Since some of you have asked….

My “Original Research Study” [also to referred to as my ginormous undergrad communication thesis project that has deprived me of sleep and stretched my brain in directions not accustomed to] is nearing completion.

The crowning end of it all will be my presentation on May 2nd. It shall be a glorious day, all of us comm seniors sharing the vast knowledge we have discovered through these undertakings. Yes, we are all presenting the same day.

You are in luck. This glorious day is open to the public! I am required to be attentive and dressed up for the entire production. You, however, can come and go as you please.

Here is the info: [slightly adapted from the published Aquinas Symposium]

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Alissa Jean Schafer – 3:00-3:25 p.m. Making Websites Click
Saturday, May 2, Upper Level Donnelly Center

The browser is opened, the website scanned, the mouse clicked. In a matter of seconds, the viewer is on to the next page, then another, and then a few more after that. What drives this sporadic clicking? Are there clear patterns in viewers’ online behavior? What are the elements of a successful website? What makes it “click”? As newspapers continue to close and shrink, as market demographics morph with the online generation, and as economic tightness demands creative resourcefulness, an effective website is absolutely crucial.
This study looks at the specific issue of HEADLINES, even more specifically, top news headlines from top news sites and their use of rhetorical devices.
Consider it a headline anatomy lesson.
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I have talked about/stressed over/processed this project to some of you so much I feel like you’ve almost been a part of the process. And some of you actually were [part of the process] because you helped with my data; you’re just extra cool. Thanks for all of the encouragement, here’s to a successful next few days of writing and editing, and I’d love to see you May 2nd. Just smile and nod ;o)

contact me with any questions