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You are free to write about a film of your choice provided that the film focuses on normal human communication between human beings. Contact me if you aren’t sure if your film is appropriate See the “Term Paper Tips” on p. 9 for more on this..
General Instructions:
In this 8 page paper , you will apply your knowledge of basic communication terms to an analysis of a film. In general, you will:
Select a primary communication context (e.g., interpersonal communication.) that is reflected in a particular film of your choosing. Also, you will use several, specific terms (e.g., self-disclosure, relational dialectics, stages of relational development, etc.) that are related to your communication context.
Conduct scholarly research in order to fully understand your chosen context. In other words, you will find three journal articles and use your textbook to help you understand and apply course terms in your paper. You should include specific quotes from your journal articles to support your thesis.
Lastly, you will define and explain the terms, and analyze how they are presented in the film. In addition, you will cite your journal articles and your textbook within your paper as evidence and support of your ideas.
You will submit your paper through the link to Turnitin.com that is posted for you in the assignment in Canvas.
Your main goal in this paper is to apply communication terms to
a film in order to demonstrate your understanding of these terms.
Section-by-Section Instructions (follow these instructions closely!):
Introduction
1. First paragraph
Begin with a few general statements about ideas relevant to your paper, such as a few statements about communication, relationships, conflict, public speaking, organizations, etc. Whatever your paper’s topic, lead into it for the reader.
Indicate the film that you will analyze.
Next, clearly explain your goals for this paper. In other words, what is this paper’s thesis? What is the purpose of this paper? What will it accomplish? What will your paper explain and illustrate about the communication seen in this film?
End your introduction with a preview of the main points of your paper. Your main points will be the terms that you will apply and analyze in the film.
2. Second paragraph – briefly summarize the film (about 4-5 sentences)
Body (For each paragraph in the Body, do these in this order):
1. Define and explain one or several terms that you have researched fully. Use your textbook for all definitions of key terms that you provide. As you define your terms, be sure to cite evidence (quote) from your textbook and your journal articles. Make sure to put all of your key terms in bold.
Describe how the term is demonstrated in your film. For example, here is where you explain how the characters in your film demonstrate “depth of self-disclosure,” “conflict,” “groupthink,” or some other term. Be sure to provide examples from the film, and be sure to explain yourself fully. This becomes your analysis of their communication.
Use a transition to move the reader to your next paragraph. Your transitions should help connect your main ideas together.
Repeat these steps until you have enough content to meet the assignment guidelines for the page requirement.
HINT: Try organizing your paper chronologically to match the order of the film.
Conclusion
Provide a summary of the main points of your paper.
Close your paper with a few comments on the importance of competent communication.
RESOURCES TO HELP YOU
If you are looking for some additional resources about writing a thesis or using transitions to strengthen your writing, check out these great resources below:
How to Write a Thesis Statement
Developing Your Thesis
How to Use Transitions
Signposting as A Type of Transition
General Resources for Writing a Good Paper (Including Grammar/Punctuation, Resources for English Language Learners)
Booking An Appointment for Tutoring – SBCC Writing Center
Booking An Appointment for Tutoring – SBCC Communication Lab
Title Page for Term Paper Assignment
Please note that an abstract is NOT required for this assignment but a title page, in appropriate APA style, is. Your title page should include the following information and should be centered in the middle of your first page:
Title of Your Paper (Be Creative! “Term Paper” is not an acceptable title.)
Your Name
Your School (SBCC)
Your Class (COMM 101)
Date (The date the paper is submitted)
The title page is numbered as page 1.
Here is a sample of how a title page might look:
Term Paper Rubric
The purpose of a rubric is to clarify expectations on an assignment. This rubric will help you to understand exactly what I am looking for in your COMM 101 term paper. Please carefully read over all of the information contained below and contact me if you have any questions. Make sure to view all 3 pages of the rubric!
COMPONENTS & PERCENTAGE VALUE
Topic & Thesis (20%)
Excellent/Good (A and B papers)
Appropriate communication topic (context) is selected; insightful and relevant film selection for topic; thesis is clearly-stated, well-focused and sufficiently narrow.
Satisfactory (C papers)
Appropriate communication topic (context) is selected; film selection connects to the topic on most levels; thesis is, for the most part, clearly-stated, well-focused and sufficiently narrow.
Unsatisfactory (D and F papers)
Topic selected is not an appropriate communication topic; film selection is not relevant to topic; thesis is not clearly-stated and/or sufficiently narrow.
