Communication 297-4, Communication Research Methods: Policy, Information, and Syllabus
Instructor: Daniel Cochece Davis, Ph.D. E-Mail: .
Office Phone: (309) 438-4518 Office: Fell Hall #458
Office Hours: Wednesday (3:00-5:10 pm) and Friday (1:00-1:50 pm). If there is a continuous conflict with normal office hours, I am also available through appointments and e-mail.
Class Time & Place: Wednesdays, 6:00-8:50 pm, FEL 162.
Texts:
1) Salkind, N. J. (2012). Exploring Research (8th edition). Boston, MA: Pearson. ISBN: 978-0-205-09381-6. (Required).
2) APA Guide to Publication (6th edition). (2009). American Psychological Association. ISBN: 978-1433805615. (Required).
Purpose/Rationale of Course: The purpose of this course is to provide students with the opportunity to obtain and, to a fundamental degree, master the primary tools of scholarly investigation. These include familiarity with information databases and database searching techniques, quantitative empirical investigative techniques and experimentation formats, qualitative methods of investigation, manuscript/journal article formats, and the further development of critical thinking skills as evidenced through writing. This course is, at many levels, preparatory for upper division course work within each student's concentration/major and beyond.
Course Objectives:
Given the purpose/rationale of this course, its pedagogical goals are expressed via the objectives listed below. By completion of this course, you should:
1. Be able to identify the relevant database(s) pertinent to an information search.
2. Be able to critically evaluate the relevant strengths and weaknesses of various publication sources (e.g., newspapers, magazines, web sites, journal articles, books).
3. Be able to navigate various social science and humanities databases in an information campaign.
4. Understand, at least at a rudimentary level, the differences between mathematics and statistics.
5. Understand, at least at a rudimentary level, the differences between “descriptive” and “inferential” statistics.
6. Understand, at least at a rudimentary level, the different “families” or lineages of statistical analyses.
7. Be able to perform a rudimentary statistical analysis of data.
8. Understand the fundamental differences between various empirical investigations.
9. Understand the format and some of the dynamics of a focus group, as well as the processes of preparing and facilitating a focus group.
10. Understand the fundamental differences between quantitative and qualitative empirical orientations.
11. Understand the how quantitative and qualitative empirical orientations may be combined into single investigations.
12. Be able to create a social science questionnaire that attempts to be reliable, valid and ethical.
13. Be able to identify various parts of a social science manuscript format, as well as similar social science journal article formats.
14. Be able to read social science journal articles and understand where different sections are located, what those sections contain, and how they may or may not be useful in the creation of one’s manuscript.
15. Have a heightened understanding of the ethics and mechanics of proper social science citation and referencing.
16. Understand the ethics of proper participant treatment during social science research.
17. Be able to submit a properly prepared research protocol to the University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB).
18. Have a heightened awareness of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, as well as the abilities commensurate with a rudimentary understanding of how to define variables, enter data, and check data entry for errors.
19. Be able to orally articulate empirical research findings in a professional manner and format.
20. Have a heightened awareness of why plagiarism is problematic and unhealthy in an information society.
21. Develop heightened critical thinking skills, and be able to demonstrate these skills orally and in writing.
22. Be able to identify problematic elements of a research study, and articulate why these elements are problematic.
23. Be able to coordinate efforts and collaborate with fellow researchers in a group research project resulting in scholarship.
24. Evaluate others and their work in an ethical, constructive and developmental manner.
In short, by the end of this course, you should be a more critical and sophisticated consumer and producer of information.
