Research Internship

ENGL 7900 allows you to apply workplace field research theory and methods in an actual workplace setting. The questions that follow define the research internship, state prerequisites prior to beginning the internship, identify the time requirement, and outline student and supervisor responsibilities.

The research internship requires primary research—the systematic collection of information, data, or specific other source material, or the carrying out of research which can only be done in a specific location. Broadly defined, this component of our PhD program exists to:

  • Provide you with research opportunities outside the context of the graduate coursework and immerse you in the processes of an actual professional communication culture.
  • Involve you in primary research related to how professionals communicate in the workplace.
  • Allow you to practice identifying, collecting, and analyzing evidence of specific communicative acts that frame professional communication.

Although the list below is not comprehensive, possible research projects could be envisioned in one or more of the following ways:

  • Working for an extended period of time on-site in an organization as a participant-observer (e.g., a traditional internship with a research component).
  • Working for an organization as a consultant, not necessarily at the physical site of the organization (e.g., telecommuting, again with a research component).
  • Visiting the site of an organization regularly over a period of time as an observer, gathering data about communication as it happens (e.g., sitting in on meetings, monitoring email conversations, interviewing people who work in the organization) or studying the on-site archives (print or electronic) of the organization, but not necessarily operating as a productive member of the organization.
  • Visiting a library or other archival site regularly over time to conduct primary research on a particular record of professional communication.

Prerequisites to the Research Internship Project

You will need to complete the following steps prior to beginning the research internship:

  1. Complete 7410 (fall).
  2. Complete 7000 (spring).
  3. Develop an acceptable proposal with research questions.
  4. Select a research supervisor from your Supervisory Committee.
  5. Receive approval of the project by the selected research supervisor.

You should aim to complete the research internship as soon as possible after completing your fourth semester. You will then give a public report (presentation) on your internship and how it connects to your dissertation in your fifth semester. This should be scheduled with your dissertation committee chair.

The research internship must be completed and graded before you may register for dissertation credits.

Research Internship Requirements

Research Internships constitute six credits of your program of study. To earn these six credits, you should plan to work approximately 300 hours on the research project. These 300 hours should include the time spent at the research site and work completed there, time spent collecting and analyzing data, and time spent creating the required research internship documentation.

Student and supervisor responsibilities for the research internship are as follows:

Student Supervisor
Develops proposal, including timeline for documentation and project completion. Approves proposal; agrees to supervise.
Writes and maintains work documentation, including required progress report. Reviews documentation and responds to progress report.
Consults with supervisor on a regular basis in one or more of the following ways:
  • Email correspondence
  • Telephone conversations
  • Face-to-face meetings
  • On-site visits
 Provides consultation, as needed and as appropriate to the student’s fieldwork project. Typically, supervisor and student will consult on a bi-weekly schedule, but this schedule may be modified, as the supervisor deems necessary.
Writes final fieldwork report, which may take a variety of forms (for example, publication-ready article, pilot study, dissertation chapter). Assesses report and determines fieldwork experience grade.
Presents the fieldwork orally, with visual aids, in a public forum (usually a classroom in the English Department with faculty and other students in attendance). Assesses oral presentation