking for an association you will use for Project 1. You are welcome to use one of these websites for your project if it adheres to the assignment’s requirements. You can also use this as a jumping-off point to start your research for a different professional association.
If your librarian does not include vetted websites or you do not find a source that you’d like to use, you can do a Google search for “Professional associations for X” (X = nurses, accountants, computer programmers, etc.). Of course, you will need to evaluate the website to ensure that it is credible and fulfills our assignment requirements. You may also reach out to the subject matter librarian for help, and you are welcome to visit me during office hours if you would like help.
As you research and examine various associations’ websites, think about how and why the organization would be valuable to someone learning about your major. Consider the elements of the rhetorical situation and ethos, pathos, and logos, and use this knowledge to help you evaluate and discuss the website’s features and the organization’s values.
Websites that are not eligible for this assignment: You may not use your CSUS major’s website or any other college website. Moreover, journal websites or subscription memberships for magazines or journals are not eligible for this assignment. Keep in mind that some organizations may also publish journals, but the focus of this paper is to find an association that professionals in or around the selected field would join. For example, the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) is an organization for professionals who teach college composition to join for networking and professional development, and they are the governing body of composition professionals. They produce a journal that comes with a subscription. For our assignment, you could use the CCCC organization website, but you could not use the journal’s stand-alone website.
Directions:
Conduct online research to find a website for a professional association that would be valuable to someone learning about your major. Use the format template below to write a 1000-1200 word review of a website. The site you choose should be an association that professionals in or around the selected field would join to network, give back socially, enhance training/development, or promote relevant research or best practices in the discipline. (You may NOT use your CSUS major’s website or other college websites. Journal websites and government websites (.gov) are ineligible as well. Instead, you will use your research skills to find a different site.)
Minimum Requirements:
• Include all ten sections: Introduction, Design, Focus, Content, Advertising, Effectiveness, Credibility, Values, Relevance, Citation (MLA style)
• 1000 – 1200 words – You want to develop your ideas enough to meet the word count minimum while making choices about what is relevant and necessary to stay below the maximum word count.
• Use the questions in the “Format Example and Content Requirements” to help you provide the required content for your review.
• Follow the conventions of an academic paragraph, and make sure to use transitional language to connect ideas within paragraphs to help your text read smoothly.
• Use subheadings (see the student example paper) and follow the Format Example below for the review paper.
• Follow *MLA style for your paper and include a heading, title, page numbers, and a website citation.
• Write in 3rd person objective. Do not use the first person “I,” as this is too informal for this assignment.
• Proofread and edit your paper. There should be minimal grammatical, mechanical, etc., errors.
• Revisions: The paper should be revised a minimum of 15%, with changes highlighted in yellow on the Revised Draft. In other words, highlight the changes you make from your early drafts to your Revised draft in yellow (highlights are on the Revised Draft). This is how I determine the extent of revisions.
• Revised Draft: Must receive a grade of “Satisfactory.” The paper meets the quality of a “C” or higher. See the Sacramento State Writing Rubric for a description of a “C” paper.
Writing Tips:
• Review the information in the format example and content requirements from the prompt and take a look at the student sample paper in Canvas to help you write your critique.
• Use the questions provided in the categories to help you develop the points you are discussing.
• For the introduction, make sure that the reader knows that the paper’s focus is a critique of the organization’s website (as opposed to a discussion about the organization). You will discuss the organization to explain the website, but our purpose is to evaluate the organization’s website.
• Be sure to balance your descriptions with your critique. You are assessing the website, so describe the feature, offer a critique and explain the relevance of your critique of the element (rationale).
• Be sure to avoid simply answering the questions in your paragraphs, as this will make them sound choppy, and the ideas disconnected. Instead, focus on the effectiveness of the category (your primary topic) and then develop that information with supporting points and examples.
• Follow the conventions of an academic paragraph. Start with a strong topic sentence that identifies the feature and offers an assessment. Next, add supporting points and examples. End with a concluding sentence that sums up the paragraph’s topic.
• Use transitional language (sentences and words) to connect ideas within paragraphs to help your text read smoothly.