Assessment/Evaluation of Course Work & Mastery of Course Objectives:
I’ll assess your ability to master the course objectives through your contributions to, and participation in, our class discussions, as well as your ability to critically demonstrate the mastery of those objectives expressed through the exams, your collaborative paper, and the presentation of your collaborative paper. Many of these objectives necessitate expression across all assessment vehicles (i.e., the exams, the paper, the presentation and the discussion or in-class activities). A more specific breakdown of where the course objectives are most likely to be evaluated is:
Objective 1: Paper
Objective 2: Paper Exams Discussion
Objective 3: Paper
Objective 4: Discussion
Objective 5: Exams Discussion
Objective 6: Paper Exams Discussion
Objective 7: Paper Exams Discussion
Objective 8: Exams Discussion
Objective 9: Paper (poss.) Exams (poss.) Discussion
Objective 10: Paper Exams Discussion
Objective 11: Paper (poss.) Exams (poss.) Discussion
Objective 12: Paper Exams Discussion
Objective 13: Paper Exams Discussion
Objective 14: Paper Exams Discussion
Objective 15: Paper Exams Discussion
Objective 16: Paper Exams Discussion
Objective 17: Paper Exams (poss.) Discussion
Objective 18: Paper Discussion
Objective 19: Presentation
Objective 20: Exams Discussion
Objective 21: Paper Exams Discussion Presentation
Objective 22: Paper Exams Discussion Presentation
Objective 23: Paper Presentation
Objective 24: Paper Group Evaluation Discussion Presentation
Those objectives being expressed across numerous assessment vehicles are clearly more emphasized in the design of the course, and students should take note of their greater relative importance in understanding the process of research and scholarship.
Overall Grade Breakdown:
Attendance/Participation/Discussion Contribution = 15%
Research Presentation (Structure, Content, Delivery: 3.33% each) = 10%
Research Paper, Phase 6 (20%) & Phase 7 (80%) = 35%
Group’s Evaluation of Project Contributions and Abilities = 10%
Midterm & Final Examinations (15% each) = 30%
Attendance/Participation/Discussion Policy: Regular attendance and participation are absolutely essential to the success of this course. Therefore, 15% of your final grade will be determined by your attendance/participation/ discussion contribution. If you are not here to participate, you can't. The attendance/participation/discussion grade will be based on involvement in the class exercises and discussions, as well as other assignments throughout the semester. Specifically, simply showing up for class will yield a "D" grade (1.00) for the day, with higher grades (2.00, 3.00 & 4.00) going to those who participate more in the education process (e.g., having prepared observations and/or questions, sharing those observations or asking those questions, etc.). Please note: Your participation grade is calculated daily. Each absence lowers the grade somewhat, though missing any class presentation will always diminish your understanding of the material presented that day, and the course material as a whole. Don't miss class and expect to fully understand everything people are talking about, or what the exams are asking for. Thus, the participation grade includes all classes missed (including sick days, accidents, etc.), those attended in body alone, and those attended with active participation. It is also an indicator of how much you have put into the course. Please attend.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is not tolerated in this class. This entails the presentation of others' ideas, words, or work as one's own, whether intentionally or not. You must acknowledge sources. Often this simply consists of the use of quotation marks to indicate another person's work. To know when you have discovered a great quote is a gift, to correctly use it is a skill. Develop that skill in this course. Plagiarism, cheating and the like are subject to prosecution according to the policies of this university. Make sure your work is original.
Academic Integrity Policy: The ISU School of Communication is committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct and academic excellence. Any student found guilty of plagiarism, fabrication, cheating on examinations or purchasing papers or other assignments will immediately receive: a) a failing grade on the particular assignment, b) a failing grade in the course, or c) recommendation for expulsion from the university. There are no exceptions to this policy.
Instructor's Philosophy: During the course of the semester you will be challenged to think about how, what, and why you communicate. Although the atmosphere is often relaxed, humorous, and even downright fun, the content topic discussions should be pervasive and thought provoking. As your instructor, I view your opinion on the materials covered in class not only as desirable, but valuable and necessary for the success of instruction. The education process consists of neither me "teaching" you, nor you "learning" something, but, rather, a combination or "conversation" between both parties. My ideas, beliefs, and perspectives on the subject matter are but one person's; your perspective represents another. I will challenge your perspective in an attempt to have you arrive at a better, more complete, understanding of it, and I invite you to do the same of my, and other’s, beliefs.
