COM 301: Research Methods in Communication Arts
SPRING 2015
Dr. Karin Maresh
Class Meetings: MWF, 1:00 – 2:05pm
Office: 014 Burnett
Burnett 015
Phone: 724-503-1001, ext. 3342
Office Hours: R, 1:00-3:00pm, or by appointment
Email: kmaresh@washjeff.edu (This is the best way to reach me outside of class.)
The mission of the Department of Communication Arts is to graduate citizens determined
to build productive lives and vibrant communities through skilled communication, artful
performance, and purposeful collaboration. Practice in the ancient disciplines of rhetoric
and theatre, as well as the recent arts of radio and cinema, can develop habits of
perception and expression that guide one toward the rewards of human communication.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th ed. New York: MLA of America,
2009. Print.
Gordon, Raymond L. Basic Interviewing Skills. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press, Inc.,
1992. Print.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is an overview of methods and practices of primary and secondary research
in rhetoric, media, and theatre. Students learn how to discover, assess, and use secondary
and primary research in print and digital forms for literature reviews. Primary research
includes interview and observation methodologies. Serious research is necessary for
understanding the contexts of texts and performances, for building persuasive arguments,
and for making useful contributions to a community. This course is a prerequisite for all
other 300 and 400 level communication arts courses.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Throughout this semester students will:


develop skills in information literacy, reading, and critical thinking by
conducting research of primary and secondary source materials.
develop skills in inquiry and analysis, creative thinking, and ethical
reasoning by producing original research assignments to be communicated
via written and oral format.

develop skills in written communication, information literacy, and ethical
reasoning by collating research into a concise document and citing
sources.
CLASS POLICIES:
1. No make-up assignments, quizzes, or exams are allowed without documentation
of an illness or emergency.
2. Papers and assignments are to be turned into me at the beginning of class on the
scheduled due date. I will only accept hard copies (not via email). Late papers
will be penalized by one letter grade for each day (not class period) after the
deadline. Papers which are five or more days late will be given an automatic
zero.
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. Scavenger Hunt – Students will be given a list of questions for which they will
need to consult library sources to find the answers. Citations of the sources used
must be included along with the answers.
2. Grammar quiz – This quiz will test the student’s knowledge of grammar.
3. Annotated Bibliography – Students will choose a topic (perhaps connected to
their final paper) and create a bibliography of at least 20 sources related to said
topic. Succinct analyses of each source should be included with each entry, and
the sources should also be divided into categories (primary, secondary, etc.).
4. Interview Assignments – Students will conduct two separate interviews, the first
of a fellow classmate and the second of someone outside the class. The goal of
this assignment is to engage the student in developing a more conscious and
deliberate method of interviewing others.
5. Article Summary & Critique – This assignment involves students in an
examination of the research and analysis conducted by a scholar in the field. In
doing this, students will learn more about how to do research, as well as how to
critically read and analyze a work of literature.
6. Resume – Students will work on creating and/or revising their existing resumes
via this assignment.
7. Portfolio – Students will work on creating and/or revising their existing portfolios
via this assignment.
8. Mock Internship Application – This assignment gives students an opportunity
to hone their application writing skills.
9. Proposal for Independent Research Project – This project is meant to prepare
students for writing their senior project proposals.
Should other projects be assigned throughout the semester, students will be given prior
notice.
All written assignments for this class MUST be typed (unless otherwise stated),
double-spaced, formatted in Times New Roman 12 pt. font, and PROOFREAD. I
will take points off for sloppy grammar.
**Grades for these assignments will be based primarily upon your level of work in four
main areas: research, organization, preparation, and creativity (independent thinking).
Work that meets the minimum requirements will earn a “C.” A “B” assignment will
show some depth of thought and good use of materials, while an “A” assignment will
show significant depth of thought and excellent use of materials.
SAKAI: I will use Sakai this semester to post readings, assignments, and links to
relevant and useful web sites. If you miss class, be sure to check the Sakai site in the
event I issue an assignment in your absence.
ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION: You are expected to attend all classes. Each
class period is worth two points, one for attendance and one for participation. If you miss
a class you lose the points available for that day. Attendance is taken at the start of class
and tardiness will be noted and can affect your grade. I count five tardies as an absence.
Participation in this class means active involvement in relevant class discussion and
group activities. The best piece of advice I can give you is this: In order to critically
engage with the material and your classmates, you should take notes and make
observations of the course material. Write down all questions that are raised as you read
and bring them to class for discussion. This will make the class more interesting for you
as well as for the class as a whole. These notes will also be enormously helpful as you
study for your midterm and final exams.
GRADING:
Scavenger Hunt
Grammar Quiz
Daily Work
Interview #1
Interview #2
Annotated Bibliography
Article Summary & Critique
Resume
Mock Internship Application
Proposal for Project
Attendance/Participation
30 pts.
30 pts.
30 pts.
50 pts.
80 pts.
100 pts.
50 pts.
30 pts.
30 pts.
30 pts.
74 pts.
5%
5%
5%
10%
15%
15%
15%
5%
5%
10%
10%
100%
*The total number of available points for the semester may change depending on the
amount of daily work that is assigned.
GRADING SCALE:
A= 93-100 (A), 90-92 (A-)
B= 88-89 (B+), 83-87 (B), 80-82 (B-)
C= 78-79 (C+), 73-77 (C), 70-72 (C-)
D= 68-69 (D+), 63-67 (D), 60-62 (D-)
F= 59 and below
ACADEMIC RESPONSIBILITY: Academic honesty and integrity is expected of all
students. I treat cheating of any sort, electronic or human, very seriously. The written
work you hand in or present in class must be your own, no matter how small the
assignment, and the sources informing both your ideas and prose should be properly
acknowledged. I will avail myself of W&J resources to detect digital plagiarism. If a
student is found guilty of plagiarism, he or she will receive a failing grade in the
course. If you are confused in any way about this, please see me. Information about
W&J regulations concerning plagiarism and academic misconduct can be found online on
the College website and in the College Catalog.
According to the College’s Academic Honesty Policy, “examples of academic
misconduct include, but are not limited to:

