COM 240: North Carolina State University
1
COM 240:
Communication Inquiry
Fall 2013
Instructor: Dr. Ryan J. Hurley
Teaching Assistant:
Email: rjhurley@ncsu.edu
Alex Hammond – Email: rahammon@ncsu.edu
Office: Winston Hall 220
Kelly Long – Email: kplong2@ncsu.edu
Office Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. (APPOINTMENTS PREFERRED)
Classroom: Riddick 451
Course Overview
Course Website: Moodle [http://moodle.wolfware.ncsu.edu/]
It is the age of information: which has made the ability to read, evaluate, critique, & produce
valid data/information important to employers in all areas. In COM 240: Communication Inquiry
students will study several methods that communication researchers have employed in order to
understand human messages, or communication. This course is designed to teach students the
language and procedures of important methods that have been employed by communication
scholars, so they might leave the course better prepared to consume and produce research
information regarding human communication.
General Course Outcomes
Students should leave the course able to do the following:




Understand what separates communication inquiry apart from research regarding
psychology, biology, and other academic disciplines.
Distinguish between different approaches to communication research (e.g., socialscience, rhetoric, etc.).
o Understand the differing goals of individual approaches to communication
research.
Ask and answer certain questions about communication, using communication methods.
Critically read, evaluate, and conduct communication research.
[While we won’t be conducting research for this course, students should be prepared to
execute research projects at work and in subsequent rhetoric, critical/cultural, and/or
social-science courses in the Department of Communication.]
o Understand the arrangement and contents of scholarly research reports (i.e., peerreviewed journal articles) from several areas of communication inquiry.
o Understand the language of communication research.
o Select appropriate data analysis strategies based on the type of data.
o Conduct common analyses with a given data set or artifact/text.
Distance Education (DE) Sections
The Department of Communication offers several courses required for the major in the online
environment, Distance Education (DE). The DE section of COM 240 relies on audio/video
COM 240: North Carolina State University
2
recordings from a “classroom-capture system.” In other words, the DE section (COM 240-601)
will feature recordings from the classroom version of the course, which meets 3 days a week
from 12:25 until 1:15 on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays. That means starting Day 1,
recordings of the classroom sessions will be posted to the COM 240-601 Moodle class website
following the same MWF structure (three lectures a week, except on holidays and other dates
when the in-class section does not meet). The goal is to create an online course that is as similar
to the classroom version as possible. The DE section will be administered entirely via Moodle
(see web address above) with NO REQUIRED ON-CAMPUS VISITS. Directions regarding
assignment submission, due dates, and other such work are discussed in this syllabus and will be
addressed in the lecture recordings as well.
REGARDING COMPUTER ISSUES: Online courses invite a host of potential computer issues.
In signing up for COM 240-601 you are stating that you have access to a functional computer
and you are taking the responsibility to complete the work ON TIME REGARDLESS of
computer issues. With free campus and public computer access nearly everywhere, computer
crashes are not valid excuses for late work…for on- or offline sections. Students MUST HAVE
ACCESS to the Internet, MS Word, Adobe Reader, and one of several possible Internet
browsers. Campus computers, and most public libraries and Kinkos, provide all of these
necessary tools for completing the course.
Your responsibility as a student is to (1) come to class (or view the lecture for DE sections), (2)
complete all assignments/activities ON TIME, & (3) communicate. If you need help, cannot
complete something on time, or are just plain bored…communicate with me. My students are
some of my favorite people in the world. I love talking with you all and I hate to play
disciplinarian. Most problems/difficulties that arise during a semester can be easily remedied
through communication, and I want to talk with you anyway. So, if you just cannot finish an
assignment on time, EMAIL ME IMMEDIATELY. Communication before deadlines goes along
way.
Course Textbook
Most of the readings will come from the textbook; however, I will post a few PDF readings on
Moodle throughout the semester that relate to topic at that time. Students are responsible for the
content of these, and the textbook, readings on the exams. The required textbook for the course is
cited below. Students are responsible for following along with the assigned readings as indicated
in the course calendar.