Content (20%)
Excellent/Good (A and B papers)
Presents at least 8 significant course concepts (bold-faced key terms in textbook) and discusses them with substantial accuracy and depth; all concepts selected are shown to be clearly related to paper topic. All course concepts/key terms are in bold.
Satisfactory (C papers)
Presents 5-7 significant course concepts (bold-faced terms in textbook) and discusses them with accuracy; most concepts selected are shown to be clearly related to paper topic. All course concepts/key terms are in bold.
Unsatisfactory (D and F papers)
Presents fewer than 5 significant course concepts (bold-faced terms in textbook); discussion of concepts is minimal and may lack accuracy; concepts selected are not relevant to paper topic.All course concepts/key terms are not in bold.
Examples (20%)
Excellent/Good (A and B papers)
Demonstrates thoughtfulness and originality in using examples from the film to support thesis and illustrate concepts being discussed; many relevant and appropriate film examples are offered.
Satisfactory (C papers)
Demonstrates thoughtfulness in using examples from the film to support thesis and illustrate concepts being discussed; relevant and appropriate film examples are offered.
Unsatisfactory (D and F papers)
Fails to demonstrate thoughtfulness in using examples from the film to support thesis and illustrate concepts being discussed; no relevant and appropriate film examples are offered.
Sources & Citation (20%)
Excellent/Good (A and B papers)
At least 5 references are utilized (textbook, film, 3 journal articles); all references are from appropriate Communication-based sources; relevant quotations and references to the textbook or journals are well-chosen and well-integrated into the text of the paper; all sources are referenced correctly using APA style.
Satisfactory (C papers)
3-4 references are utilized (textbook, film, 2-3 journal articles); all references are from appropriate Communication-based sources; relevant quotations and references to the textbook or journals are, for the most part, well-chosen and well-integrated into the text of the paper; most sources are referenced correctly using APA style.
Unsatisfactory (D and F papers)
Fewer than 3 references are utilized; references are not from appropriate communication-based sources; relevant quotations and references to the textbook or journals are not well-chosen and/or well-integrated into the text of the paper; sources are not referenced correctly using APA style.
Structure (10%)
Excellent/Good (A and B papers)
Introduction clearly introduces topic in an engaging way; concise summary of film is included; concepts are clearly defined and connected to examples in body of paper; paragraphs are unified and coherent; sequence is logical; transitions are used consistently to clarify relationship between ideas; conclusion clearly summarizes main ideas and offers substantive final thoughts.
Satisfactory (C papers)
Introduction clearly introduces topic; summary of film is included; concepts are defined and connected to examples in body of paper; paragraphs, for the most part, are unified and coherent; sequence is logical; some transitions are used to clarify relationship between ideas; conclusion clearly summarizes main ideas and offers final thoughts.
Unsatisfactory (D and F papers)
Introduction fails to clearly introduce topic; summary of film is not included; concepts are not clearly defined and/or not connected to examples in body of paper; paragraphs are not unified and coherent; sequence is not logical; transitions are not used to clarify relationship between ideas; conclusion fails to summarize main ideas and/or offer final thoughts.
Writing (5%)
Excellent/Good (A and B papers)
Level of writing is formal, appropriate and scholarly; demonstrates consistent proper use of standard grammar, punctuation and spelling.
Satisfactory (C papers)
Level of writing is, for the most part, formal, appropriate and scholarly; demonstrates proper use of standard grammar, punctuation and spelling, with a few minor exceptions.
Unsatisfactory (D and F papers)
Level of writing is inappropriate (informal, not scholarly); fails to demonstrate consistent proper use of standard grammar, punctuation and spelling.
Professionalism (5%)
Excellent/Good (A and B papers)
Paper is turned in on time and formatted correctly (double-spaced, 12 point in standard font – Arial, Times New Roman) submitted as an attachment in both Canvas and TurnItIn); Paper is 8 pages – including the reference and title page.
Satisfactory (C papers)
Paper is turned in on time and formatted correctly (see “Excellent” category); Paper is almost 8 pages – including reference and title page.
Unsatisfactory (D and F papers)
Paper is turned in late and is not formatted correctly; paper is not close to 8 pages in length (it is way too long or way too short).
AI Chat (ChatGPT) and This Assignment
AI text tools like ChatGPT can be used to generate text if given a prompt. In general, these tools are not allowed to be used for writing assignments in this class. The same company that created ChatGPT also has a tool that can detect content written using it. I will be using this tool to analyze your paper if I suspect you used ChatGPT to write this assignment.
