instructions:COMM 130Research Paper

Students, working in a group of 3-5 members, will choose a topic which relates to the study of communication, write a research paper that coordinates with group members, attach a bibliography/works cited page, and present their findings in an oral presentation. The main goal of the paper/presentation is to provide new information on a topic; therefore, students should avoid duplicating material that has already been presented in the textbook and during class lectures. (A minimum of one grade letter deduction will occur if the material is in the textbook or has been presented in class).
Topics are available on a first-come, first-serve basis (no duplication of topics), and students should receive instructor approval for the topic before conducting research, etc. On March 29, students should submit an electronic copy of the paper to the link on Blackboard before coming to class. After class begins, the research paper will be considered late; this applies to students who arrive late to class. If submitted late, the paper will receive a 10% deduction and only be accepted until April 5.
Each student is responsible for writing a minimum of 3 pages; therefore, a group 3 members will submit a 9 page paper, and a group of 4 members will submit a 12 page paper, and so on. These paper lengths are for writing the content and DO NOT include the bibliography/works cited pages. The sources are in addition to the page lengths above. For example, a group with 3 members who have a two page bibliography will submit an 11 page paper.
There are 2 ways groups may approach writing the paper. Approach #1: Groups may organize the paper as a whole: one student writes the introduction with his/her main points, other students write only their main points, and one student writes the conclusion with his/her main points. Only one paper is submitted on Blackboard for all group members, and the one grade for the paper is given to all group members. Approach #2: Groups may decide that each person writes his or her own introduction, main points, and conclusion. A minimum of 3 different sources per person is required, and these should be from at least one other source besides the internet: books, magazines/journals, and newspapers. Basically, each student in the group is responsible for writing his or her own mini-paper which coordinates with the other members, but is graded individually. For approach #2, each group member is responsible for submitting his or her own paper and bibliography on Blackboard, and the paper will be graded individually.
Final thoughts: The textbook should NOT be cited; the purpose of this paper/presentation is to present new material. In-text citations are required; however, the majority of writing should be from students, rather than just long quotes from sources. A bibliography/works cited page is required. Students may turn in an individual bibliography/works cited page, in MLA or APA style format, or one for the whole group with all students’ sources cited, depending on whether you use approach #1 or #2. Students are encouraged to make an appointment with the Writing Center for help with the paper.

The research paper will be graded using the following criteria:
Organization (introduction, body, conclusion – within individual paper and with
group members,)
Content (new information relating to the study of communication)
Evidence-based research (credible sources, studies, statistics, etc.)
Format (correct use of MLA/APA style, mechanics, grammar, punctuation)