Frey, L. R., Botan, C. H., & Kreps, G. L. (2000). Investigating communication: An introduction
to research methods. Allyn & Bacon: Needham Heights, MA.
Assignments, Assessments, & Grading
The assignments and assessments in this course are designed to measure your ability to
demonstrate your understanding of the course content. Always remember that your job is to
prove that you understand the material. For DE sections, all assignments and exams will be
administered online. There will be no need for exam appointments.
COM 240: North Carolina State University
3
Exams (3 Exams; 100pts each) (300pts): There will be three exams each of which is worth
100pts. These exams will ask you to recall, recognize, and explain communication concepts and
research methods related to communication inquiry. Each exam will be comprised of multiplechoice, matching, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, and/or short answer essay-type questions.
Questions will directly reflect material found in the lectures AND course textbook. Students are
responsible for keeping current with the assigned chapter readings. DE sections will take all
exams through the Moodle interface. There will be no need for exam appointments. Exams will
be open from 8:00am until 11:55pm on scheduled exam days. Like those in the classroom
section, DE students will have 50 minutes to complete the exam from when they first open it.
These (and more) instructions will be available on Moodle prior to each exam.
Article Assignments (5 Assignments; 4 x 50pts each; 1 x 100pts) (300pts): Each of these
assignments will be announced & detailed in the lectures, but essentially you will be asked to
locate scholarly journal articles of a specific type (i.e., a type related to the current course
material) and answer a few questions about them.
Article #1 - 4 (4 x 50pts) (200pts): Find & print the front page of a PDF of an
appropriate peer-reviewed journal article. Also, attach the answers to the separate
handout (e.g., Article #1: Questions) behind the peer-reviewed journal article materials
you are required to turn in. Make sure your name is written legibly on the front of the all
of your material.
Article #5 (100pts): Find & print the front page of an appropriate PDF of a peerreviewed journal article from one of the top journals in the field of communication as
rated by ISI. Turn in a detailed abstract of this article, addressing the major sections of a
peer-reviewed research article in turn. Make sure your name is written legibly on the
front of the all of your material.
***For DE SECTIONS, ARTICLE ASSIGNMENTS will be due in Moodle by 11:55pm on
their scheduled due dates. Note: There will be 1 place to upload BOTH your article in PDF
form and your answers to the separate handout (i.e., the SAME drop box works for both
documents you need to upload). Answer the questions to the separate handout directly in the
MS Word document, but re-title the file using your last name, your first initial, & the article
number (e.g., HurleyR_Q1.doc). Then upload the ENTIRE PDF file of the article into Moodle.
DE Article #1 – 4 (4 x 50pts) (200pts): Find & upload the ENTIRE PDF file of an
appropriate peer-reviewed journal article. Also, attach the answers to the separate
handout (Article #1: Questions; e.g., HurleyR_Q1.doc) with the peer-reviewed journal
article materials you are required to turn in. Please save your article file with a title that
uses your last name and your first initial followed by the article number (e.g.,
HurleyR_Article1.pdf). Follow this format for all articles.
DE Article #5 (100pts): Find & upload the ENTIRE PDF of a peer-reviewed journal
article from one of the top journals in the field of communication as rated by ISI. Turn in
a detailed abstract of this article, addressing the major sections of a peer-reviewed
COM 240: North Carolina State University
4
research article in turn. Make sure your file names contain your real name and the article
number (e.g., HurleyR_Article5.doc & HurleyR_Article5.pdf).
In-class Participation Activities (10 Activities; 20pts each) (200pts): These will be short inclass activities that will be completed in small groups and relate to the current course content.
There will be a total of 10 of these assignments randomly dispersed throughout the semester.
These assignments CANNOT be made up (only excused with proper documentation of an
approved excuse), so COME TO CLASS and earn these easy points. ***DE sections will have
these “in-class” participation assignments due with attendance at the beginning of each week.
This means uploaded BEFORE 11:55pm on the due date.