Originality is the cornerstone to all academic endeavors. It is my expectation that all work produced for a grade in this class will be solely your own original work. Please don’t cheat yourself of learning the critical skill of how to write well. You will be hard-pressed to find a job, especially one in a Communication-related field, where effective writing skills are not essential. Please take the time and put in the effort to learn this vital skill.
In order to encourage you to write your own paper for this assignment, I will be paying special attention in the grading to your use of appropriate source citations as well as to your clear and frequent mention of course concepts from the textbook in this class. Synthesizing multiple ideas and providing well-cited supporting research are things AI does not do very well. I will be looking for you to do these things in this assignment as evidence that you are the writer of your paper, not AI.
If you are interested in using AI to support your research, consider looking at what AI generates in response to various topics related to the one you have chosen. You may get some good ideas and leads on possible additional topics that you can then research and possibly include in your own paper. Just remember – AI generated-content should never be submitted in place of writing you yourself generated.
If you have questions about how to use AI appropriately in this class, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
IMPORTANT COMM 101 TERM PAPER TIPS
The following are suggestions to help you succeed in writing your Term Paper. Please read them closely. Pay special attention to #8-11 in the list below. And as always, if you need help, please contact me!
Plan your paper ahead of time. Outline it and check your outline with your instructor if you have questions.
Allow yourself time for unforeseeable events: Internet/computer malfunctions, losing your document, other crises and emergencies.
Read your paper after it is completed, and give yourself time to correct phrasing, etc., so that you communicate yourself clearly to anyone who will read your paper.
Have another person read your paper. Often you know what you’re saying, but it is not clear to your reader. Be sure the reader knows what to look for, as the person who is grading your paper will.
If you need extra assistance with your writing, use the Writing Center or the Communication Lab tutors. Remember we offer free online and face-to-face tutoring for Communication students! See your class announcement for more information on booking a tutoring appointment!
Be sure to use terms correctly and identify terms clearly. If you are unsure, check with your instructor. It is better not to use a term or concept rather than to use it incorrectly.
Always support your ideas with specific examples. If you make an argument, make sure that you qualify it with evidence from your references and/or textbook.
Please do not think that just anything is human communication. Human beings must be involved and messages must be analyzed. Avoid movies that involve things like talking dogs, aliens, etc. Select a film that focuses on normal human communication. For this reason, please do not use animated films or fantasy films. Also, please do not use TV shows.
Remember that analysis rather than just reporting is the focus of this assignment. Your paper should not just be a summary of the plot of the film. If you are unsure of your paper, be sure to prepare at least part of it early enough to get feedback from your professor. It never hurts to be sure you are on the right track.
Avoid including information about your own personal experiences in this assignment (ex. “This movie is like when I broke up with my boyfriend…”) as that kind of commentary is not appropriate in a research assignment like this one. Also, avoid overuse of 1st person language (“I thought…”, “I liked…”) in this academic analysis.
(see next page)
Make sure that you are analyzing the communication that happens between characters in the film, not the film itself. This is not a film studies paper that will focus on how the movie was created. You should not be discussing things like camera angles, director’s techniques, etc.
Make sure that you have a clear thesis in your introduction that guides the discussion in the body of your analysis. You should only include terms in your analysis that are clearly tied to your thesis and the theme for your paper. Do not just talk about any terms from the book that you see in the film. Make sure that all the terms you use are all clearly connected to each other and unified under a central theme.
Avoid the “pop culture” approach. There are many self-help books and articles written by people who once talked to somebody or watched a TV show and thus consider themselves experts in communication. Do not use these references. General Internet websites are also not acceptable research sources for this assignment. You must use Communication journals as assigned.
Make sure the paper you are submitting follows the specific guidelines for the assignment in this particular course. This is particularly relevant to those of you taking other Communication classes (like COMM 288/289) here at SBCC and elsewhere. The paper you submit should clearly be a response to the assignment guidelines I have provided for you. Your submission should not feel like a paper that was written for another assignment/course.
How Do I Go About Conducting My Research?
Here is a basic step-by-step explanation of how to conduct research using resources here at SBCC.
I. Finding Articles through the SBCC Library
Go to the SBCC Luria Library web site – Luria Library
Click on the “A-Z Databases” link in the center of the screen.
Click on “C” in the alphabet listing, and then click on Communication & Mass Media Complete. This will take you to the Communication and Mass Media Complete Database.
If you are accessing this site from off campus, you will need to login with your Pipeline user name and password.
