In this extensive description of your artifact, you are trying to download all the information you can find on your artifact. One reason for this part of your paper is to justify why you are studying this particular artifact. In other words, what makes this item worthy of study. What is so important or significant about this item that it is worthwhile to examine and to identify its messages.

The following list areas that you could examine in the extensive description of your artifact or topic. This is not an exhaustive list, and you may include other information in describing your artifact and its creator or your topic.

1. Description of the artifact.

1.1 What it is–briefly describe the artifact. If it is a film or book, then identify it as such and briefly state the plot. For a visual work, you can describe the item.

1.2 Who is involved in creating the artifact, which can include the author or creator. For works that are a group effort, you may want to discuss the important people who are involved in the project.

1.3 When and where does it exist–put the artifact into context in terms of the time period it first existed and where it exist. For example, if your artifact is Bruce Springsteen’s song “Born in the USA,” state when it was released and what was going on in the world at the time.

For a speech, you may want to describe the circumstances giving rise to the speech, and the conditions under which it was presented.

1.4 How the artifact was produced or created. This may depend on the type of artifact.

1.5 Why the artifact exists. What motivated the author to create this artifact? Maybe it was in response to something that was going on at the time.

2. Explore what others said about the artifact.

2.1 Summarize news reports about the artifact and the sources who reported on the artifact.

2.2 Discuss what critics said about the artifact. For films, IMDB can be a good source.

2.3 Identify any controversy about the artifact or its creator.

2.4 Describe the scope of its Wikipedia entry because Wikipedia legitimizes people and works in our culture.

3. Identify the awards or accolades granted to the artifact or its creator

4. Discuss the artifact’s financial gains and distribution throughout the world.

4.1 Profits or losses generated by the artifact

4.2 Scope of distribution (USA, worldwide, universal)

5. Anything unusual about this artifact