Attendance (100pts): I consider taking attendance to be beneficial for students, and not only for
the obvious reason that you need to be present to learn vital course material. I consider
attendance to be the easiest way for students to attain course points. Overall attendance will be
scaled to total 100pts. EVERY DAY COUNTS as points. There are no “free” absences. If a
student is absent for ANY reason for MORE THAN of 3 weeks (6 days for T-TH, 9 days for
MWF, and 5 days for Summer Session 2) that student will FAIL the course. Students who
transfer into the course after the first day of class will have their attendance scaled accordingly.
***For DE sections, attendance will be due via Moodle every Monday (starting the first
Monday of the semester) BEFORE 11:55pm. Every lecture posted will contain an attendance
question of the day that is randomly placed within the lecture (i.e., it could be at the beginning,
the middle, or the end of the lecture). Students will be asked to provide answers to the previous
week’s general attendance questions (e.g., What is your favorite movie?) BEFORE 11:55pm
the following Monday.
NOTE: Because the lectures are recorded live, they cannot be posted early for DE students.
Further absence information: Per University regulations, excused absences must fall into one of
two categories: sanctioned anticipated situations and documented emergency situations.
Anticipated situations (e.g., participation in official University functions, court attendance,
religious observances, or military duty) must be submitted in writing at the beginning of the
semester or one week prior to the anticipated absence.
Point Distribution & Grading Scale
3 Primarily Objective Exams (100pts each)
5 Article Assignments (4 x 50pts each; 1 x 100pts)
10 Participation Activities (20pts each)
Attendance
TOTAL
33.3%
33.3%
22.2%
11.2%
100.0%
300pts
300pts
200pts
100pts
900pts
Your grade will be determined based on the traditional scale of percentages (below). Your
percentage will be calculated by dividing the number of points you have earned by the total
amount of points in the course. Scores will be recorded using standard rounding to the nearest
whole number (e.g., 90.49% = 90%; whereas, 90.50% = 91%).
COM 240: North Carolina State University
100% - 98%
89% - 87%
79% - 77%
69% - 67%
59% - 00%
= A+
= B+
= C+
= D+
=F
97% - 94%
86% - 84%
76% - 74%
66% - 64%
=A
=B
=C
=D
5
93% - 90%
83% - 80%
73% - 70%
63% - 60%
= A= B= C= D-
Assignment Completion
You must complete all assignments (i.e., article assignments, exams, etc.) on the day the
assignment is due.

NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED. The deadline is the DEADLINE!
Late = 0pts…seriously 0pts. This ALSO APPLIES TO EXAMS. See more below.

Exam Make ups. In order to make up an exam that was not taken as scheduled, the
STUDENT is RESPONSIBLE to notify me BEFORE the scheduled exam time. If you
wake up feeling sick on the day of a scheduled exam, EMAIL ME IMMEDIATELY even
if you think you will be able to take the exam. A student contacting me AFTER missing a
scheduled exam certainly WILL NOT be allow to take the exam for full credit, but might
not be allowed to make up the exam at all. When “excusable absences” are reported
AFTER missing an exam, the student might be allowed to take the exam for UP TO 80%
credit (e.g., 100% = 80%; 95% = 75%, etc.). When “inexcusable absences” result in a
missed exam & are reported AFTER missing the exam, the student WILL NOT be
allowed to take the exam. Inexcusable absences (e.g., car failure, vacation/travel)
reported BEFORE a scheduled exam MIGHT be allowed to take the exam for UP TO
80% credit depending on the individual circumstances of the case. EMAIL notification of
exam absences is preferred because it provides a permanent, time-stamped record.

If you fail to take any EXAM you will FAIL the course.

NO EMAIL VERSIONS (of assignments or exams) WILL BE ACCEPTED. You cannot
turn in your assignment (e.g., the article assignments) via email unless you have received
my permission. COM 240-001 MIGHT turn in some assignments using the course
Moodle site; however, this determination will be made in class on an assignment-byassignment basis. DE/Online courses will turn in ALL assignments via the course
MOODLE website.
Extra Credit
Up to 15 total points for ALL extra credit. There is an OPEN EXTRA CREDIT opportunity
for ALL students ALL semester long (Until the date of the final). Find some video clip (e.g.,
TV show, film, webisode, etc.) or non-video example (e.g., a survey you took for some
company) that demonstrates a concept from this course (e.g., reliability, sampling, experiments,
surveys, interviews). In an email, explain which concept you chose & how the example you
found helps us understand that concept. Extra credit may be turned in via email to
rjhurley@ncsu.edu.
