ENG 366

Welcome to the University of Dayton Libraries' guide to ENG 366 with Professor Donelson. Click on the tabs to explore the many resources available to support the research requirements for this course.

• For class on 8/27, we will be focusing on Statistics & Data and Academic Articles. 

Course Objectives

This project may touch on all 4 learning outcomes (depending on your topic).

Your Goal(s)

To identify barriers to health literacy and healthcare access in a specific community and begin to consider causes/contributing factors. 

Audience

Anyone interested in improving health literacy/access for the community you are researching. 

General Instructions

1. Brainstorm to create a list of communities you identify with or take a special interest in. These groups could be based on a long list of possible factors: race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, (dis)ability (including medical issues or conditions), profession, religion, location (region, city, neighborhood), legal status (re: immigration, incarceration), family structure (single parents, multigenerational households, etc).
2. Start with some preliminary research to determine what issues of health literacy are facing individuals in this community. In addition to research on health literacy itself, it may help to look at data on use of healthcare services, how many people are uninsured, average income, etc etc. This will vary widely depending on the community you are learning about. The evidence you are looking for could be data but might also include personal stories of individuals.
3. Identify an issue you would like to focus on. 
4. Research how other communities have tackled this issue and/or solved it. Use what you find to support your argument for what should be done.
5. Draft an essay in which you explain the health literacy barriers you see. 

A Note on Sources

Depending on the topics we choose, we will likely be using a wide variety of sources. Here are some possible examples: 

• Census data 
• Academic articles on health literacy in specific communities, health psychology, persuasion, visual rhetoric, public health, sociology, history, social media, medical ethics, specific medical conditions/risks/issues
• Specific public health campaigns and studies of their effectiveness
• Books and articles on health literacy (and other types/domains of literacy)
• Personal narratives from people within the chosen community 
• Social media or news stories about health issues/campaigns 
• Articles about political movements, proposed legislation, etc 
• Websites of nonprofits tackling the issue or advocating for the community
• Interviews (perhaps on podcasts) with people who are organizing to solve the problem