ms 131 research project showing comprehension W r i t i n g

Final Research Analysis Paper

Two key Aims:

Discuss, Analyze and Evaluate: To clarify for yourself what you know now as a result of conducting research over a semester. What argument/thesis/claim does your research allow you to make from the evidence gathered using primary and secondary research methods. Drawing from your research presentation in Week 15, and from your overall literature review and textual (representation) analysis and interview (audience and or producer) analysis, you will produce a final paper evaluating research methods and critically analyze research findings from each research method to situate and assess the contribution of your research project. A good understanding of the circuit of culture will allow you to critically analyze the interconnected power relation of media texts and audiences and the processes of encoding and decoding of meanings.

Research Contribution: What knowledge does your research add to and or challenge? You need to situate your media research in your academic discipline and assess the big picture of possible contribution to society and culture.

This means that you need to situate your research findings in the discipline of Cultural Studies and or other disciplines and subdisciplines.

Where is the knowledge coming from to understand your research?

Which scholars are you are relying on and which disciplines are the situated in?

To make contribution knowledge in your field you need to:

–Establish the connections between the patterns that emerge from your analysis and your research questions

–Relate those connections to the existing research and theory

Instruction

Minimum word requirement is 1500 words with a maximum of 2000 words

Front Cover Page: State your research question, a thesis, and Six key findings, two from literature review, two from textual analysis, two from interview research methods.

A critical essay discussing and analyzing your MS 131 research project showing comprehension of course knowledge and independent critical thinking.

Bibliography: As with any research paper you will have a Bibliography at the end. You can include references you have already used and add more if you wish. You can use references from each assignment. You can also include a few new references that are aligned with your overall research claim or thesis. I will leave this to your judgement as an independent researcher who has developed their knowledge over the last 15 weeks.

How to go about doing this assignment?

You are identifying the most important take-away points of your research. Some of these question will help in your critical reflection and evaluation of your research. You are the person with most knowledge of your independent research and you can decide how best to articulate the most important aspects of your research.

1. Research Question and findings

What are the most important findings of your research in relation to answering your research question?

What was the aim of your research?

What social problem were you thinking of addressing when you began to design your research question? Did the research process change your RQ and thesis?

2. Your Findings and relation to existing knowledge and academic literature review

How do your research findings relate to academic literature review/library research that you conducted and then developed for each research method?

How do your research findings matter in the context of Media and Cultural Studies scholarship and knowledge production?

How do your research findings extend, challenge, or problematize the existing academic literature that you engaged with?

3.Research Methods

How do your findings from three research methods compare? Differences between textual analysis of representation in the media texts compared to meanings made by the audience in your interviews.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of each and of the qualitative research methods?

Which research method/s provided the most important evidence for your research question?

What were the overall limitations of your research?

4 a. Implications of your research findings

What are the implications of your research findings? Are there any practical applications? For example, policy implications.

What implications do your findings have for social issue/problems that you were researching?

Do you think your research findings can contribute to understanding the relation between media, culture and society? Discuss

Do you think your research findings can potentially contribute to public policy on social problems your research was trying to address? Discuss.

4 b. Contribution to Society/Culture: How do researchers make contribution the field?

The big picture or the research story. What was the bigger social issue you were trying to find answers to or address in your research?

The challenge for every researcher is to hold the detail of the findings/data in focus without losing sight of the big picture of the research. This is why reporting data analysis is not enough.

To make contribution knowledge in your field you need to:

establish the connections between the patterns that emerge from your analysis and your research questions

relate those connections to the existing research and theory

Grading Criteria

Assessment Criteria/Points

Comprehension (150)

Cover Page: Research question/ thesis/ Main findings. (10 pts)

Introduction: Discuss RQ and reasoning and background– first paragraph or first couple of paragraphs and how the RQ changed, if it did? Key findings from each research method and identify main findings. (35 pts)

State your Thesis in the first few paragraphs after providing the context (5 pts)

Body of the paper (100 points):

Discuss and Reflect on Key findings from each research method and its relation to RQ.Show Comprehension of course knowledge of research methods. Evaluate Research Methods.

What is the relation of key findings to existing knowledge/Scholarship? What possible contribution can you research add to and or challenge?

Critical Analysis (150)

What argument can you make based on your overall analysis of key findings? Identifying and linking significant evidence to your argument/thesis. (50pts)

Clarity and coherence of overall discussion/argument ( 30pts)

Originality of interpretation (30pts) and situating of research

Critical Reflection & Analysis of research methods and Analysis and literature. (40pts)

Structure/Writing (20)

Overall presentation of the essay

Writing style (e.g., style, expression)

Grammar/Spelling

Overall Organization(30)

Bibliography: Correct citation. Use of Sources/Referencing.(appropriate citation style (10pts)

Word requirement met. (1500) (10 pts)

Reference requirement met (min. 12) relevant and quality source references. (10 pts). Can use research specific references from earlier research and some references from the course on the context/background

Total (_/350)