When the first EBSCO host screen comes up, click on the box to select “ Peer Reviewed Journals.” This will help to limit your search to academic journal publications as the assignment requires. You can also click on the box to select “Full Text” if you only want full text articles.
Please be aware that many of the articles are available immediately in full text. Some of those that are not available online in full text may be available in the Communication Lab, in the SBCC Library, or through interlibrary loan. The SBCC Library can literally get any article if you allow ample time for processing your request (1-2 weeks).
Please contact a Reference Librarian if you have any questions. For help using the database, please go to http://tinyurl.com/63hlxy
Please make sure the article you choose comes from a credible journal in the field of communication. If you are unsure about the appropriateness of the journal you have selected, please ask your instructor for input on your research selection. Your final grade on the paper may be lowered if your journals are not appropriate sources for communication research.
For more information about using the research database, including various helpful tutorials, visit Home – Communication Studies or Library and Research Tutorials – Library Tutorials
You can also Live Chat or text with a Librarian on campus using this link: http://sbcc.edu/library/get_help.php
II. Interlibrary Loan
A. Get articles from other libraries – may take 1-2 weeks.
B. Go to http://sbcc.edu/library/interlibrary-loan.php
C. Complete the form
Guide to Citing Sources-
APA Style
General Guidelines
Class projects and papers will require you to use Communication sources and materials. Communication scholar based materials are books or journal articles written and/or researched by Communication scholars. Articles taken from Communication journals or books are considered Communication sources. Articles taken from popular magazines are not Communication sources. Psychology or sociology books are not Communication sources. A quick way to check if a reference is Communication based is to review the references cited at the end of an article or book to see if Communication scholars wrote them. If a book does not have references of the sources used, it probably will not qualify as a Communication source. This guide is also a useful tool for understanding how to read journal articles. If you aren’t familiar with reading academic journals, please take a moment to review this guide.
APA Style Requirements
For all papers written in this class, you are required to use the style of the American Psychological Association (APA) 7th Edition. The following guidelines will help simplify this style. For more on APA style, please visit:
SBCC Library Guide to Citations
APA Style
Research Guides: Library Services for Online Students: How to Cite
APA Manual 7th Edition: The 17 Most Notable Changes
Citing Dialogue from a Film in APA Style
Citing Within Text (Paraphrasing)
When you borrow the ideas of other scholars and authors, you need to reference their work. References are identified in the body of the paper parenthetically (in parentheses) by the author’s last name and date of publication. APA does not use footnotes. For example:
Recent publications illustrate the skill-based approach to teaching the interpersonal communication course (Wiemann & Wiemann, 1990).
OR
According to Wiemann and Wiemann (1990), recent publications illustrate the skill-based approach to teaching the interpersonal communication course.
Quoting Within Text
When you quote directly from other authors, the format changes slightly. For example:
According to Proctor and Adler (1991), “Integrating film into the interpersonal communication course does not require radical changes in course goals or teaching” (p. 394).
As scholars have noted, “Researchers have yet to understand the mechanisms that produce the satisfaction-communication relationship” (Kelly & Burgoon, 1991, p. 41).
Note that “citing within text” does NOT require a page number, “quoting within text” DOES.
When the quote is longer than 40 words, it must be typed (without quotation marks) as a freestanding text that begins on a new line and is indented five spaces from the left margin:
Hirokawa, et al., (1991) determined that:
Men and women responding to the high-legitimacy scenario employed less polite tactics than those responding to the low-legitimacy scenario, but this was more true of the men than the women. For example, men and women with request legitimacy were more likely to produce statements like, “You know you’re not going to score a lot of points around here if you take off on your vacation in the middle of this project.” (p. 433)
If you fail to reference quotes or others’ ideas, then you have committed plagiarism!
Sample APA Style For References
An article in a journal, one author:
Salazar, A. B. (1996). An analysis of the development and evolution of roles in the small
group. Small Group Research, 27, 475-503.
The above reference is: Author’s Last Name, Initials. (Year). Article title. Journal Title, volume #, page numbers. Notice how the second line (and every line thereafter) is indented five spaces from the left.
An article in a journal, more than one author:
Gribas, J., & Downs, C. W. (2002). Metaphoric manifestations of talking “team” with team
novices. Communication Studies, 53, 112-128.
A book by one author:
Wood, J. (2004). Communication mosaics: An introduction to the field of communication
(3rd ed.). Thomson/Wadsworth.
