COMM 4360

(200 points in total. Please fill out the required section week by week. See the schedule in this syllabus for the weekly requirements. The instructions in italic fonts are here to help you to use this template and follow the report format. In week 8, when you polish the final report, please remove all the instructions to keep your final report coherent. Thanks.)

(Title: 5 points ; should be about the relationship between two variables, and at least one variable should be predominately in communication or related areas):

Introduction

(15 points ; should be at least two paragraphs, at least 150 words for each paragraph; needs to address why this relationship about the two variables are worth exploration with at least five citations from academic journals. One missing citation will cause a three-point deduction).

Literature Review

(30 points; with at least eight citations from academic journals and related to relationship or the variables under study. For the citations, the more relative the better; one or more citations from the introduction part can be used but the points from those citations should not be repetitions. Needs to discuss how researchers have known about the variables and their relationship so far so that your study will not repeat previous studies and “reinvent the wheel”. Three points deduction for each citation missing. This part should contain at least three paragraphs, two paragraphs about the findings of the two variables, and one paragraph about the findings of their relationship, with each paragraph containing at least 150 words. At the end clearly state your research hypothesis if you have enough confidence for your prediction of the relationship based on your review of previous studies or research question if you are still not sure about the relationship based on the literature reviewed.)

RQ/H: (choose one and remove the other, and then state your RQ or H here)

Methodology

Research Procedure. (40 points). This is the section of the methodology part. Name your research method and discuss with at least three citations why this method is the best choice to answer your research question. Previous citations can be used but points should not be repetitions.

This is where you tell me about the research project you are planning, in a step-by-step way.

a. Research question or hypotheses

b. Proposed methodology (Include citations about the method you will be using and how it has been used before in communications research). Make sure that your procedure fits the requirements about the research methods of your choice in the readings and that overall principles of “objective, systematic, and replicable.”)

c. Sampling frame

d. Independent variables (quantitative only, include pre-existing scales, if appropriate)

e. Dependent variables (quantitative only, include pre-existing scales, if appropriate)

f. Timeline for data collection

Measurement (50 points) ( there is no page limit here, since every method is different) With at least five citations, clearly define the meanings of the two variables under study and how specifically they will be measured in your study. One or more citations from the introduction and literature review parts can be used but the points from those citations should not be repetitions. You could just borrow the measurements used in the previous studies, or modify them for your own study with substantial argument to support the modification.)

When proposing your draft of measures/instrument, including either of the following based on the methods you choose

i. A codesheet/codebook for content analysis

ii. An experimental protocol and stimulus materials for experiments

iii. A draft of your survey if you’ve chosen a survey

iv. An interview guide for focus groups or in-depth interviews

Predicted results (15 points) Written in the future tense, you should give me some idea of the kind of information you believe you will have at the end of your study, and any results predicted by your own hypotheses, based on previous studies.

Exapnded references (15 points) All the research studies/journal articles that you use to build you research proposal should have full references available in the appendix section

(Finally, the revision, polishing, and final submission counts for 20 points. Revise each part of the mini research project accomplished in previous weeks based on feedback from the class and put them into the final version of your research report. Polishing and proofreading it to eliminate any errors an make the final report logically fluent, coherent, and focused. Each error cause a five-point deduction. Before the final submission, please make sure that you remove all instruction in italic. )