COMM 6100 – Research Methods

COMM 6100-090: Communication Research Methods
Spring 2011
Class: TBA

Email: csdavis2@uncc.edu or christine.s.davis@uncc.edu

Required Text:
Davis, C. S., Gallardo, H. P., & Lachlan, K. (2010). Straight talk about communication research methods. Dubuque, IA: Kendall-Hunt Publishing.
Other course material posted as assigned

Required Materials:
Access to computer with word processing, Excel, Internet/49er Express/WebCT, SPSS
Access to a printer card that enables you to print from computers in the computer lab (must have available at all classes)
6th edition, APA manual

Note: Information about this class, including the syllabus and course assignments, and descriptions of your book choices for the book report, can be found on this class link online. This plus your UNC Charlotte email account will be the method of official communication for this class, and you are required to check both regularly.

Purpose of Course:
This course is designed to introduce you to the scientific, interpretive, rhetorical, and critical research methods we use to study communication problems and processes. We will focus on the critical analysis, evaluation, and use of quantitative and qualitative communication research methods. The goals of the course are to assist you in acquiring the ability to understand communication research methods, critique and analyze the value of communication research studies you read, and to conduct basic research to answer communication questions and solve communication problems. This course will prepare you to propose and conduct research for your graduate thesis or directed project, and to take your comprehensive examinations.

General Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the student should:
1. Be a critical evaluator of research.
2. Be able to read and understand research reports.
3. Have a working knowledge of the different types of communication research methods.
4. Be able to formulate research questions and design a research study using the appropriate methods to answer those questions.
5. Be able to carry out a research project.
6. Be able to use primary sources for communication scholarship.
7. Be able to write and present a research report using the appropriate style guidelines.

For Students With Disabilities:
Please notify me within the first week of class if a reasonable accommodation for a disability is needed for this course. A letter from the Student Disability Services Office must accompany the request.

Religious Observances:
Students who anticipate being absent from class due to a major religious observance must provide notice to me in writing by the second week of class, explaining which class period(s) you expect to miss and why.

Course Expectations:
My role as instructor is, to the best of my ability, to provide an environment to facilitate learning to meet the course objectives.

I agree to:
• Always be prepared with well-organized, meaningful material for every class meeting
• Return written material within two class meetings after it is submitted (unless otherwise notified)
• Return tests within two class meetings of the test date
Your role as student is, to the best of your ability, to put forth maximum effort to utilize the environment to meet those objectives.

You are graduate students. You will be treated as adults, and are thus expected (and required) to meet professional classroom conduct and expectations. You will:
• Attend every class session, arrive on time, and remain until dismissed.
• Turn in all assignments on time
• Come to class prepared by having read the assigned material and having completed the written assignments, taking part in an active discussion of the material, bringing the appropriate textbooks to class, and being ready to question, discuss and apply the material.
• Turn in professional-quality work with correct grammar, spelling, etc.

Other Class Ground Rules:
• During class discussions, it is NOT necessary to raise your hand to speak. However, please speak one at a time – let another person finish speaking before you begin. And, please if you have something to say, say it to the class – avoid side conversations with each other.
• There is no such thing as a stupid question.
• It is imperative that you show mutual respect for your “co-learners.”
• Answering “I don’t know” to a question I ask, is okay. Asking me to clarify something you don’t understand is okay.
• All participants are equal and potentially have knowledge relevant to the discussion.
• Everyone doesn’t have to comment on every discussion, but make sure I hear from each of you regularly during the class.
• You do not need to address all of your comments to me to get them on the table. You can respond directly to someone who has made a point.
• During discussions, say what is true for you, even if you are the only one who feels that way. Don’t let the group sway you, and don’t sell out to a group opinion or a strong talker.
• Please encourage other students to take part in the discussion, by…
• Giving your opinion, when appropriate
• NOT giving your opinion, when your silence would encourage or enable someone else to talk
• Encouraging others to talk by calling on them or referring to other comments they have made in class
• Refraining from making judgmental responses to others’ comments
• Refraining from saying or doing anything in class or team meetings which could hurt another class member, person, or groups of persons
• Please make the effort to be an active, participating member of this class

Plagiarism and Academic Integrity:
You are responsible for understanding and following the UNC Charlotte Code of Student Academic Integrity (see UNC Charlotte catalog). This code forbids cheating, fabrication, falsification of information, multiple submission of academic work, plagiarism, abuse of academic materials, and complicity in academic dishonesty. Any special requirements or permission regarding academic integrity in this course will be stated by the instructor, and are binding on the students. Academic evaluations in this course include a judgment that the student’s work is free from academic dishonesty. Students who violate the code can be expelled from UNC Charlotte. The normal penalty for a first offense is zero credit on the work involving dishonesty and further substantial reduction of the course grade. In almost all cases, the course grade is reduced to “F.” Copies of the code can be obtained from the Dean of Students Office. Standards of academic integrity will be enforced in this course. Students are expected to report cases of academic dishonesty to the course instructor.

It is imperative that students understand what constitutes plagiarism: If you use a source in a paper without properly citing it, that is plagiarism. If you use a direct quote, you must include the source of the information, page numbers and quotation marks. If you do not, that is plagiarism. If you are caught, you will be reported and sanctions will be given.

