Communications Week 12


We will meet in Armitage 106 on Monday and in BSB 117 on Wednesday.  The Wednesday class is optional if you have completed and submitted the Input Path Diagram and the Multivariate Crosstabulation assignments before class time.  These can both be submitted as one Word document.

Due April 17.   1.  Input Path Diagram Due Thursday, April 17.   This should illustrate the causal links between three of your variables, the same variables to be used in the Multivariate Crosstabs assignment.  For information on how to do an input path diagram, see Principles of Path Analysis.  Draw the diagram using the drawing toolbar in Word or Excel. 
2.   Multivariate Crosstabulation.  Due Thursday, April 17.   Prepare a multivariate crosstabulation table relevant to your research topic.  This means a table with an independent variable, a dependent variable and a test or control variable.   An example with some explanatory material is available here.  An additional example, adapted from Linda Anderson's paper, is here. 
Due April 23.  Quiz Twelve covering the readings below will close late Wednesday night April 23 (actually 4 a.m. Thursday morning).  You have three chances at this quiz.
Due April 24.  Excel Time Series graph with data from the Statistical Abstract as proposed in your proposal.  Technically, this is the same as the  Time Series Graph Assignment  we did in Week Four.    Do the graph in Excel, copy it into Word and add a paragraph.
Due April 27.  1.  A word file with pages:  the Multiple Bivariate Table, the Multivariate Table and the Time Series Graph.  These are the same ones you did for previous assignments, but any problems should be corrected.  These should be suitable for presentation, not pasted in from SDA.  Each item should be at the beginning of a page (use Ctrl-Enter to start a new page).
2.  A separate one page word file with THREE bullet points summarizing the main findings in your table.  Each bullet point should be no more than twenty-five words and include one or two numbers.  Use nice big print.  These will be the notes you will use for your presentation to the class.  They will NOT be show on the screen.  The Word file will be used for that.
April 28, 30 or May 5:  Oral presentation of research findings to the class.   The Word file with  the Multiple Bivariate Table, the Multivariate Table and the Time Series Graph will be projected on the screen.  You may use the one-page bullet points as notes for the talk - you should bring a printed copy.  These will be in Armitage 106.  I will operate the computer so you can focus on your talk.
Due May 8.  Final Paper modeled on the one in the Penguin Manual in form.  It should include:
  1. Title page
  2. Abstract
  3. Introduction and Literature Review (two pages)
  4. Results section including the Multiple Bivariate Table, the Multivariate Table and the Time Series Graph and explanatory text for each (six pages)
  5. Conclusions section (one page)
  6. References

Reading Assignments  (in Sakai/Resources/Week12 if not linked from this page)
  1. Ron Pasarella, "Review of Research on Media Violence"
  2. Ben Zieman, "Use of the Internet to Download Music" and "Internet Music Downloading by Age and Marital Status"
  3. Linda Anderson, "Trends in Newspaper Readership"
  4. "Principles of Path Analysis"
  5. "Newspaper Reading and Income by Age Groups" (sample multivariate crosstabulation and path analysis with descriptive paragraph)
  6. Michael Monrose and Keli Braitman, "Body Objectification" in the Penguin Handbook chapter on APA documentation.