Media Theory and Ethics (FMP 350)

Here are the details of your main assignments for FMP 350.

Also read two pages of this guide for your class assignments:

1. How To Write A Research Paper
2. How to Write A Literature Review

Goals for this session are:

• Discuss and expand knowledge of literature reviews: what they are, their purpose, and how finding a literature review will help further your research.
• Where to find quality information. Understanding the resources that are available to you for this assignment. What are the sources that most useful.
• How to use research tools most effectively. Advanced search strategies: Further practice in Boolean searching and Subject Searching.

This 10-12 page research theory paper will introduce a communication question that you wish to investigate. The paper should center on a communication theory of your choice within the field of mass communication.

As you have learned from the first few weeks of class, this is a broad field, in which many exciting developments are occurring on a daily basis. There are many topics you might choose to pursue. The topic selection is up to you – you may have some burning question or area of interest we haven’t addressed in class. Be creative in your approach to your topic.

You must use at least ten sources other than the class readings in writing your paper – more would be better. You should use primary sources whenever possible. Primary sources means original works on the subject.  Also, you should spend a significant amount of time in the library finding as many sources as you can on your topic, such as books, academic and trade journal articles.

DO NOT rely in large measure on articles from magazines like Time, Newsweek, or U.S. News and World Report. These sources can be helpful, but they usually do not provide enough in-depth information. For that reason, at least four of your sources must be primary sources, in-depth books or academic and trade journal articles.

You can certainly use the Internet for your research, but remember that it is sometimes difficult to determine the credibility of the information on a website. Carefully cite these sources by noting the URL and the company or individual listed as the web page creator. Limit your use of online sources to no more than five sources. There are exceptions to this rule for items that are merely reprinted on line, like journal articles, newspaper articles, and so forth.

You must properly cite your sources. Go to the library and look at the Publications Manual of the American Psychological Association. For a quick reference, I have provided a link to an APA formatting and style guide on the class Blackboard site. Each citation in the list of references must have the name of the author, the date of publication, the title of the publication, page numbers and journal name (if an article), and publisher information. Any direct quote or idea taken from a source must be noted as such within the text. Use the style manual for directions for citing within the text, and be VERY CAREFUL! Plagiarism will not be tolerated.

Organize your paper carefully. Include an introduction, with an identifiable thesis statement, a body, and a conclusion. Connect your ideas together with good transitions from paragraph to paragraph. Write clearly, and proofread carefully (computers have spell checkers for a reason, but a spell checker won’t correct you when you use “to” instead of “too” or “two”). Following is a suggested outline: 

1. Introduction to the topic 
   • What is the issue under discussion?
   • Why is it an important topic at this time? (Is it currently a hot topic? Has it been a hot topic for some time? Is it a new technology that has just come on the scene? Make it sound interesting.)
   • Thesis statement: “This paper will...” (.5-1 page)
2. Literature Review 
   • Literature reviews are designed to do two things:
     • Give your readers an overview of sources you have explored while researching a particular topic or idea  
     • Demonstrate how your research fits into the larger field of study (1-2 pages)
3. Historical perspective on the topic 
   • What did your extensive research reveal about this topic?
   • Where did this issue/topic originate, and what is its history?
   • Organize your review of the info so that you address several topics in an orderly fashion.
   • Try to address the issue from both the consumers’ and the producers’ point of view. (2-3 pages)
4. How your topic fits into the theory of your focus. 
   • Take the major parts of the theory and apply them to your findings within your topic. (6-7 pages)
5. Conclusion 
   • Brief restatement of the thesis
   • Brief summary of what you found, and why it is important to study it.  End with something memorable. (0.5-1 page)

1. Develop a research question. Be as specific as possible. Example: 
   • Should companies like Facebook be allowed to secretly experiment on their users? From a yes or no question to... How should one respond to changing privacy issues related to Facebook's experimentation on user's personal information?
2. Highlight or list key words within the body of the question. 
3. Find a good overview of the topic. Librarians are happy to help you find one. (This does not mean looking at journal articles.) Background information may be found in textbooks or reference resources such as CREDO or Gale Virtual Reference as well as the print sources listed in this guide. Some helpful print sources are listed.
4. Create or revise a research question with multiple points of view. You are not writing a report that can be answered by searching one specific source. A good research question looks at a variety of sources and a variety of points of view.