Completion of Assignments: All written/electronic assignments (e.g., surveys, references, et cetera) are to be typed/printed on 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper, completely double spaced, with one- to one and a half-inch margins. This will allow me the space I need to write corrections/hints/suggestions on your work. Other than the margins (save a tree), use the APA guidelines very strictly. Spelling, neatness, punctuation, grammar and accuracy of citation and referencing are considered when assignments are graded. Proofread your work, then give it to someone else to do the same. Poorly proofed work (e.g., misspelled words; references cited, but not referenced; et cetera) suggest poor scholarly skills and reflect poorly on you and your mastery of course objectives. Assignments not typed will not be accepted. Imagine I am your boss (which I am) and you are "on assignment" to complete a project for our company (not far from the truth). Your work is representative of our class as a whole. There is no extra credit or make-up work; plan accordingly. I would prefer you to put all your efforts into the scheduled course assignments. On the rare occasion that an unavoidable scheduling conflict occurs, it is the obligation of the student to make prior arrangements with the instructor and other students to resolve the scheduling conflict. Absence from class is not a valid excuse for incomplete work. You must take the initiative to discover and complete any missed assignments.
In-Class Discussion: Instead of me spewing forth brilliant pearls of wisdom onto your brains, you and I will jointly discover these pearls. For this to occur, you must read the assigned materials carefully; more carefully than the 15 minutes before class starts will allow. The guideline here is: pre-read, prepare, and participate. The more you put into this course, the more you will get out of it. Participation in class discussions which reflects preparation boosts your participation grade above the "D" level.
Final Papers: You and the members of your research team are responsible for the production of a “state of the art” research paper and an empirical research study/proposal and the resultant scholarship reporting its findings. This consists of: (a) A review and synthesis of the literature in your study's area (a minimum of 25-50 sources collectively actually used and cited); (b) The development of a hypothesis (or more than one, at least one of which is an original hypothesis; the others can be replications of previous empirical research); and (c) the actual conducting of an empirical investigation (e.g., field study, survey, etc.), or proposed study (depending on IRB review time during the semester) with an analysis of the collected data. Use the K.I.S.S. method on this project (Keep It Simple Student)! I am not looking for brilliance (though it would be nice to see...), but simply good solid research. These papers should be of scholarly quality and, in the past, have been submitted to regional, national, or international conferences within the field of Communication. As stated earlier, your work will represent this team (not only the class, but the University as well). Several individual and group "phases" of the paper will be handed in to me, with only the last two receiving a commonly-shared group grade.
The first phase is called the “Source Gathering” phase, stating which communication variable you will be examining in what specific context, along with 15-20 APA references from each member of the team (all sources must be different from those handed in by your other team members). You may work together on it, and should compare sources before submitting your group’s work to avoid duplication. However, each person’s work must be clearly identifiable from the other group members’ (e.g., each list of sources must show the individual’s name on it). The collective team’s work should be both handed in together (e.g., paper-clipped together), and sent in electronically as an individual. Any member of the group not handing in this phase, on time, will be "Turkey Claused" (see below) by me. This first phase provides everyone with some experience in using APA formatting, research databases, and focusing their source collection.
The second, or "Topic," phase, is a group phase that generates topics, then narrows them down to a single agreed-upon topic for the phase, increasing the communication processing between team members, and providing everyone with some experience in filtering research to find the most relevant and key sources on a topic. As such, the group must generate a topic, locate five key sources on that topic per group member, and make sure all sources are in proper APA formatting before submitting the collective work as a group.
The third, or “Methodology,” phase includes handing in a single final product that has been proofed by all group members (all phases from this point on should be proofed by all group members), identifying five key sources/references in your chosen area per group member, as well as stating what the investigatory methodologies typically used in this research area have been, and which methodology seems most appropriate for the type(s) of inquiry your team would be using (i.e., non-manipulative/observational).
The fourth, or “IRB,” phase produces a fully developed IRB proposal and questionnaire/schedule (if appropriate) that are designed to test your hypothesis. To complete this phase, you will also need to complete the “CITI Training” modules for the “Social, Behavioral and Education” area (start at: http://rsp.illinoisstate.edu/research/ethics/training.shtml). This involves reading through each of the 17 modules and answering a few questions on the content. Do not do the "student project" or "student research" training; completing these trainings will not allow you to do anything with your research project other than present it in class (i.e., you'll do a lot of work for very little benefit, beyond the course paper grade). Remember to fully complete each module at 100% accuracy before moving on to the next module. You can stop after finishing a module and save your work, returning to pick up where you left off at a later time.