•NOT epistemology or ontology
•NOT subjectivity or objectivity
Up to 15 points total (5pts for the FIRST clip/example & 10pts for the SECOND clip/example)
COM 240: North Carolina State University
6
Classroom Climate
Disruptive classroom behavior can interfere with the learning process and create an
uncomfortable classroom environment. Please do your best to refrain from disruptive behavior,
such as cell phone use, early exits and late arrivals, chatting with your neighbor, listening to
music, or any other potentially disruptive behavior. Respectful classroom behavior also requires
an appreciation of diversity: diversity of ideas, beliefs, and values; diversity of lifestyles; and,
diversity of forms of expression. Instructors and students will be expected to be respectful and
tolerant of difference and diversity in the classroom.
Syllabus Changes
Schedule changes will be announced in class and posted or announced on the course Moodle site.
Students are responsible for keeping up with changes to the course schedule and for adhering to
the policies outlined in this syllabus.
Absence Policy
Per University regulations, excused absences must fall into one of two categories: sanctioned
anticipated situations and documented emergency situations. Anticipated situations (e.g.,
participation in official University functions, court attendance, religious observances, or military
duty) must be submitted in writing at the beginning of the semester or one week prior to the
anticipated absence. Emergency absences (e.g., student illness, injury or death of immediate
family member, must be documented by the Student Organization Resource Center 515-3323)
within one week following the emergency. Make-up work will be allowed only in situations
where absences were excused. Please consult the following website for further information on
University attendance regulations: http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-20-03
Academic Integrity
Strict standards of academic honesty will be enforced according to the University policy on
academic integrity found in the code of student conduct. NC State Students are bound to an
honor code, which states: “I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this test or
assignment." It is my understanding and expectation that a student's signature on any test or
assignment means that you have neither given nor received unauthorized aid. Please consult the
following website for further details on student conduct:
http://studentconduct.ncsu.edu/
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities. In order to
take advantage of available accommodations, students must register with Disability Services for
Students at 1900 Student Health Center, Campus Box 7509, 515-7653. For more information on
NC State's policy on working with students with disabilities, please see
http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-20-01
COM 240: North Carolina State University
7
Incomplete Policy
Students will not be given a temporary grade of IN (incomplete) unless they have attended
classes regularly for most of the semester, have completed at least 60% of required work, have
missed required work as a result of factors beyond their control, and have submitted satisfactory
documentary evidence. An IN grade not removed by the end of the next semester in which the
student is enrolled or by the end of twelve months, whichever is earlier, will automatically
become an F (unless the student can present a compelling, well-documented case for the
extension). For the NC State policy on grading and IN grades, see
http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-50-03
Credit Only Policy
Requirements for Credit-Only: In order to receive a grade of S, students are required to take all
exams and quizzes, complete all assignments, and earn a grade of C- or better. Credit-Only
courses can only be included under the Free Elective category of the student’s curriculum.
Conversion from letter grading to credit only (S/U) grading is subject to university deadlines.
Refer to the Registration and Records calendar for deadlines related to grading. For more details
refer to: http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-20-15
Audit Policy
Requirements for Auditors: Auditors must consult with the instructor. For details refer to:
http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-20-04
Anti-Discrimination Statement
NC State University provides equality of opportunity in education and employment for all
students and employees. Accordingly, NC State affirms its commitment to maintain a work
environment for all employees and an academic environment for all students that is free from all
forms of discrimination. Discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, sex, national
origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation is a violation of state and federal law
and/or NC State University policy and will not be tolerated. Harassment of any person (either in
the form of quid pro quo or creation of a hostile environment) based on race, color, religion,
creed, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation also is a violation
of state and federal law and/or NC State University policy and will not be tolerated. Retaliation
against any person who complains about discrimination is also prohibited. NC State’s policies
and regulations covering discrimination, harassment, and retaliation may be accessed at
http://policies.ncsu.edu/policy/pol-04-25-05
Student Resources
Writing and Speaking Tutorial Services: http://tutorial.ncsu.edu/wsts
Academic Policies: www.ncsu.edu/policies/sitemap.php#acad-pols_regs
University Career Center: http://www.ncsu.edu/career/
Disability Services Office (DSO): http://www.ncsu.edu/dso/
Adverse Weather: Complete information about adverse weather policies is available at
http://www.ncsu.edu/human_resources/benefits/leave/adverseweather.php
COM 240: North Carolina State University
8
Check email, news, the NCSU home page, or call 513-8888 for the latest information.
