5-6 pages in length (double-spaced)

200 points possible

The research paper assignment is designed to give students a view in to the scholarly research conducted in the discipline of Speech Communication. Students will write a review of the literature on a topic of their choice, generate a hypothesis for future study, and suggest a method of inquiry appropriate for testing the hypothesis. Students will independently write their papers. 

Possible Topic Areas--( your actual paper topics will be more specific)

Relational Aggression                  Teacher/Student interaction 

Reality TV                                  Cultural Differences 

Gender Differences                     Organizational Grapevines 

TV Content                                Campaign messages 

Management Communication         Dating rituals 

Marital Communication                 Parent-child interaction 

Mission statements                         Flirting 

Doctor-Patient interaction         Effectiveness of Communication Training 

Don't see anything that sounds interesting? You can generate your own topic. E-mail me to discuss your ideas.

PAPER REQUIREMENTS 

Each Paper must include the following elements, each clearly labeled:

1. A brief introduction (1 paragraph) to set up the focus of your topic.

2. A brief review (3 pages) of the literature-- this is a summary of the research done on this topic with at least 3 sources. Papers should cite sources using the APA (American Psychological Association) format. Consult the BC library website for helpful information on this style of documentation and other research paper assistance ( https://www.bellevuecollege.edu/lmc/research-guides/ (Links to an external site.) ).

3. A (1 sentence) hypothesis for study. A hypothesis must be written so that it can be proven or not supported on the basis of your study. For example "which type of relational aggression (rumor- spreading, silent treatment, etc) causes the most pain?" is not an acceptable hypothesis. "Rumor spreading is the most frequently used tool of relational aggression in girls" would be acceptable.

4. A detailed description of research methods (1-2 paragraph discussion) which explains the process you could realistically use to test your hypothesis. For example, in this section you could say that "two researchers will conduct a survey of 300 middle and high school girls at 6 different schools in the Seattle Metropolitan area." You may choose any one of the research methods discussed in the text in Chapter 13 (except rhetorical criticism). For example, you could create a lab experiment and bring in subjects, conduct a survey, engage in a structured observation of subjects, or do an ethnographic study of conversation of a particular group of people. 

If you suggest a survey, please include the survey questions in Appendix A (following the reference page). If you suggest an observation or a content analysis, please include the criteria you will use in Appendix A (following the reference page). If you suggest another research method (such as a lab experiment or ethnography), please contact me about how to present the details in Appendix A.

5. A reference section including all sources cited in the review of the literature