Check out the student example website review paper in the Project 1 module on Canvas!
Audiences:
• Primary – students who are entering your major
• Secondary – general college audience, student colleagues, instructor
Assessment:
We engage in various elements of the writing process as we draft this paper by completing low-stakes process assignments where we practice the research and writing skills we are learning in the class. There are 6 milestones for this project, and students earn credit for completing milestones 2-5. Process work is graded credit 1pt/ incomplete .01pts / missing or inadequate 0pts. Students should meet the minimum requirements to earn full credit for the assignment. The Revised Draft, milestone 6, is the final product for the project and it must meet the minimum requirements to receive a “grade” of “satisfactory” and to be eligible to submit the Writer’s Portfolio at the end of the semester.
For this paper, I will focus on your ability to use MLA style, follow genre conventions (paper format), describe, critique, provide a rationale, and demonstrate cohesion by following the conventions of an academic paragraph.
“Best Work”
At the end of the semester, students will choose their “Best Work” to submit in a writer’s portfolio. If the student chooses this paper as the “Best Work” for the writer’s portfolio, the paper must meet the minimum thresholds as stated in the grade contract. “Best Work” papers are graded holistically based on the criteria outlined in the prompt and the Sacramento State writing rubric (posted on Canvas).
Feedback:
You will receive peer and instructor feedback at different times while drafting this text. This feedback will help you understand what areas of the draft are working well and which areas need to be revised. Instructor feedback will focus on patterns of errors or issues in the text as a whole. Students should use this information to look for areas in the text where these patterns of errors are present and then revise them accordingly.
Please note that I will not respond to every area that needs revision. Students should critically evaluate their text for additional areas that need work and make these changes when submitting their “Best Work.” Keep in mind that feedback will not focus on editing or proofreading issues; instead, use Word Review or the free version of Grammarly.com to help with minor grammar and mechanics.
Important Milestone Dates:

Format Example and Content Requirements for Website Review Paper
Last name & Page #
Student Name
Instructor Name
Course Name
Date
Title
Introduction
Start by introducing the website, its purpose, and your overall opinion on the effectiveness of achieving its goal. Explain what the company does and if it effectively communicates its intent. Conclude the introduction with your overall assessment of the site.
Design
Review the design. Design is the first thing you notice when you open the website. Is it appealing? Does the color scheme work? Consider how easy it is to navigate the site. Share your opinion on how the design and navigation work. Did you find anything that didn’t work? If so, make a note of it.
Focus
Discuss the focus of the site. The focus of a website is the site’s intent. Is the goal or purpose of the website clear? Can a first-time visitor easily discover what the website is trying to accomplish?
Content
Explain the content, which is the “meat and potatoes” of the website. What information can you find on the website? Is the content relevant to the purpose of the site? Is it well-written? As a visitor to the website, the content should be pertinent. Read through several pages of the website’s content; like anything published professionally, it should be free of grammatical, spelling, and formatting errors.
Advertising
Comment on any advertising or lack thereof. If the website contains advertising, is it clear and appealing? Would you purchase a product from the website? Does the advertisement take away from the credibility of the website? If yes, explain why. If there isn’t any advertising present, explain how this might impact the audience and help to serve the site’s purpose.
Effectiveness
Evaluate the website for its overall effectiveness. Can you, as the user, easily accomplish your reason for visiting the website? Was the information you were searching for easy to find? Was that information up to date and accurate?
Credibility
Assess credibility. Most websites will have an “About Us” page or another page that introduces the company, its qualifications, and the writer’s profiles. Is the website written by one or multiple authors? With as much information available on the Internet, it is crucial to understand whether the website is accurate and whether the writers are qualified to write about the content displayed. Can you easily discover whether they are qualified to write about the website’s purpose? Writers should have their own byline or profile page. Explain why you think this is a credible website.
Continued on next page…
Values
Connect to values. Does the website indicate the values or what is important to the organization? How do these connect or conflict with the values of the discipline associated with the organization? Clues about the organization’s values can often be found in the “about us” or “mission statement” sections.
Relevance
Finally, discuss how this website would be valuable to someone in your major.
Citation
Cite the website in MLA style.

Milestones for Process Work and Revised Draft

Milestone 1
review instructions available.
Directions: Read through the website review prompt and review the student example paper in the Project 1 module. Start the research process to find a relevant website for our project.

Milestone 2 – Credit 1pt/ Incomplete .01pts/ Missing or inadequate 0pts
Prewriting and Planning: Worksheet #1 due in Canvas
Directions: Once you have found the website that you will use for your review, download the Prewriting and Planning Worksheet from Canvas to help you plan your rough draft. Complete the worksheet and save it as a file. Then submit the worksheet in Canvas under “assignments” “worksheet #1.”

