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Adam Webb COMM. 5310.01

Chapter 4: “Searching for previous research and APA style” in Quantitative research methods for communication: A hands-on approach by Jason S. Wrench, Candice Thomas-Maddox, Virginia Peck Richmond, & James C. McCroskey (2008). Adam Webb COMM. 5310.01. What this chapter is about….

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Adam Webb COMM. 5310.01

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  1. Chapter 4: “Searching for previous research and APA style”inQuantitative research methods for communication: A hands-on approachbyJason S. Wrench, Candice Thomas-Maddox, Virginia Peck Richmond, & James C. McCroskey (2008) Adam Webb COMM. 5310.01

  2. What this chapter is about… • Part 1: Understanding the five steps when beginning a research project (pp. 43-67) • Part 2: APA paper formatting (pp. 68-74)

  3. The five steps in the research process • Wrench, Thomas-Maddox, Richmond, & McCroskey (2008) claim “[t]he first step in beginning the communication research project involves choosing a topic or questions about communication to investigate” (Wrench, Thomas-Maddox, Richmond, & McCroskey, p. 43)

  4. The five steps • Step 1: Indentifying a topic • Step 2: Clarifying the research question and generating key terms • Step 3: Locating sources of information • Step 4: Organizing and evaluating information • Step 5: Citing sources of information using the APA format

  5. Step 1: Identifying a source Key points & ideas: • Check previous research • Specific communication context • What kinds of sources? Primary? Secondary? How to go about locating them • The use of the research? • What are the theories being used? Do they apply to your research purposes?

  6. Step 2: Clarifying the research question and generating key terms Key points & ideas: • State your topic in the form of a question • Identify key terms and concepts • Generate a list of synonyms • The “checklist” (p. 47) • Brainstorming (p. 49)

  7. Step 3: Locating sources of information Key points & ideas: • Two types of information sources: -Google and Yahoo examples (possibly as a starting point) -The library (“librarians are our friends”) • Secondary scholarly research articles (please see the list on pp.52-54) • Primary sources (i.e. interviews, surveys, etc.) • Handbooks & encyclopedias • Electronic databases • The Internet & evaluating World Wide Webb sources (the issue of credibility)

  8. Step 4: Organizing and evaluating information Key points & ideas: • Accurately record all of your information from your sources (i.e. what kind of source is it? & what kind of citation elements needed in it, p. 63) • You can possibly locate and use an online citation generator such as Endnote, Noodle Tools, Easybib, & Bibme + others • Microsoft Word 2007 has citation generator for keeping track of the sources you use in your text (word of warning…)

  9. Step 5: Citing sources of information using the APA format Key points & ideas: • Cite all of your sources (the ones you use in your text)! • Build a “reference list” • Direct quotes & paraphrasing both require proper citation in APA • Various types of citations: Block quotes (more than 40 words or four lines or more), paraphrases (“putting in your own words; summarizing), & parenthetical citations (direct quotes taken from another text)

  10. APA paper formatting Writing up your research in APA is more than just putting a cover page on it!

  11. Some of the basics in APA… • When doing academic research for an academic institution or for publication, obtain a recent copy of the American Psychological Association (APA) Manual • There have been some recent changes in APA formatting

  12. What is APA? • Cover page with a running head and specific page margins • An abstract of the study or research • Certain page and in-text citations/paraphrasing requirements, such as: -Titles -Various subtitles -Certain ways non how to use and label charts & figures -Author introductions and citations -A reference page + more

  13. Standout key terms (let us define them together)  • Axiom - • Boolean logic - • Parenthetical citations - • Truncation symbols - My sample APA paper (M.S. thesis in Curriculum & Instruction)

  14. (my questions to the audience) How do you do research? How do you feel about APA? (audience questions to me) What questions do you have for me?

  15. Thank you!  Have a nice night!

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