SCOM 280, SPRING 2009JIM L. QUERY, JR., PH.D.The purpose of this handout is to ID my expectations and tips for the term paper. To ease your perusal, an outline format is employed. PLEASE PLAN YOUR PREP TIME NOW.
Although the prospectus is an INDIVIDUAL assignment, I strongly encourage each of you to consider building on the topics selected for your initial group assignment: HY/RQ Building & Dissemination
OPTIONAL RISK-FREE PROSPECTUS DUE DATE: February 19, 2009.
FINAL PROSPECTUS DUE DATE: MARCH 5, 2009.
OPTIONAL RISK-FREE LIT REVIEW & METHOD SECTION DUE DATE:
APRIL, 9, 2009
FINAL/REVISED LIT REVIEW & METHOD SECTIONS DUE DATE:
APRIL 30, 2009.
WEIGHT: PROSPECTUS @ 18%; LIT REVIEW & METHODS @ 18%.
TOTAL LENGTH PARAMETERS
While I am somewhat reluctant to specify a fixed range, most successful prospecti have spanned 8-12 double-spaced pages. Most successful lit reviews and method sections have ranged from 10-15 double-spaced pages. Please be ADVISED that length, or pagination, is the lowest level criterion for this assignment. The quality, breadth, and cogency of the writing are of the HIGHEST priority.
REQUIRED SOURCES:
At least 30, of which 10 can be shared among your research team on the HY/RQ assignment. Both texts count as sources too. At least 80 percent of your sources should be drawn from scholarly refereed journals.
FORMAT:
All papers should adhere to the standards specified in the writing standard guide, follow correct APA documentation procedures, and be double-spaced typed. The tools to help each of you meet these standards are available through the links below. Assume, also, that you are writing to a research neophyte; that is, one who is new to an area and has much to discover.
PROSPECTUS: First, please recall that this term, in research contexts, represents a proposal and usually the front-end or initial components of a forthcoming study. Hence, effective prospecti present an in depth introduction and rationale.
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ASSIGNMENT EXPLICATION:
Section I: Introduction---What are your goals here?
(A) Select a topic that is meaningful to you. It may have affected key members of your social network or involved yourself. Superficial choices are readily transparent.
(B) Provide an in depth assessment of the topic focusing on its fundamental nature, history, known causes, and risk factors (if applicable) that are amenable to social influence strategies often employed by health communication and public health professionals.
(C) Describe key outcomes that are shaped by the communication patterns and/or practices surrounding this topic. Can you identify salient communication "enablers" and "barriers" associated with this topic? If so, briefly explain them.
Introduction---Instructions
1). Select and describe a COMMUNICATION-BASED event or situation which intrigues you. Your analysis should describe the nature of the event or situation, explicate its history, known causes, risk factors and detail key outcomes that are shaped by communication.
Some possible events/situations include:
relationship development, maintenance, and/or termination among adolescents, young adults, middle-aged adults, or the elderly;
communication between parents and children;
communication among siblings;
disconfirming communication;
communication with terminally-ill individuals;
communication in support groups;
communication between students and instructors;
communication among health care providers;
communication between partners and/or spouses;
communication of health promoting messages via mass media campaigns; communication with battered women;
communication between private sector organizations and key publics; communication with sexually abused individuals;
communication with homeless individuals;
or communication with individuals living with disabilities.
Of course, there are many other possibilities, and you are not limited to the preceding topic areas. The key here is to focus on the communicative patterns of individuals in some context which excites, perplexes, or challenges you.
1a) LABEL AS INTRO SECTION Be advised, however, that this section is NOT a brief overview. In the past, most successful authors have used several pages to provide an overview of the selected topic.
ALL STUDENTS COMPLETE THIS SECTION.
Section II: Rationale (aka, justification for proposed study)---And your goals here are???
(A) Justify your selection of the topic by marshaling evidence from sources, primarily refereed journals, demonstrating that your topic has pragmatic and theoretical import.
(B) Convince the readers and potential decision makers that your study should be conducted.
2). Defend your selection of the topic along pragmatic and theoretical grounds. That is, why should it be studied?
2a) Pragmatically, describe its prevalence (i.e, how widespread it is), document costs or outcomes associated with the event/sitatution, and describe key implications for individuals, families, organizations, and/or society at large.
2b) Theoretically, demonstrate how theory-building and/or testing may be enhanced if the proposed study were conducted.
2c) LABEL AS RATIONALE SECTION.
AT LEAST TWO STUDENTS CAN COMPLETE THIS SECTION.
THOSE WHO DO WOULD NOT COMPLETE SECTION III. (FOR A THREE MEMBER GRP, ONLY ONE PERSON WOULD COMPLETE).
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Section III
Literature (lit) Review and Method Section---Your goals are???
(A) Provide in depth coverage of salient research, predominantly appearing in refereed journals, about your topic being sure to demonstrate a communication perspective. That is, there must be some coverage of message behavior.
(B) The preceding goal can be accomplished by describing the main thrust of selected studies, key variables, sample characteristics, Hys/RQs, findings, and limitations.
Instructions
3). Review past research to build a sound foundation for your study. Describe what is currently known and/or unknown about your topic. In particular, how do past research and existing theories inform the focus of your theory? The lit review thus provides a rationale for the study's hypotheses (hys) and/or Research Questions (RQs). Be sure to explain how your conceptual variables may be operationalized. Your operationalizations must be consistent with the data type of each variable.
3a). LABEL AS LIT REVIEW SECTION. Assuming you've laid a strong foundation in sections one and two, this section serves as the framework of the "house". It is without question the most revealing section of the piece. You must describe, explain, and evaluate existing research that informs our understanding of your topic. This "literature review" helps justify your Hys/RQs.
AT LEAST TWO STUDENTS CAN COMPLETE THIS SECTION. FOR A THREE MEMBER GRP, ONLY ONE PERSON WOULD COMPLETE.
Section IV
3b). Describe at least one standardized instrument that could be used to measure key variables in your study. ID two RQs or two Hys (hys) to help test your underlying hunches about your topic. ID the appropriate statistical test(s). LABEL as Methods Section
ALL STUDENTS COMPLETE THIS SECTION.