Milestone 3 – Credit 1pt/ Incomplete .01pts/ Missing or inadequate 0pts
1st draft of Website Review Paper due in Canvas
Directions: Write a 1000-word minimum rough draft of your website review paper.
Minimum Requirements:
• Include all 10 sections: Introduction, Design, Focus, Content, Advertising, Effectiveness, Credibility, Values, Relevance, Citation (MLA style)
• Minimum 1000 words – You want to develop your ideas enough to meet the word count minimum while also making choices about what is relevant and necessary to stay below the maximum word count.
• Follow the conventions of an academic paragraph, and make sure to use transitional language to connect ideas within paragraphs to help your text read smoothly.
• Use the questions in the “Format Example and Content Requirements” to help you provide the required content for your review.
• Use subheadings (see format example above and student example paper)
• Include a heading, title, page numbers, and a website citation in MLA style.
• Write in 3rd person objective. Do not use the first person “I,” as this is too informal for this assignment.
Suggestions:
• Review the information in the format example and content requirements from the prompt, and take a look at the student sample paper in Canvas to help you write your critique.
• Use the questions provided in the categories to help you develop the points you are discussing.
• Make sure to avoid simply answering the questions in your paragraphs, as this will make them sound choppy and the ideas disconnected. Instead, focus on the main point and then develop that information with supporting points and examples.
• Be sure to balance your descriptions with your critique. You are assessing the website, so describe the feature, then offer a critique and explain the relevance of your critique of the feature.
• *Single-space your paper and skip lines where applicable (an exception to MLA style for Instructor preference)
We will peer review this draft next week. Papers must be submitted by the due date or within the grace period to be eligible for peer review. Important: You will submit one draft of your paper in Canvas and bring 1 to 2 hard copies to class for our peer review.
Your papers will run through “Turn it in” to help point out any potential plagiarism issues. A report will be available for both students and instructors. Plagiarism reports should indicate 15% or less.

Milestone 4 – Credit 1pt/ Incomplete .01pts/ Missing or inadequate 0pts
Peer Review #1 – We peer review our colleague’s paper in our face-to-face class.
Directions: Bring 2 hard copies of your website review 1st draft to class.
Please remember that when we peer-review our colleague’s paper, we are “friendly” readers, so be mindful of your comments and never insult or demean a colleague’s work. Instead, offer positive feedback along with constructive criticism. Remember that writing is a messy business—and that’s OKAY. Let’s respond with kindness and the understanding that this is a rough draft, and we all have different processes.

Milestone 5 – Credit 1pt/ Incomplete .01pts/ Missing or inadequate 0pts
Completed Self-review and reflection #1 for your own paper due in Canvas
Directions: Download the guided feedback questions for self-review #1. Read your own website review paper and answer the guided feedback questions on the form. You will also include a 1- 2 paragraph reflection about your reading, writing, and research processes of this project. Save the form with your responses as a file. Then submit the worksheet in Canvas under “assignments” “self-review #1.”

Milestone 6 – Assessment: Satisfactory / Needs More Revising / Missing
Revised Website Review Paper due for instructor feedback. Due in Canvas.
Students must receive a grade of “Satisfactory” on the revised draft to be eligible to submit a final portfolio at the end of the semester. Papers that do not meet the minimum requirements will receive a grade of “needs revising,” and students will have one week to revise and resubmit the paper. “Needs revising” papers that are not resubmitted will receive a grade of “ignored” and may be ineligible for portfolio submission.
Directions: Revise your 1st draft using the feedback from your colleague and your self-review.
Minimum Requirements:
• Revise a minimum of 15%, with changes highlighted in yellow on the revised draft. In other words, highlight the changes that you make from your 1st and 2nd drafts to your Revised draft in yellow. This is how I determine the extent of revisions.
• Include all 10 sections: Introduction, Design, Focus, Content, Advertising, Effectiveness, Credibility, Values, Relevance, Citation (MLA style)
• 1000 – 1200 words – You want to develop your ideas enough to meet the word count minimum while also making choices about what is relevant and necessary to stay below the maximum word count.
• Follow the conventions of an academic paragraph, and make sure to use transitional language to connect ideas within paragraphs to help your text read smoothly.
• Use the questions in the “Format Example and Content Requirements” to help you provide the required content for your review.
• Use subheadings (see format example above and student example paper) and write one paragraph per section.
• Include a heading, title, page numbers, and a website citation in MLA style.
• Write in 3rd person objective. Do not use the first person “I,” as this is too informal for this assignment.
• Proofread and edit your paper. There should be minimal grammatical, mechanical, etc. errors.
• The paper meets the grade of a “C” or higher. See the Sacramento State Writing Rubric for a “C” paper description.
When I assess revisions, I look for you to show me that you are engaging in some depth in writing and revising processes. So, consider the ways that experienced adult writers revise their texts by reshaping their work and refining their purposes, as we learned in the text by Nancy Sommers.