CHASS Career Services
CHASS Career Services are available through the Career Development Center, 2100 Pullen
Hall. Your career contacts are: Jane Matthews (A-H) and Woody Catoe (I-Z). Make
appointments through ePACK. careers.ncsu.edu
Course Calendar
DAY
DATE
DAILY TOPIC
READINGS
(read before class) &
ASSIGNMENTS
(due in class)
1
W
August 21st, 2012
Introductions: Ryan & The Course
2
F
23rd
Introduction to Research Culture &
Research Areas in Communication
3
M
26th
4
W
28th
Epistemology, Ontology &
Different Approaches to Communication Studies
Finding, Saving, & Printing Peer-reviewed Journals
5
F
30th
Approach #1: Rhetorical Criticism
***
M
September 2nd
***LABOR DAY – NO CLASS/LECTURE***
6
W
4th
Doing Rhetorical Criticism
7
F
6th
Rhetoric Day with Dr. Matthew May
Article #1 Due
8
M
9th
Approach #2: Critical/Cultural Studies
Moodle Reading
9
W
11th
“
10
F
13th
TBD Critical/Cultural Day
Article #2 Due
11
M
16th
Ch 3
12
W
18th
Approach #3: Social Science
Research Paper Basics (RPB)
“
13
F
20th
EXAM #1 Review
14
M
23rd
***EXAM #1***
15
W
25th
Research Ethics & Politics
Ch 1 pp. 3–6, 12-18
&
Ch 2 pp. 27–30
Ch 1
pp. 18-26
Ch 3
pp. 48-56
Ch 9
pp. 229 – 236
Moodle Reading
Ch 6
COM 240: North Carolina State University
9
16
F
27th
Observing & Measuring Variables
Ch 4
17
M
30th
“
18
W
October 2nd
Research Design: Validity & Reliability
19
F
4th
Research Design: Sampling
20
M
7th
21
W
9th
Methods in Communication Research (MCR):
Experimental Research
“
***
F
11th
***FALL BREAK – NO CLASS/LECTURE***
22
M
14th
MCR: Survey Research
23
W
16th
“
24
F
18th
MCR: Textual Analysis (TA)
Ch 9
25
M
21st
Naturalistic Inquiry
Ch 10
26
W
23rd
“
27
F
25th
EXAM #2 Review
28
M
28th
***EXAM #2***
29
W
30th
Qualitative Data Analysis
30
F
November 1st
Qualitative Activity Day
31
M
4
Describing Quantitative Data
Ch 11
32
W
6
Inferring from Data:
Estimation & Significance Testing
Ch 12
33
F
8
“
Article #4 Due
34
M
11
Difference between Groups Stats
Ch 13
35
W
13
“
36
F
15
Relationship between Variables Stats
37
M
18
“
38
W
20
TBD Social-science Paper/Article #4 Presentation
Ch 5
Ch 7
Ch 8
Article #3 Due
Ch 14
COM 240: North Carolina State University
10
39
F
22
40
M
25
***
W
27
Walk through Math Activities
& Do Activity #10
Concluding Research:
Writing the Results, Discussion, & Conclusion
***THANKSGIVING – NO LECTURE***
***
F
29
***THANKSGIVING – NO LECTURE***
41
M
December 2nd
42
W
4th
Concluding Research:
What happens to the final product/paper?
EXAM #3 Review
Article #5 Due
December 9th
***FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE***
***(EXAM #3)***
Course Meeting Time & Section #
12:25 – 1:15 PM Section: COM 240-001
Time of Exam
1:00 – 4:00pm
43
M