ASSIGNMENT

Literature Review (2)

325 points
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to demonstrate your mastery of interpersonal
communication theories/concepts by conducting a literature review of academic research articles.
Audience: Your audience for this paper is your professor. I am an academic, looking for you to
demonstrate expertise of an interpersonal communication concept.
Expectancy: This course is a 300 level course, appropriate for a junior or senior. I expect that
you have completed your university studies writing/composition courses, ComSt 101, 102, and
203, as well as completed short (5-7 page) writing assignments. This paper is designed to
incrementally increase the amount you write (8-10 pages) and elevate the type of writing
(formal, academic). This paper provides you an opportunity to develop expertise on a particular
interpersonal communication concept of your choosing.
Value: First, you will show your expertise in one interpersonal communication concept. Second,
you will write in a formal style, which means writing in the third person using a well established
vocabulary and a direct tone. It is important for you to grasp the abilities of good research
searches, reading of academic texts, and writing in a formal tone for your continued coursework
in Communication Studies. In addition, your ability to read, evaluate, and synthesize academic
research may contribute to your professional careers. You can add value to an organization when
you know the advantages/disadvantages or strengths/weaknesses of research studies.
Step oneTopic. Select one interpersonal communication concept of personal interest. Use the
Sample IP Communication Concepts worksheet posted on Blackboard (Course Content
Assignment Sheets Literature Review). Initiate step two after receiving feedback from the
professor. Changing topics after the due date will result in a two point deduction. Submit a one
paragraph explanation of why you chose the topic. Attend to fundamental APA guidelines
Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1 margins, bold and center title.
Step twoGather information. Conduct secondary research. Locate academic research
articles, books, and/or book chapters that may be useful for the paper. Articles must be peer
reviewed and published in an academic journal from Communication or closely related
disciplines. Articles may also come from sources where a key author has published. Conference
proceedings/papers and unpublished theses/dissertations are not valid sources for this
assignment. Books and/or book chapters should be from reputable Communication scholars. Ask
me when you find a source that seems to fit, but it does not meet these criteria. Some exceptions
can be made because of the variability in the writing process.
Prepare a draft of a reference list in APA, 6th edition format with at least 10 sources. At this point,
the focus is simply to compile materials that you can read thoroughly at a future date. You may
not use what you find, and you may find other materials in the future. Remember to update your
references list for each submission. The references cited in the paper must be the same references
listed in the References section.

Your graded feedback will include comments on the relevance/usability of your sources in
addition to APA use. Do not proceed until you receive this assignment back.
Step threeRead the literature you identified. Conduct a careful reading of the articles you
identified. The source of the reading will influence how you read it.
a. Academic journal articles You are most interested in the results and discussion of the
article. Take notes on the article with emphasis on these questions, What new
information does this article contribute? What do these findings mean?
b. Book a book about a particular theory or concept will be lengthy and comprehensive.
Focus on the history of the concept/theory and its formulation.
c. Chapter in an edited volume These chapters often provide a synopsis of a concept and
can, at times, be good exemplars of a literature review. Read these articles to get an
overview of the theory/concept.
Step four Write a great draft.
1. Provide an introductory section that identifies your concept, why it is important, and what
the purpose of your paper is.
2. Present information about your concept. Define variables. Describe the concept and what
is currently known about it.
3. Include a cover page, the paper, and references. At least 10 sources are required.
Charts/tables/figures are not required, but if you believe they are helpful, include them as
appendices at the end of the document.
4. Conform to APA (6th edition) guidelines.
Step fiveRevise and Resubmit
1. Rely on the feedback you receive from paper 1 to revise and resubmit a final paper.
2. Submit the revised paper AND the graded draft in class AND on Blackboard. Instructions
will be provided in class.
Timeline and Point Distribution for Paper 1
January26
February 2
February 16
March 2

Select topic (5 points)

Submit references list in APA (15 points)
Literature review draft (50 points)
Final paper due (60 points)

Timeline and Point Distribution for Paper 2

March 9
March 23
April 13
May 4

Select topic (10 points)

Submit references list in APA (25 points)
Literature review draft (60 points)
Final paper due (100 points)

By having these papers

instead of test, you are
allowing us to do our own
learning. Test you know
what to study, papers you
are exploring what you
want to study. I would
choose papers over test
everytime. ~Student, Fall
2014

Graded on:

Points
possible

Title page correct information

Concept introduction
Importance of topic
Purpose statement
Concept defined
Content interpersonal communication focus;
accurate information; foundational information;
recent information
References communication centered; academic,
peer reviewed sources
Format conforms to APA (Times New Roman,
12 point font, 1 margins, consistent double
spacing throughout); etc.
Writing organized; grammatically correct;
minimal typos; meaning is clear; complete
sentences; formal wording; third person voice;
active verbs; etc.
Citations in-text are formatted correctly;
References page is formatted correctly; in-text and
References are reconciled
Total: __________

Points
earned