Readings for Week 15

QCRM – Chapter 9 (279-312)

WUQR – Chapter 5 (93-120)

WUQR – Chapter 7 (151-164)

“Preparing and Submitting the Manuscript” – Thyer
[paper copy in your mailbox]

Assignment 6: Functional Outline

The functional outline should be a "zero draft" of the research paper due on Friday, December 4. The purpose of this outline is to think strategically about the function of each section and sub-section of your paper.

You should follow these steps:

Step 1: Create the skeleton of the paper (traditional outline)
Step 2: Put [transition] in between sections and sub-sections
Step 3: Write a few (brief) sentences describing what you want to accomplish under each heading and sub-heading

Remember that you are often trying to accomplish more than one thing in any particular section or sub-section, so you should have more than one sentence after some headings / sub-headings.

For example:

Literature Review

Synthesize most relevant literature to establish theoretical context.

Keep my own project prominent (use it for concrete illustrations).

Make the “gap” or “problem” clear, so the need for my project is obvious.

Please post your functional outline on your research blog by 12 p.m. on Wednesday, November 25.

Assignment 5: Contributions/Limitations

Your contributions/limitations section should be posted on your research blog by 12 p.m. on Wednesday, November 25.

Start this section by reminding the reader what your research accomplished (its contribution to theory or the field), then move on to discussing what still needs to be done (framed as directions for future research in this area, based on the limitations of your study).

This section of the paper is generally no longer than 1.5 to 2 pages. I would recommend reviewing the conclusions of several journal articles before sitting down to draft this section.

Additional examples from last year's class.

Rhetoric of the Image

Ads for Analysis

American Express Small Business



Clorox Bleach



Johnnie Walker Scotch



Nike Football

Readings for Wednesday, November 4

"Analysing Media and Cultural Texts" from Jane Stokes' How To Do Media and Cultural Studies

"Rhetoric of the Image" by Roland Barthes

"A Currency of Signs" from Judith Williamson's Decoding Advertisements

(sorry for the small type on third reading - book is oddly shaped)

Remember to bring an advertisement (print or television) for semiotic analysis in class on November 4.

Update (10/28): I have one extra paper copy of the first reading. It's in my mailbox in the office. The first person to tackle the readings is welcome to take it.

Peer Editing of Literature Reviews

Does the structure move from known to unknown? Is literature synthesized rather than summarized? Are the RQs a natural result of the lit review?

Is it clear why (or how) each study cited is relevant to the current project?

Is the current study present throughout the literature review? Does the lit review identify gaps or disagreements in current knowledge and make a strong case for what the current study is contributing?

Is it clearly written (free from typographical and grammatical errors, poor word choice, overly long sentences, and awkward phrasing)?

Readings for Wednesday, October 14

Excerpt from Virtual Methods

Excerpt from Internet Inquiry

QCRM – Chapter 8 (247-278) is now optional 

(you don't have to read it if you don't have time)

Methods Section Samples

Study using interviews in the Journal of Marriage and Family

Study using focus groups in Communication Quarterly

Study using textual analysis of a website in the Western Journal of Communication

To better acquaint yourself with the language of qualitative research, please read the methods sections of all three pieces.

Reading and Assignment for October 7 Class

Excerpts from Focus Groups: Theory and Practice

+ Chapter 4 (pp. 65-92) in Writing Up Qualitative Research

Literature Reviews are due by 12 p.m. on October 7. We are posting an outline to our research blogs, sending an e-copy to CAP, and bringing one hard copy to class.

Remember that your goal is to take the reader from “what is known” (and relevant to your topic) to “what is unknown” (and needs to be known)

KNOWN → UNKNOWN

The literature review should:

1. Be organized around and related directly to your RQ
2. Synthesize results of other research into a summary of what is known
3. Identity gaps or controversies in the current literature
4. Situate the current project within these gaps or controversies

You also need to explain:

• Why the literature you cite is relevant to your topic
• Why the knowledge you seek to contribute is important

One of the big problems I see in literature reviews is that the subject of the current study gets lost in the summary. Try not to go more than 2 paragraphs without a reference to the current topic or an explanation of why this literature is relevant.

Q: How long should a literature review be?

A: Look at the journal(s) you are targeting. What percentage of the articles does the literature reviews make up? We tend to write too much. Remember to and synthesize results (multiple studies in citation) rather than summarize each study that is relevant to your project. Generally, your literature review should not be longer than 5 pages.

