Chapter 4: “Searching for previous
research and APA style”
in
Quantitative research methods for communication:
A hands-on approach
by
Jason S. Wrench, Candice Thomas-Maddox,
Virginia Peck Richmond, & James C. McCroskey
(2008)
Adam Webb
COMM. 5310.01
What this chapter is about…

Part 1: Understanding the five steps when
beginning a research project (pp. 43-67)

Part 2: APA paper formatting (pp. 68-74)
The five steps in the research process

Wrench, Thomas-Maddox, Richmond, &
McCroskey (2008) claim “[t]he first step
in beginning the communication research
project involves choosing a topic or
questions about communication to
investigate” (Wrench, Thomas-Maddox,
Richmond, & McCroskey, p. 43)
The five steps
Step 1: Indentifying a topic
 Step 2: Clarifying the research question
and generating key terms
 Step 3: Locating sources of information
 Step 4: Organizing and evaluating
information
 Step 5: Citing sources of information
using the APA format

Step 1: Identifying a source
Key points & ideas:
 Check previous research
 Specific communication context
 What kinds of sources? Primary?
Secondary? How to go about locating
them
 The use of the research?
 What are the theories being used? Do they
apply to your research purposes?
Step 2: Clarifying the research
question and generating key terms
Key points & ideas:
 State your topic in the form of a question
 Identify key terms and concepts
 Generate a list of synonyms
 The “checklist” (p. 47)
 Brainstorming (p. 49)
Step 3: Locating sources of
information
Key points & ideas:
 Two types of information sources:
-Google and Yahoo examples (possibly as a starting
point)
-The library (“librarians are our friends”)
 Secondary scholarly research articles (please see the list
on pp.52-54)
 Primary sources (i.e. interviews, surveys, etc.)
 Handbooks & encyclopedias
 Electronic databases
 The Internet & evaluating World Wide Webb sources
(the issue of credibility)
Step 4: Organizing and evaluating
information
Key points & ideas:
Accurately record all of your information from
your sources (i.e. what kind of source is it? &
what kind of citation elements needed in it, p.
63)
 You can possibly locate and use an online
citation generator such as Endnote, Noodle
Tools, Easybib, & Bibme + others
 Microsoft Word 2007 has citation generator for
keeping track of the sources you use in your text
(word of warning…)

Step 5: Citing sources of
information using the APA format
Key points & ideas:
 Cite all of your sources (the ones you use in
your text)!
 Build a “reference list”
 Direct quotes & paraphrasing both require
proper citation in APA
 Various types of citations: Block quotes
(more than 40 words or four lines or more),
paraphrases (“putting in your own words;
summarizing), & parenthetical citations
(direct quotes taken from another text)
APA paper formatting
Writing up your research in APA is
more than just putting a cover page on
it!
Some of the basics in APA…

When doing academic research for an
academic institution or for publication,
obtain a recent copy of the American
Psychological Association (APA) Manual

There have been some recent changes in
APA formatting
What is APA?



Cover page with a running head and specific page margins
An abstract of the study or research
Certain page and in-text citations/paraphrasing
requirements, such as:
-Titles
-Various subtitles
-Certain ways non how to use and label charts &
figures
-Author introductions and citations
-A reference page + more
Standout key terms (let us define
them together) 
Axiom  Boolean logic  Parenthetical citations  Truncation symbols 
My sample APA paper (M.S. thesis in
Curriculum & Instruction)
(my questions to the audience)
How do you do research?
How do you feel about APA?
(audience questions to me)
What questions do you have for me?
Thank you! 
Have a nice night!