COMM 6334, Spring 2003 JIM L. QUERY, JR., PH.D.The purposes of this handout are to ID my expectations and tips for the In Progress Report and Final paper. To ease your perusal, an outline format is employed. PLEASE PLAN YOUR PREP TIME NOW.
Ideal Grp Size = 4-5 Individuals
Unless one is a humanities researcher, there is a strong likelihood that s/he will be working as an integral part of an interdisciplinary team. And if s/he aspires to receive external funding from organizations, such as NIH, then, it is a certainty that team projects will have to be developed and executed.
While you must coordinate your activities and cooperate with one another, each member authors individual content. For some sections, only 1-2 students will be writing. For other sections, ALL grp members will write. Similar to "real-world" research teams, you are charged with ensuring a fair distribution of the tasks below.
Optional Risk-Free In Progress Report Due: February 27, 2003.
Final In Progress Report Due: March 18, 2003.
Final Paper Due: May 7, 2003.
Weight: In Progress Report @ 30%; Final Paper @ 20%.
Total Length Parameters:
While I am reluctant to specify a fixed range, most successful papers should reside in the range of 16-20 INDIVIDUALLY authored pages (bibliography is not included). NOTE that this pagination range is somewhat flexible to accomodate diverse writing styles. In terms of sources, your goal is to craft a well-developed and cogent piece. Thus, each grp member should have used at least 25-35 total citations when the IPR and final papers have been completed. No jointly-authored sections will receive a passing grade.
Some additional thoughts about the pagination parameter. If one is planning on writing a thesis, s/he should begin developing many of the necessary skills now. If one is planning on writing comps, s/he should also begin developing many of the necessary skills now. Unlike undergrad, one should try to envision how to use a high quality paper "down the road." Most scholars and practitioners do not start from "scratch" and the best writing evloves over time.
Format:
All papers should adhere to the standards specified in the writing standard guide, follow correct APA documentation procedures, and must be typed using double-spacing. If you have not used APA before, the StyleWizard developed by Dr. Lyle Flint will build your bib for you. The classes' page also briefly indicates how to use APA procedures within papers. Assume that you are writing to a theory and research neophyte. A "neophyte" is one new to an area, and thus, has much to discover and learn.
ASSIGNMENT EXPLICATION:
LABEL as Introduction Section
1). Select and describe a family and communication-based event or situation which intrigues you and/or the group. Your analysis should describe the nature of the event or situation, explicate its history, and detail key theoretical and pragmatic outcomes that may accrue if we were to execute the proposed study. 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 centering on sex, substance use, academic performance, religious preferences; communication among siblings; communication with terminally-ill individuals; communication during the loss of a child; communication when substance abuse is occurring within the family; communication among blended families; communication among biethnic families; the use of the Net by families; communication during relational events such as divorce, reconciliation, and/or remarrying a former spouse; communication in co-dependent relationships within families; communication with individuals living with a disability. 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 families in some context which excites, perplexes, or challenges you and/or the group. 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 focusing on its nature and history. [All students complete].
LABEL as Rationale Section
2). Justify your selection of the topic. Describe its prevalence, implications for individuals, families, organizations, and/or society at large. Focus your analysis by indicating why others should study the selected topic. Also, explicate theory-based (i. e., how will theory-building be enhanced if the proposed study is completed?) and pragmatic benefits that may be realized if your study is conducted. For theory-based benefits, one might consider drawing from the standardized criteria for evaluating the merits of theories (see Heath & Bryant, 2000). For the pragmatic benefits, potential outcomes must have some degree of reasonable feasibility. In this section, the author(s) seek to convince the audience that the topic is worthy of study, and has several potential and pragmatic implications. Although this section is often somewhat brief in published studies (they have a 25 p. limit usually), your explication should be more in-depth and conceptually appealing. [Two individuals could address this section.]
LABEL as Literature Review Section
3). Generate an abbreviated communication theory which accounts for the key features and relationships which exist in your context. Review in depth at least 5-7 studies to support your proposed study and justify the positing of hys and/or Research Questions (RQs). At this juncture, you may be wondering, just what does a good lit review do? It should provide a good synthesis of what is known about a topic, help us home in on key variables and/or theories, and provide a justification for posing additional hypotheses and/or RQs. [Two individuals could address this section and they should NOT be the same members doing the rationale section].
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4). Drawing from Gudykunst and Lee (2001), support or reject their claim concerning generalizability vis-a-vis European American families and non European American families. Your analysis should build upon section one and reside within that context. Be sure to also include within your explication potential units of analysis that would help support your position. For anticipated qualitative qualitative designs, these would include symbols, signs, rituals, and stories. For anticipated quantitative designs, these would include conceptualizing and operationalizing key variables. What special challenges, if any, might confront qualitative or quantitiative investigators? What potential limitations should we anticipate that would limit the proposed study's generalizability? [All individuals complete this section].
5). Berger (1991) laments that there is no one unifying communication theory. Support or reject this claim drawing from your proposed research project, the text, and the SI. [All students complete this section].