Plagiarism, which is representing the fruits of another’s intellectual labor as one’s
own, whether this is done with the intention to deceive or is the result of
incompetence. Examples include using someone else’s ideas, research results,
sentence structure, or phrasing without properly crediting the author, thus leading
the reader to assume that they are the student’s own creation.

Fabricating material and representing it as genuine. This includes falsifying research
results for a laboratory report or falsifying information for a written essay.

Submitting papers or other academic work in two different classes or other academic
settings without full knowledge of the instructors involved and written permission from
both instructors. When an assignment asks for original work, the presumption is that the
work has not been submitted in a different class or another academic setting.

Knowingly giving or receiving unauthorized aid on a piece of academic work (including
tests, papers, research, artwork, etc.). For example, a person knowingly giving answers to
another person during a test is as guilty of academic misconduct as the person receiving
the answers.

Misconduct in a testing situation, including copying answers from another student’s test,
using electronic devices or other unauthorized sources of information during a test, or
illicitly collaborating on tests taken outside of the classroom” (Academic Status
Committee. “Academic Honesty Policy.” Spring 2005. 12 August 2005 <
http://www1.washjeff.edu/users/committees/coas/>.).
CALENDAR:
Week 1
W 28 Jan.
F 30 Jan.
Week 2
M 2 Feb.
W 4 Feb.
F 6 Feb.
Week 3
M 9 Feb.
W 11 Feb.
F 13 Feb.
Week 4
M 16 Feb.
W 18 Feb.
F 20 Feb.
Week 5
M 23 Feb.
W 25 Feb.
F 27 Feb.
Week 6
M 2 Mar.
W 4 Mar.
F 6 Mar.
Week 7
M 9 Mar.
W 11 Mar.
F 13 Mar.
Introduction to Sources
Introduction to the Course
Scavenger Hunt (Meet at the library)
Grammar Quiz
Reading Due: MLA Handbook, Chpt. 3 (pp. 63-113)
Ethical Issues
Reading Due: MLA Handbook, Chpt. 2 (pp. 51-61)
Continue Discussion
Research
Meet at W&J Archival Room (in lower level of library)
The Research Paper
Reading Due: MLA Handbook, Chpt. 1 (pp. 1-31)
The Research Paper
Reading Due: MLA Handbook, Chpt. 1 (pp. 31-50)
Continue Discussion of Research Paper
Continue Discussion of Research Paper
Annotated Bibliography DUE
Interviewing
Reading Due: Gordon, Chpt. 1
The Question
Reading Due: Gordon, Chpt. 2 & 3
Misè en scene and Delivery
Reading Due: Gordon, Chpt. 4 & 5
TBA
Listening and Observing
Reading Due: Gordon, Chpt. 6 & 7
Preparation for First Interview
Evaluation and Analysis
Reading Due: Gordon, Chpt. 8 & 9
First Interviews
First Interviews
Finish First Interviews
Week 8
16-20 Mar.
Week 9
M 23 Mar.
W 25 Mar.
F 27 Mar.
NO CLASSES – Spring Break
Guest visit (?)
Critical Analysis
Close Reading
Close Reading
Discuss Research Article Summary & Critique Assignment
Week 10
M 30 Mar.
W 1 Apr.
F 3 Apr.
Independent Research Project
Finding Your Focus
Writing the Proposal
Research Article Summary & Critique Assignment DUE
Week 11
M 6 Apr.
W 8 Apr.
F 10 Apr.
The Resume/Portfolio
Resumes
Portfolios
Resume Copy DUE
Week 12
M 13 Apr.
W 15 Apr.
F 17 Apr.
Internships
Researching and Applying
Guest Visit with Career Services (?)
Mock Internship Application DUE
Week 13
M 20 Apr.
W 22 Apr.
F 24 Apr.
Second Interview
Share Second Interviews
Share Second Interviews
Share Second Interviews
Week 14
M 27 Apr.
W 29 Apr.
F 1 May
Proposal for Independent Research Project DUE
TBA
Revised Proposals DUE
Week 15
M 4 May
Summarize Course
Final Exam – Tuesday, 12 May, 9am-12pm