As a condition of taking this course, ALL papers will be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. No student papers will be submitted to Turnitin.com without a student’s written consent and permission (consent form at end of syllabus). If a student does not provide such written consent and permission, for each assignment, in lieu of submission to turnitin.com, the instructor will require a reflection paper on research ethics (a different ethics topic each time, topics will be posted on WebCT), and will require a hard copy of each paper cited with the information used in the citation highlighted.

It is the student’s responsibility to submit ALL papers/assignments to turnitin.com and to print out a receipt. For your protection, attach the receipt to your assignment when you turn in the assignment to me. Papers without the turnitin.com receipt or without the alternative assignment (see paragraph above) will not be considered complete and will not be accepted.

Grading:
Assignment Total Number of Points
Tests (2, 25 points each) 50
Midterm Paper 1: Literature Review 25
Final Paper 2: Research Proposal 25

90-100 points = A
80-89 points = B
70-79 points = C
60-69 points = D
0-59 points = F

Course Assignments:
Note on all assignments. University rules and regulations about academic integrity apply to all tests, papers, exercises, assignments, and anything else you turn in. You must do all work independently—the answers that you turn in MUST be your own.

Tests: You will have 2 tests in this class, worth 25 points each. The tests will be in-class essay tests.

Midterm Paper: Literature Review (worth up to 25 points):
You will conduct a synthesis of the literature on a communication-related topic of your choice. Ideally this topic will lead into your thesis or directed project. You should expect to write approximately 15-20 pages (excluding title page, abstract, and references) and to use a minimum of 20 references.
Reminder: This assignment MUST be submitted to www.turnitin.com BEFORE being turned in to me. I will NOT accept any assignments not submitted to turnitin.com!

Final Paper: Research Proposal (worth up to 25 points):
Using your midterm literature review as a starting point, you will propose a research project to conduct further research on your selected topic. Ideally, this proposal will become your capstone thesis or directed project proposal. You will include sections on your research questions, study objectives, or hypothesis; methodology (approach, population, sampling, measurement, validity/reliability/credibility/crystallization, ethics, variables); analysis plans; limitations; timeline; copy of your instrument or study protocol; and draft of a consent form). See Appendix A of Davis, Gallardo, & Lachlan for more details and a suggested outline. Expect to write from 8-10 pages in addition to your literature review.

Reminder: This assignment MUST be submitted to www.turnitin.com BEFORE being turned in to me. I will NOT accept any assignments not submitted to turnitin.com!

Note: Please be advised that it is possible that I may use your assignments/ papers/exercises (with your identifying information removed) for my teaching portfolio (as a sample/evidence of my teaching effectiveness); for other evaluation of this course, my teaching, or our department; and/or as sample assignments for future students.

General Grading Standards

A: Superior. Implies excellence in thinking and performance. Shows detailed understanding of concepts and principles. Is well-organized. Makes a sophisticated argument. Uses excellent structure and transitions from point to point. Supports all claims. Ideas flow logically. Arguments are reasonable and sound. There are few/no mechanical mistakes (excellent sentence structure, grammar, diction, punctuation, citation in accurate APA, spelling), clear, unambiguous sentences, well-written. In the best A papers, an intelligent voice seems to speak and has something interesting to say, says it clearly and gracefully to an appropriate audience and supports it fully. These papers raise important questions and issues, analyzes key questions and problems clearly and precisely, clarifies key concepts effectively, uses language in keeping with educated usage, demonstrates a commitment to reason carefully, displaying excellent reasoning and problem-solving. Work is precise, clear, well-reasoned, and insightful. The thesis of the paper/project goes beyond what was said in class and the relevance of the topic to the text as a whole is explicit. Works consistently at a high level of intellectual excellence.

B: Good. Implies sound thinking and performance. Promising. Clear, precise, good organization, continuity, well-reasoned, but does not have depth of insight or originality. Probably some minor mechanical errors but no major ones. Ideas are reasonable. Shows comprehension of basic concepts and principles. Thought has obviously gone into the paper; it is solid but not striking. Papers that are competent but remain on a surface level of analysis tend to fall into this range. B-papers often raise questions and issues, analyze questions and problems clearly and precisely, recognize questionable assumptions, clarify key concepts competently, typically use language in keeping with educated usage, begins to reason carefully. Work might be needed on stylistic points such as wordiness or unclear transitions.

C: Good enough. Implies mixed thinking and performance, some development of a range of knowledge acquired through using thinking skills and abilities. C work is inconsistent in clarity, precision, and reasoning, does not display depth of insight or consistent competence. Shows beginnings of comprehension of basic concepts and principles. Might show confusion about concepts. Numerous mechanical errors, perhaps major ones. Poorly organized, might ramble. Words are misused, proofreading is weak. There are some ideas here, but the writer needs help and work to make them clear to another reader. This is the lowest order of competence for graduate students.

D: Unacceptable for graduate students. No argument or thesis. Major mechanical problems. Poor organization. Serious misreading or misunderstandings of concepts or principles. Writer doesn’t have a point to make. Poor thinking and performance. Student writes by memorization rather than using critical thinking skills to comprehend and understand. Unclear, imprecise, or poorly reasoned work. Rarely raises questions and issues, superficially analyzes questions and problems, only partially clarifies concepts, rarely uses language in keeping with educated usage, uses poor reasoning and problem solving, shows a low level of intellectual performance.