Assignment 4: Oral History

Interview a family member or friend about his or her history of using the internet. Follow the guidelines provided in QCRM and utilize the techniques discussed by Seidman [the "Technique Isn't Everything, But It is a Lot" reading can be downloaded here].

Recording / transcription are not required, but you should take detailed notes to increase the accuracy of your oral history.

This research assignment has two objectives:

• To practice generating questions that will elicit helpful responses from your subject
• To develop stronger interviewing skills (questioning, directing, and probing responses)

Your write-up should include your complete interview protocol (the questions you asked, in the order you asked them) and a BRIEF (no more than 5 paragraphs) summary of your respondent’s experience with the internet. It should be posted on the course blog by 12 p.m. next Wednesday.

Internet Research Presentation (9/14)

If you would like a copy of my notes from last Monday's presentation on conducting research online, click here.

Reading and Directions for September 23 Class

“Deep Play” by Clifford Geertz

+ Chapter 5 (pp. 132-169) in Qualitative Communication Research Methods

Remember that we are meeting at the Northport Hornbacher's for our September 23 class, at 5 p.m. sharp.

Click on the map below for directions from NDSU:


View Larger Map

As you are reading about the ethnographic method, think about the best way(s) to observe shopping behaviors (and discern the logic of consumer purchasing behaviors).

Assignment 3: Paper Proposal

For this assignment, you will outline a brief research proposal. Your proposal should include all of the following elements:

• Clearly defined research topic
• Annotated bibliography (explain relevance to your project)
• Research questions
• Proposed sites / text / artifacts
• Methods for collecting data

The final paragraph of your proposal should draw from the readings to explain how the methods selected will answer your research questions, and how you see your research contributing to current knowledge.

Your paper proposal should be posted on your research blog by 12 p.m. on Wednesday, September 16.

Email, IM, or stop by if you have questions.

Assignment 2: Project Timeline

For this assignment, you will draw up a timeline for completing your final research project.

Evaluation of your final project will include a consideration of how well you adhered to the deadlines that you set for yourself. Please be mindful of the assignment deadlines in the syllabus (e.g., project proposal due date) when setting up your timeline.

Here are some of the items we listed in class:

• Topic selection
• IRB approval
• Searching for books/articles
• Writing the research proposal
• Writing the literature review
• Writing the methods section
• Constructing the research protocol
• Recruiting subjects or collecting texts
• Conducting interviews/focus groups/observations
• Transcribing (generally takes 3-4x longer than interview)
• Organizing the data
• Analyzing the data
• Writing the contribution/limitations section
• Creating a functional outline
• Writing up the research

[Let me know if you see anything I have missed]

Your project timeline should be posted on your research blog by 12 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9.

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

All projects involving human subjects must be approved by NDSU's Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to the recruitment of participants.

IRB applications (protocols) and related forms can be downloaded here.

Additionally, all researchers involved with the project must be certified to conduct research. If you have not completed a training session in human subjects protection in the last 3 years, you will need to do so. Click here for further information on training options.

Here are sample documents - from the qualitative study that Kai, Kristofer, and I are currently conducting - for your reference:

IRB application
Consent form
Recruiting script
Qualitative survey instrument

Assignment 1: Academic Biography

For this assignment, you will produce a short academic biography that identifies the areas of expertise you wish to claim and traces the outline of a program of research. This exercise is designed to get you thinking about (1) what you wish to be known for as an academic, (2) the projects that will help you pursue your research interests.

This is not the final statement of who you are and what you do. Our academic interests change (especially during graduate school). But knowing how to define and present yourself as a researcher will aid you in your professional career.

Directions:

Your academic biography should be written in third person. It should not be more than 3-4 paragraphs in length. Conciseness is valued here.

It should contain:
* Highest degree attained
* Areas of expertise (e.g., organizational communication, gender studies, communication and the law, etc.)
* Research interests (more specific expressions of what you study)

It may also contain:
* Teaching interests (classes you have taught / classes you specialize in)
* Academic achievements (pick the top one or two if you include this part)
* Relevant life experiences

Examples from the NDSU Comm faculty can be found by clicking here.

[Teaching assignments are currently out of date]

My academic biography can be found here. Note the connection between my areas of expertise and research interests. Ideally, research should emerge directly out of your areas of expertise.

Please post your own academic biography as the first entry in your research blog by 12 p.m. on Wednesday, September 2.