Mass Comm 210: Prof. Craig: Seminar Paper

MASS COMM 210: SEMINAR PAPER

The seminar paper is due December 3 and counts for 35 percent of the course grade. (Presentation of the paper in class counts for another 5 percent.) The paper will be between 15 and 20 typewritten, double-spaced pages of text (not counting title page, bibliography, tables or figures, photocopied articles, etc.).

You are required to write a 500-word abstract of your seminar paper, which will be turned in at the same time as the finished paper. The abstract should provide a summary of the major points made in your paper. 

The paper will be a discussion and analysis and/or review of the relevant literature in a narrowly defined area of mass communication. This is not a review of the research on a given academic question; rather, it is a look at a current problem, issue, development or debate from somewhere within the field of communication. The idea is to apply some of the knowledge you gain along the way to a real-world situation or concept. You will be expected to have settled on at least a general topic and be able to discuss it in class by October 15. The paper will require both a bibliography and in-text citations; at least 50 percent of the bibliography should come from academic journals. 

In addition to writing the paper, you will present it to the class in a 10-15 minute oral presentation. The last two weeks of class are set aside for these presentations. 

I give graduate students a fair amount of leeway on how to approach their papers, but the best papers usually integrate both information you gather through research with concepts and examples found in readings and discussed in class. Show me you know how some of the ideas from class relate to the subject you've chosen. This needn't dominate the paper, but in general the terms and concepts you learn in this class come in very handy when analyzing the information you've found.

For example, when analyzing a current topic in the news, tell me how a given news outlet has covered the topic and provide examples, but don't stop there.  Your analysis should go further -- examine how elements of the coverage relate to some of the concepts, ethical principles and/or communication models we've discussed.  The discussions have been designed to make you conversant in taking such concepts and applying them to lots of different stories, subjects and topics.  The paper should be a research-driven extension of that. 

All Papers:

1. Papers will be typed or word-processed, double-spaced, on 8½ x 11" paper.  Please proofread and/or spell-check your final version.  There is no need to place your paper in a binder; a staple in the upper left corner is fine.
    
2. Any photos, graphics or illustrations you choose to include should be placed at the end of the paper as appendices. You may refer to them in the text (i.e. "See Appendix 1"). These do not count toward the final number of pages.
    
3. This is a research paper. That means that you need to go out and find information about the topic and report your findings in the paper. It means you look at a significant body of material -- usually 15-30 articles or 10-15 books, depending on the topic -- and analyze what you find. It does not mean you read a couple of articles and write the paper off the top of your head.  It also means you cite your sources along the way -- without documentation, why should the reader believe you?
    
4. Given that this is the culmination of a graduate-level class, the quality of writing is expected to be high.  If English is not your native language or you otherwise have difficulty writing English, it's a good idea to have someone you trust proofread your paper before you turn it in.  Poor grammar, spelling, structure or use of style will hurt your final grade.  If you'd like to turn in a rough draft for me to examine, I will accept it no later than two weeks in advance (I recommend one month) to allow plenty of time for reading and revisions. 
    
5. The three biggest mistakes you can make are:
   (1) Jumping to conclusions without backing them up with documented research.
   (2) Getting facts wrong, whether misspelling names, misstating dates or making any other factual errors.
   (3) Plagiarizing -- representing someone else's words as your own. When in doubt, cite the source.
    
6. I do require both a bibliography and in-text citation in my papers. You should adhere to APA style throughout, in preparation for writing theses and/or comprehensive papers.
    
7. You are required to number your pages. If you can't figure out how to make your word processor do this, number them by hand before you turn your paper in.
    
8. You are required to keep a photocopy or floppy disk/hard drive copy of your paper. If the paper did not print clearly enough to read easily, make a clear photocopy and turn that in. You are also required to keep all your notes, research materials and rough drafts until the papers are returned. Both of these are to protect you in case of any question about plagiarism, duplication, fabrication or missing work. See the course syllabus supplement if you are unclear on what constitutes plagiarism and/or fabrication.
    
9. Omitting any required element (i.e. bibliography, page numbering, etc.) will cost you a letter grade.  
    
10. Extensions will be granted only with an extremely good and well-documented reason (i.e. extreme emergency explained to Prof. Craig before the due date). Any unexcused papers turned in after class on the due date will not be accepted.
     
11. Most importantly, if you have any questions or problems whatsoever involving paper topics, research materials or methods, computer availability or anything else, please let me know, either via e-mail at profcraig@profcraig.com, or ask me before or after class or during office hours.