• ● Part 1 is reading information and taking the Academic Honesty Quiz (Quiz 4)
• ● Part 2 is completing the Annotated Works Cited.
• ● The Zine is Part 3 of the research assignment journey.

Content Overview

• ● Choose two people from America (the United States/indigenous land) who have advocated for civil and/or human rights, and compare their work. After presenting a brief overview of their work and a few details that you find interesting, write about why you chose these particular people from the list and what you find remarkable about them. This information will come from your research in the Annotated Works Cited, which you will pair with your own organizational ideas, reflections, and MLA-style citations.
• ● The list of advocates to write about appears in the Blackboard folder, the Annotated Works Cited instructions, and within this document. Please stick to that list.
• ● You must use and document 4-6 credible sources, at least 4 of which come from ACC’s databases.

What is a Zine?

A zine (pronounced ZEEN) is short for "fanzine" and is usually a small-batch, independently published work that circulates less than 1,000 copies. Anyone can be a zinester (aka "someone who creates a zine"), and most people make zines for the love of creating rather than for seeking a profit. In general, a zine is a pamphlet-like publication that can include text, images, artwork, found objects, or any other creative material that helps to express the author's message. (Purdue University)

Popularized by Gen X and revived by Gen Z, zines originally presented information in a low-tech way with cutups, collage, and a homemade aesthetic. I’ll call it micro-self-publishing. In the 90s, I worked for a zine in Atlanta called Dog Soup, and I was able to interview some pretty cool people that way. That also led to a few freelance writing gigs for me. It was a low-pressure way to practice my writing and interview skills. Dog Soup went through a low-end printing press, but the personal zines I made, I photocopied myself. My copies are now practically disintegrating.

If you want examples, there are plenty online, or you can visit Monkey Wrench Books or just about any independent bookstore in Austin.

Why a Zine?

With the demand for creativity increasing in the workforce, I aim to deconstruct the traditional research essay and reimagine the possibilities of personal publishing.

From Perplexity (“Why are zines popular?): Zines remain popular because they are accessible, foster creative freedom, build communities, preserve marginalized voices, and offer a unique, tangible experience in an increasingly digital world.

Your Zine

• ● Follow the outline carefully. It specifies what goes on each page (title, paragraph, image, citations, page number, visual impact)
• ● You will be asked to bring in a hard copy and upload a PDF of your zine.
• ● Each printed page should be 8.5 X 11”
• ● You can handmake the zine using a collage method (this is encouraged!), but the paragraphs and citations should be printed out from a computer in a readable font.

Here are some subjects for your research. Choose two, and choose at least one person with whom you are completely unfamiliar. Do preliminary research before you decide on your subjects. I will consider other activists, but they must fit the criteria (from the United States, historically underrepresented population, articles available in the ACC databases), and you need written permission.

General Goals and Tips

● Read the slides.

● Always ask questions; don’t guess.

● Remember that correct and accurate citations are essential for

● Remember that correct and accurate citations are essential for this project.

● Be specific and be interesting. Write something you would want to read.

● Use quotations when you want to call attention to the source or when the wording of the

● material is important—don’t pad the paper with direct quotations and simply make a patchwork of research.

● It is important to include direct quotations from the activists.

● One paragraph per zine page.

● Every paragraph does not have to be the same length. Some may be longer than others. Use the checklist (in the assignment folder) to make sure you’ve completed all the requirements.

Grading Rubric--15 points Total

● Content, Reflection & Depth 5

● Works Cited & In-Text Documentation 5

● Titles, Images & Visual Impact 2

● Grammar & Mechanics 3