Category: Communication

The Senior Capstone Project is a comprehensive, professional, research-based project that you will develop in steps, some as discussion activities, some as graded assignments. This document describes the four types of projects and their components which are available to you for your last Communication Studies degree requirement.
Assessment will be based on the assumption you know and can execute the skills applicable to the project that you have chosen to complete, which would be skills learned in the listed courses or similar courses that you have taken at another institution. You should select the Senior Capstone Project that will best exemplify the Communications Studies knowledge and skills you can offer an employer. For example, if you have never taken a speech class, it would probably not be wise of you to select the Executive Speech option for your Senior Capstone Project.
This section contains information about the Research Report assignment that will help you decide if it is the right option for your Senior Capstone Project.
Coursework Preparation
You will be best prepared for this assignment if you have completed an upper-level writing course (such as UMGC’s WRTG 391, 393, or 394), an upper-level research methods course (such as COMM 480) and 9 credits of upper-level coursework in the communication studies discipline (such as UMGC’s COMM 300 and some combination of COMM 302, COMM 390, COMM 400, SPCH 324, and SPCH 470).
This assignment requires strong research and writing skills, and a deep understanding of business audiences and business documents.
If you are interested in this Senior Capstone Project and are uncertain whether you have prepared well enough to fulfill its requirements, contact your instructor.
Description
If you select this assignment, you will
conduct an original investigation into a timely issue, problem, or question related to one of the communication studies major areas (human/speech communication, mass communication, media studies, journalism, professional writing, group communication, interpersonal communication, and so forth)
write a research report that defines the issue, its history, and its significance, and offers a meaningful analysis for a specific audience, including recommendations for change, possible solutions, or comparative advantages
Sample Topics/Questions
The following list offers some guidance on developing a topic for this Senior Capstone Project.
What is the impact of social media on organizational public relations efforts in a specific realm/industry?
What is the current state of diversity training in the US corporate environment or among multinational corporations? Based on current research in the communication studies field, what recommendations can you make to improve the training?
Select a public issue or problem and analyze the public discourse surrounding it from five different stakeholders.
Investigate the current trend in journalism toward hyperlocal journalism and offer some perspective on what impact this trend may have on the journalism industry.
Investigate, analyze, and evaluate a particular communication plan and/or procedure for a specific issue or organization. Make recommendations to specific stakeholders to make the plan/procedure more effective.
Required Components
The report’s content should be compiled in this order:
1. A Cover Page formatted according to American Psychological Association manuscript rules.
2. An Abstract summarizing the contents of your proposal and concluding with a list of key terms as a separate line (or lines). Include keywords list at end of abstract.
3. A Table of Contents with the page numbers where each section begins.
4. A List of Illustrations (title and page number only). Two illustrations are required.
5. A series of text sections introduced by Boldface Headings that include the following (but not limited to): Introduction, Theme, Background, Conclusion.
6. At least two informative (not merely decorative) illustrations presented on the same page as the text that discusses each; these graphics should be numbered and properly sourced in APA format. If they were generated by yourself then the source for each is Author; if you got their information from another source (Jones, for example) and presented it in a table or chart, then the source is Author, derived from Jones 2012.
7. A References page where your eight or more sources are presented in alphabetic order. These sources must actually be cited in the text and presented in this section and in the text in American Psychological Association format.
You will need to locate at least eight sources from at least 3 different source types. No more than two of your sources can be from interviews. No more than three of any other type of source may be counted toward the minimum number of eight references (although you certainly may use more sources). These eight sources must include peer-reviewed scholarly or professional journal articles.
The bulk of your research should come from the UMGC library’s databases.
8. Appendices.
9. Pagination. Front matter (Abstract through List of Illustrations) should be in lower case Roman numerals; the remainder in Arabic.
10. Word count. The body of the report should be at least 5,000 words.
These components should be submitted as one file.
Required Style
All elements of the report should follow American Psychological Association (APA) manuscript and documentation style rules.
It should follow American Psychological Association (APA) documentation style and include a minimum of eight sources (at least five of which are academic secondary sources).
Remember to proof your own work before submitting it.
Graded Deliverables
You will be responsible for the following graded interim assignments, which you will complete during the course of the development of your Senior Capstone Project.