A book by more than one author:
O’Hair, D., Friedrich, G. W., Wiemann, J. M., & Wiemann, M. O. (1997). Competent
communication (2nd ed.). St. Martin’s Press.
A book by a corporate author:
Mass Media Task Force (1996). Studies of v-chip acceptance possibilities.
Media Press.
A chapter in an edited book:
Meadowcroft, J. M., & Fitzpatrick, M. A. (1988). Theories of family communication:
Toward a merger of intersubjectivity and mutual influence processes. In R. P. Hawkins,
J. M. Wiemann, & S. Pingree (Eds.), Advancing communication science: Merging mass
and interpersonal processes (pp. 253-275). SAGE Publications.
A Film:
Tanen, N. (Producer) & Hughes, J. (Director). (1985). The breakfast club [Motion picture]. United States: Universal Studios.
Internet articles based on a print source (exists in print and online)
Ku, G. (2008). Learning to de-escalate: The effects of regret in escalation of commitment.
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 105(2), 221-232.
Article in an Internet-only source
Walker, A. (2019, November 14). Germany avoids recession but growth remains
weak. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-50419127
Journal article from a database
Choi, J. (2008). Event justice perceptions and employees’ reactions:
Perceptions of social entity justice as a moderator. Journal of
Applied Psychology, 93, 513-528. Retrieved May 6, 2018, from
PsycARTICLES database.
Examples of
Text Citation and References Page
Here is an example of citing within the text of your paper:
According to Cultural Studies theory, the media assist those in power to maintain the
status quo (Griffin, 2000). In other words, those people who are in power create the
dominant ideologies, and the media promote these mainstream ideologies. According to
Griffin (2000), “Stuart Hall, who is a leader in the cultural studies field, critically evaluates
the power relationship between the media and general public” (p. 268). The following
experiences with American culture serve as good examples to demonstrate the core
concepts of Cultural Studies theory.
a
Here is an example taken from the APA Publication Manual on how to cite from an electronic source within the text of your paper:
To cite a specific part of a source, indicate the page, chapter, figure, table, or equation at the appropriate point in text. Always give page numbers for quotations. Note that the words page and chapter are abbreviated in such text citations:
(Cheek & Buss, 1981, p. 332)
(Shimamura, 1989, chap. 3)
For electronic sources that do not provide page numbers, use the paragraph number, if available, preceded by the paragraph symbol or the abbreviation para. If neither paragraph nor page numbers are visible, cite the heading and the number of the paragraph following it to direct the reader to the location of the material.
(Myers, 2000, ¶ 5)
(Beutler, 2000, Conclusion section, para. 1)
Here is an example of how your References page should look. Notice how the references are alphabetized from the first reference to the last. Also, your reference page should be on a separate page.
References
Griffin, E. (2000). A first look at communication theory (4th ed.).
McGraw-Hill.
Tanen, N. (Producer) & Hughes, J. (Director). (1985). The breakfast club [Motion picture].
United States: Universal Studios.
O’Hair, D., Friedrich, G. W., Wiemann, J. M., & Wiemann, M. O. (1997). Competent
communication (2nd ed.). St. Martin’s Press.
Salazar, A. B. (1996). An analysis of the development and evolution of roles in the small group. Small Group Research, 27, 475-503.
Wood, J. (2004). Communication mosaics: An introduction to the field of communication
(3rd ed.). Thomson/Wadsworth.
d
APA Style Exercise
Directions
Format each of the following citations in proper APA style for a reference page. Use the examples on the previous pages as a guide. You can also visit SBCC Library Guide to Citations for more examples of how to properly use APA style.
1. Journal Article: “Two Contrasting Explanations: Expectancy Violation Theory Versus Discrepancy Arousal Theory” pages: 560 – 591 Human Communication Research. June, 1994. Volume 20. Authors: Judee K. Burgoon and Beth La Poire.
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2. Chapter in an Edited Book: “The Imbalance of Power in Conflict” Author: Louise Barker The Architecture of Conflict, 1994 . Editors: Catherine Weissenberg and Andrea Bodtker. Dreamweaver Press. pages: 184-206.
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3. Book: Dyadic Communication. Author: William Wilmot. Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. 1975.
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4. Journal Article: “Perceptual Comparisons Through the Mind’s Eye.” Author: A. Paivio. In: Memory and Cognition. Volume 3. Pages: 635-647. 1975.
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5. Film: “The Four Seasons.” Director: Alan Alda. City: Los Angeles, California. Motion picture company: Universal Studios. Year: 1981.
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