Goal: Write a short research paper (1 to 2 double-spaced pages) that calls upon one scholarly journal article that uses the method youre considering proposing in your semester-long paper. Ideally, your selected journal article will be a study that looks at the same or similar topic you hope to investigate.
Format of the paper:
1 to 2 double-spaced pages with in-text citations and a source list using APA at end
Intro paragraph
o Introduce your topic (same topic as semester-long paper), provide a tasty appetizer to the rest of the paper 1 sentence
o Introduce your general approach (nomothetic quantitative social science or idiographic qualitative critical/cultural research) 1 to 2 sentences; if you use the textbook, please use in-text citation
o Introduce your specific method (survey, ethnography, content analysis, focus groups, experiment, interviews, rhetorical analysis, etc.) 1 to 2 sentences, if you use the textbook, please use in-text citation
Body paragraph 1 Address the why question: Why is your general approach and your specific method a good fit for you as a scholar and for your topic? If this project were to be taken all the way through to a full empirical investigation of this topic, the method I would use would be focus groups. Focus groups would be ideal because there is not a lot out there on this topic just yet and so it could be explored at this initial phase via the focus group methodology.
Body paragraph 2 cover scholarly journal article summarize the method used, major results and conclusions, details about the sample (participants and/or media content being observed), unique aspects of the study
Body paragraph 3 Restate your proposed method in clear terms and cover some of the specifics of how you would carry out that method: To carry out this method, I would recommend conducting xx number of focus group meetings with xx number or participants
Conclusion tell us what you just told us in the above parts of the paper
Reference list (Using proper APA)
Keys to success on this paper:
Find an appropriate peer-reviewed scholarly journal article that features the approach and method youre considering (that is ideally on the same/similar topic as your paper)
Accurate, specific and plainly stated coverage of the general approach and method you plan to propose in your semester-long paper
Address the why question why does this approach and that method make sense for your semester-long paper topic
Accurate and thorough coverage of your peer-reviewed scholarly journal article
Proper sourcing through APA
Creativity and color in writing research-based writing doesnt need to be boring
Clean, crisp, and carefully edited and revised paper free from typos and writing errors
Thoughtful and coherent coverage of the Information You Should Record