Ask five nurses the following question. Ask the question without explanation or expansion. Tell them you are doing a class project and need this question answered. There are no right or wrong answers.
“What is the purpose of nursing?”
Ask five lay persons the exact same question in the same manner. Summarize your findings and report to the class. When you complete this project, you will have just completed your first qualitative research project. Albeit an abbreviate one, but nonetheless a qualitative study.
At least one high-level scholarly reference in APA from within the last 5 years

Paper #1: Self-Concept
Note: A little bit about myself “My name Dalavanh and I’m from Thailand, I moved to the USA when I was 16 with family. I moved here for school. First time I moved here I feel so sad and discouraged because moving into new environmental was hard and I got cultured shocked. My culture is so important for me and I still follow the same culture. I go to Thai temple in LA every month. We give a way food to people for free and we do offering and giving every month. We have Thai Town in Los Angeles and I feel I am in Thailand every time I go to Thai Town. I love talking to people there and having good food”.
**Please ONLY submit Word Documents or PDFs**
**No late work is accepted**
**All written work in the class is run through an A.I. generated content and plagiarism checking software**
Content Details:
Using theories and concepts discussed in the textbook/video lectures (as well as a personal narrative), you will compose an analysis of your personal self-concept. You will use terms (and definitions) discussed in the textbooks to analyze; what your self-concept is, how it came to be, is it working, and how can you improve. Make sure to use clear concrete examples from your life for the concepts you are explaining. Make the connection between the example and the concept clear. Concepts/theories for this paper will be mostly from ICCC chapter 2 and ICAT chapter 2 from your textbooks, but you can use any term learned so far. You are required to use at least 5 key terms from the class (the terms “self-concept” and “self-esteem” are required terms that do not count toward the 5 additional required terms.). Each key term needs to be in bold, be clearly defined, cited (using in-text citation and a works cited page), and linked to a detailed personal example. Furthermore, every example must be linked back to a concept.
Consider answering these questions in your paper:
How do you feel about yourself? (Self-esteem)
What events/people have contributed to the development of your self-concept? How?
How is your self-concept and self-esteem guiding your current behavior, relationships, life choices, etc.? How do you know?
What do you plan to change about your self-concept, if anything? How will you attempt to change it? What steps will you take?
How is culture guiding your view of self?
Potential terms/concepts/theories to discuss (self-concept and self-esteem are required terms, pick five additional terms):
Self-awareness, Self-monitoring, Self-efficacy, Uppers, Downers, Vultures, Symbolic interactionism, Reflected appraisal, Social comparison, Superior/Inferior comparison, Identity scripts, Attachment theory, Identity management, Perceived/Presenting self, Face/Facework, Cognitive conservatism, Self-fulfilling prophecy, Self-discrepancy theory, Self-talk, Culture, Co-culture, Cultural beliefs about human nature, Past-orientation/Present-orientation/Future-orientation culture, “Doing”/”Being” culture, High-context/low-context culture, Formal/informal culture, Private space/public space culture, high/low-power distance, Individualism/collectivism, competitive/cooperative culture, Uncertainty Reduction Theory, Extroversion/Introversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, Openness, Stereotypes, etc.
The questions and terms above are meant to get you thinking. You do not need to answer every question or address every term/theory. You just need to explain your self-concept, where it comes from, what influences it, are you happy with it, and any changes you want to make.
Style Details:
3-5 FULL pages double-spaced, 12pt font, Times New Roman, one-inch margins.
MLA style, including MLA style in-text citation and a works cited page. No cover page needed.
Full sentences, correct use of paragraph breaks, avoid grammar and spelling errors.
Your name and a title for this paper should be at the top of the page.
The paper should have a clear introduction paragraph that grabs your readers attention, presents your thesis statement, and a preview of your paper.
The paper should have a conclusion paragraph that reviews your main points, restates your thesis statement, and ends with a lasting impression.
Key terms from the course should be in bold. Make sure you are defining (and in-text citing) the terms used.
Use clear organization throughout the paper.
Criteria for Evaluation:
Fulfilled purpose of assignment: Your paper needs to explain your self-concept, how it was developed, how you feel about it, and any changes you want to make.
Application class terms/theory: Your paper needs to include the terms “self-concept” and “self-esteem” along with five additional class terms/theories in accordance with your explanation of your self-concept. Terms/theories must be defined, cited, and in bold.
Clear examples: Your paper needs you use clear and detailed personal examples that demonstrate the terms/theories you are citing. The connection between concept and examples should be clear.
Organization: The paper needs to be a minimum of 3 FULL pages (not including the title section or the works cited page) The paper needs to be in an easy to read format with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
MLA: Correct MLA format must be used, correct in-text citations and works cited page.
Style: Correct grammar/spelling. Double spaced, 1in margins, 12pt Times New Roman font, no space between paragraphs.
Here is the format I would like you to use:
Self-concept paper format example-1.docx
Here is a student example:
self concept paper example.docx
**Please note this student was only required to use the ICAT textbook, but you will likely mostly use the ICCC textbook**
Video explaining this assignment:

