Final Write-up v1

Download and use this form for this paper>>> Final_project_form_Comm_151i_hybrid.doc Download Final_project_form_Comm_151i_hybrid.doc

Here is where you bring it all together. With your graded Proposal and Literature Review and Research Method sections you already have a head start for your project. For you final submission, you need to weave it all together into one narrative.

This is organized in a traditional academic style. Please see the form to see how your paper should be formatted. Format as directed and use all section headings. Make sure to add page numbers. While the minimum word count is 1500, the assignment should be written to meet the assignment objectives and requirements. Writing just to meet the minimum is a poor strategy and will likely lead to a poor result. See the pie chart below on how to proportion your paper.

Section #1 Introduction (brief)

In this section, you introduce your topic, why you are interested in it, your exact research question, hypothesis, and why the answers matters. Hook the reader.

Section #2 Literature Review

Here is where you go over your literature and give the reader the basic knowledge they need to understand the study and to demonstrate you own knowledge. Use the articles you have reviewed for your project to see how a literature review is formatted. Rather than 6 separate paragraphs for each source, try reducing it and combining related sources in one paragraph. PLEASE make sure you DO NOT just copy and paste your ABs.

• Include the basics for each source (what the study was about,how they did it, and the major findings)
• Make the case for the utility of each reference and why it is useful to your project.
• Cite using inline APA. For example: (Coopman, 2009); Coopman (2009) argues...
• Be clear what source is related to what information.
• DO NOT include your own data/finding in this section.

If you have taken the time to revise your literature review correctly, bring it in from the Literature Review and Research Design assignment. Missing sources cost points.

Section #3 Method

This section is where you discuss your research design, data collection method, rationale for participant selection, coding scheme, and definition of terms. A reader should be able to replicate your study based on this information. Make sure you reference any sources you used in your design.Your Method section should be organized using this format:

• Introduction: Briefly review your process and define any key terms (eg. participation) that you use as categories or are important in understanding your findings. If you used a source for a definition reference it in APA.
• One paragraph per method. For each method include the following:
• How you piloted that method.
• Where, when and how you collected that data. For example, surveys were administered using Survey Monkey and invitations were sent to all team members Facebook contacts (include time frame with dates); Focus groups and interviews conducted where and when. 
• Number of participants (returned surveys; interviews conducted; number of focus groups and number of people in each group).
• Criteria for selecting participants (why you chose him/her and not someone else). Why included in study?
• Identify participants (for focus groups and interviews) via pseudonyms or using first names only and include basic demographic information (age; gender).
• At least two examples questions asked.
• One paragraph on categories and coding that includes:
• A list of categories used (inline vs, bullet points).
• At least two example codes and what type of data found under each code. For example, a code could be active participation and examples under it could be asking questions; speaking out; raising hands, etc.

DO NOT simply copy and paste your method details from your Literature Review and Research design paper, this section should be in narrative format.

Do not include data/findings in this section. Interview schedules, surveys, and coding sheets should be uploaded separately. Coding sheets or other materials are no substitute for content in this section.

Section #4 Findings and Discussion

This is the crucial write-up where everything comes together. 

Answer the RQ and hypothesis briefly and right away.

Whatever you do, DO NOT simply copy and paste information contained in earlier sections.

We already know the details of the journal articles. Here is where you connect the literature with your data. Make sure to reference each source at least once in APA.

We already know the details of your coding scheme. Here is where you tell us what you have found and, more importantly, what it means and how it answers your research question or addresses your hypothesis.

Use lots of specific examples and quotes from the data you collected. Tell us what you found and the show us how the data supports it. Synthesize your materials - data+lit=analysis.

Integrate your different methods and show how they interact - so avoid breaking your study down into sections that cover specific methods (eg. Surveys, Interviews, and Focus Groups). Show the reader how all that data interacts to address your RQ and hypothesis.

End with a brief summary that ties it all together. Think about how you would briefly explain it to someone. 

Section #5 Limitations and Future Research

A process critique and evaluation of your project: this is where you reflect and critique YOUR own research process NOT the courses assignment design. This section is very important because it shows what you have learned from this project. For example, did your coding scheme work? Were there challenges with logistics or participants? If not, what could you have done? Try to avoid discussing things beyond our control such as collecting more data, having more time, and so forth. What might you do next time and what kind of further study could you undertake to further explore this topic?

Sections #6 References

This is where you put your references in alphabetical order by author’s last name and in APA style. You must reference any literature used.

Materials [go here to submit supporting materials]

Supporting materials should be submitted as attached files via the Supporting Materials assignment page. This makes it easier and faster to upload/download files.

IMPORTANT: In order to meet specific assignment requirements such as methods, you must include these supporting materials. For interviews and focus group participants to "count" you need signed consent forms.

• Interview questions with probes only (no transcripts needed).
• Surveys as they were administered (no complete surveys needed).
• Focus group questions and related materials.
• Completed (filled out) coding sheets for each method (3 minimum).
• Signed consent forms (CLEARLY scanned or photographed).

Common Errors in Final Narrative Submissions

• Completely changing your project RQ/hypothesis or other major elements without checking in with the instructor first. Run any significant changes by me first. This can be a fatal mistake.
• DO NOT simply copy and past your annotated bibliographies into the literature review. The literature review in a synthesis of the literature you used for your project. Your literature review should briefly describe how each source contributed to your understanding of the topic, its utility to your study, and how it integrates with the other sources.
• All sources must be referenced in APA (author, year) as they are discussed in every section. DO NOT reference article by their full titles, discuss the authors institutional affiliations, or the journal title. Basically, other than the authors last name and the year of publication (or page number if quoting), do not repeat information that is contained in the reference section.
• Failure to reference all literature in the Discussion section. Here is an example of integrating your literature, data, and analysis:

Hampton (2004) suggests it depends on the student’s character to see if laptop usage will influence focus level on the class or not. However, the data I collected conflicts with this suggestion. All but 2 students observed are active participants in the class observed but when they had their laptops they barely participated.

• Failure to (a) answer your RQ and/or hypothesis clearly and definitively; (b) use the data you collected in the Discussion section; (c) submit ALL supporting materials; (d) put the correct materials in the right sections; (e) leaving sections out.
• Dropping/disappearing methods. A minimum of 3 methods must be used and should be clearly articulated in both the method and discussion section. If a method turned out to be of little use, do the best you can and then discuss the issues in the Limitations section.
• Attached materials (coding sheets, interview questions, surveys, etc.) DO NOT replace information that should be included in the method or other sections. Treat these attached items as a separate submission that "shows" your work. For all intents and purposes, treat the write-up itself as the only source of information for the reader.
• Finally, simply not including enough material to make your case. Do not worry about just making the minimum word count. A major issue is students collecting a bunch of data and then not writing about it. Your presentation does not substitute for the actual paper

This is approximately how your final write-up should be distributed among your different sections