Date of Award
Spring 5-10-2023
Degree Type
Capstone
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Professional Writing (MAPW)
Department
English
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Dr. Lara Smith-Sitton
Co-Chair
Dr. Chris Palmer
Abstract
This capstone explores the creation of a resource that helps professional writers keep up with ever-changing style practices and understand the implications of different stylistic and mechanical choices. Examining the history of style guides, analyzing the content of existing style references through the lens of prescriptivism and descriptivism, and assessing the gaps of current online style resources demonstrate how a new online style resource hosted on Instagram, EnsleyEdits, can meet this need for professional writers. Research on current social media, accessibility, and design practices demonstrate how content on the EnsleyEdits account can succeed on Instagram, and the results of an IRB-approved usability study highlight insights from the resource’s target audience. Collectively, these research components reveal how the EnsleyEdits style resource can help writers produce effective, conscious, intentional writing.