Recommended Length: 5,000-6000 Words. (Approx 500 Words per week.)

The main part of your assessment for this module is a course diary. This is not merely a record of what you have watched throughout the week, or a synopsis of the lectures you attend. It is a critical and analytical exercise. It is intended to help develop and stretch your critical faculties.

It is different from a standard academic essay in that there is no obligation for you to spend hours researching books and articles in the library or online. You are actively encouraged to speak in your own voice. There is no template, and aside from some straightforward guidelines no right or wrong way to do it.

You should aim for a final word count of between 5,000 – 6,000 words. Diaries with a word count significantly below 5,000 will receive a substantial mark-down. If you go above 6,000 you should be absolutely sure that every single word is essential.

Social History is often referred to as “history from below”. It is not the history of kings, queens, generals, captains of industry or presidents. It is the history you are part of and help to make. So the main thing is to be conscious that you are creating something, and actively enjoy the process. If you do it well it will stand up in years to come in a way that standard essays or projects will not.

Your watchwords should be:

Originality

Depth

Coherence

Passion

Don't be afraid to self-edit. Think in terms of the overall coherence and quality of your diary. You may love a particular phrase or passage but if it adds nothing to what you are writing, then leave it out. Keep it for the book or screenplay you will be writing in a few years.

Don't be afraid to challenge opinions. If you disagree with something you hear in class, then express yourself. Nobody is marked down for disagreeing, once your argument is clear and consistent.

Don't just give back an account of the topics covered in the lectures. Remember, I already know what's been covered.

If you are a visiting student, then Do write something about television in your home country.

Do summarise briefly and engage with the topics addressed in the lecture before moving on to develop your own opinions, or taking issue with opinions you disagree with.

Don't be afraid to introduce external elements into your diary. You do not exist in a vacuum. Things happen in the world that are even more important than television. If a conversation with a friend or family member seems relevant then use it. If something happening in the wider world impacts on what you are writing abour, then include it.

Do try to read something relevant to what you are writing about. This may be a newspaper review (preferably something more reflective than Metro), a journal article or a book.

Do try to reach conclusions by the end of the course, and outline them in your final entry. If you still have doubts or a number of conflicting opinions then make this clear, but explain why.

If you have a particular area of interest (class, race, gender, sexuality) then Don't be afraid to let it develop as a thread throughout your diary.

Do use the spell check and grammar check on your word processing program. We all make the occasional mistake. This is unavoidable. Consistent misspelling and bad grammar detracts from the quality and credibility of your work and will be penalised.

If you miss a lecture do not invent discussions that took place in class! You will be severely penalised. I write the lectures, I am present for all of them and I remember what happens in each one. If you miss a lecture, try and get notes from a friend. Do the recommended viewing if you cannot access the viewing from class. Do the prescribed reading. Be up front about your absence, but make an effort to engage with the topic. The easiest way to avoid this problem is to miss as few lectures as possible, preferably none.

The following phrases and variations thereof are banned.

“It's just enertainment.” - Nothing is “just entertainment” and this applies doubly to the material covered in this module.

“I'm not really interested in television.” - Then why are you here? This is not a core module, but an option. It is a course specifically for people who are interested in television.On the other hand, there is nothing wrong with not watching a lot of television, once you watch selectively.

Anything involving the term “political correctness” or “PC”. - This is just a shorthand for intellectual laziness. So unless you have an in-depth knowledge of the actual origins and meanings of the term you should avoid it.

“I don't know why I like it, I just do.” - This is not a critical evaluation. The same goes for not liking something, without any reason given.

“Everyone's opinion is valid.” - No! Everyone is entitled to an opinion but this is not to say that all opinions are equally well considered. Some opinions are objectively wrong.

Write every week.

Such a high word count does appear daunting. So try to write an entry each week. This has several advantages.

1) No panic coming up to the submission deadline. If you write each week, then by the end of the course you should only need to do some editing and spell checking.

2) You will be writing when things are still fresh in your mind. How many times have you come up with the perfect idea or comeback but forgotten to write it down?

3) I can tell the difference between a piece of work that has developed over a long period and one that was dashed off at the last moment.

4) This assignment is submitted in soft copy, on Moodle. Finishing and submitting well in advance helps you to avoid problems with lost files and crashed internet connections. Remember, a computer crash five minutes before the deadline is not a valid reason for an extension.

Bear these guidelines in mind but most importantly try to enjoy the process. You are building something, all the pieces matter and you should take pleasure in the unique shape it develops. You are going to discover some of the best tv drama ever broadcast. You will clarify your opinions and discover interests and preoccupations you never knew you had.

While there is no obligation to cite external sources, any citations you do make should be treated as you would those in a conventional essay. So cite according to the Harvard system and include a Reference List at the end.

• Diaries to be uploaded to Moodle as single Word Documents. Submission date will be advised later in the term.

• You may use either Microsoft Word or the OpenOffice Word processor (which is free to download). Be sure to save as a “.doc” file.

NOTE: If you are using Word 2007 you must not use the “.docx” extension as this cannot be opened on any program apart from Word 2007.

• The file should be named SurnameFirstname.doc (e.g SweeneySheamus.doc).

• First page should show your name, student number and class (JR or CS). If you are an exchange student specify if you are JRX or CSX and include the name of your home university.

• Late submission will be penalised according to school of communications policy. http://www.comms.dcu.ie/handbook/
  
  

Mind your spelling and grammar!

E-mail: sheamus.sweeney@dcu.ie