DO NOT USE AI, School location: 85282, Phoenix, AZ
Trine University, Phoenix, AZ
Research
Retailers are becoming increasingly aware of how charitable contributions to local communities and non-profit organizations can impact customer buy-in and brand loyalty to the company. Your general manager has asked you to research a possible community service opportunity for your workplace. Some examples include reading to children at a school, sponsoring a blood drive with the Red Cross, or a local wildlife volunteer event, or a local volunteer litter clean-up event etc.
Your task for this assignment is to write a 400-word (minimum) email addressed to the general manager and team leads at your store. In your email, recommend one charitable organization you wish to partner or volunteer with that you found via a web search. This email will briefly discuss the rationale and benefits of partnering with a non-profit and propose a date for a meeting for your team and members of the charitable organization.
Part 1: Research
How many non-profit or charitable organizations are in your city?
How many non-profit or charitable organizations are within a 5, 10, 15, and 20-mile radius of the school/business you work for?
Find the five best-rated non-profit or charitable organizations within a 5, 10, 15, and 20-mile radius of the school location/business you work for.
Part 2: Analysis
After searching and collecting the information for the questions in Part 1, you will analyze this data to decide which charitable organizations would be the best match with your team. Use the chart located under this assignment in Week 4 to compare your data from Part 1, Question 3.
You’ll rank the charities, provide their names, and answer the following two questions: 1) What is the organization’s mission, and what do they do? 2) How does this match the school or company’s goals?
Part 3: Writing
After you decide on one organization that best aligns with your company’s goals and mission, write an email message analyzing your findings. Make it clear in this email which organization your first recommendation is for the organization that you wish to partner with and propose a date for a meeting with the organization you want to work with. This email should briefly discuss the rationale and benefits of partnering with a non-profit, explain your recommendation for a non-profit foundation found during your research, and propose a date for a meeting with the charitable organization.
Essential Activities:
Reading Module 4 will help you write your paper. (https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-businesscommunicationmgrs/chapter/why-it-matters-research/)
Watching the videos “Why Research Matters” and “Developing a Research Question” will assist you in writing your paper. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnVpC8qWO1s&ab_channel=MicrosoftResearch)

Write an interview essay containing:
The research question and a list of interview questions (do not count towards word count)
Essay (1500 words; +/- 10%)
Method reflection (500 words; +/- 10%)
Reference list (do not count towards word count)
I have attached a document with a research questions and a few questions please expand on that and ensure the questions follow the essay
Develop a research question that inquires something related to the use of social media by the specific audience you are interviewing (e.g., a man in their 50s; a woman in their 70s, etc). You must interview someone older than you (ideally a parent or older).
This research question is the focus of your interview and will guide the development of the interview questions.
‘Social media’ is very broad – think about who you have access to and what might be an interesting research question to explore (for example, focus on video watching, news consumption, use of a particular platform, comparison of how they use different platforms, etc)
i HAVE ATTACHED A DOCUMENT THAT HAS A RESEARCH QUESTION AND ABOUT 10 QUESTIONS FEEL FREE TO USE YOUR OWN QUESTIONS AND MAKE UP THE ANWSERS.

Submit an Application Log of at least 250 words in which you articulate applications of concepts, covered in Chapter 1, that you have either (1) personally experienced in a place of current or past employment, or (2) potentially could experience in your chosen career field after graduation. To receive credit, your weekly Application Log must:
refer to specific terms and concepts from Chapter 1
include multiple citations (with page number) of the reading
be at least 250 words
chapter 1 book link: https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781544393315

I need a methodology section for my dissertation that is using qualitative content analysis for the first 4 universities that implemented a covid vaccine mandate. I am attaching a dissertation written by Russ Timmons and my professor wants me to kind of follow his approach in content analysis. Below is a message my instructor sent me on that subject. I am going to use content analysis and the information that will be included in the study will be the crisis communication that follows the vaccine mandate for the following universities since they were the first 4 that mandated a policy.
The colleges are: Rutgers, Cornell, Brown and Notre Dame. I have pulled some information and will attach it here also.

The diagnostic essay is intended to assess your writing levels and help identify support services I can offer you throughout the course.
Which items do you want to work on this semester in Composition I? Select from this list, or feel free to add your own ideas:
thesis writing
overall essay organization
introduction and conclusion paragraphs
paragraph development (support and elaboration)
completing required readings and assignments on time
understanding the differences between fiction and non-fiction writing
understanding how to handle MLA-style citations and research
grammar and punctuation (fragments, run-ons, commas, etc.), spelling
Write a thesis-controlled essay (approximately 500 words) with an introduction paragraph, body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph. In your essay, introduce yourself and describe your experience as a writer. Here are a few questions to getyou thinking about topics for your essay (only address the questions that are most relevant to your writing experience)

What are your strengths and weaknesses in writing?
My strengths will be reading material and understanding the problem.
Good time management skills
Strong work ethic and dedication to learning
Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills
Effective communication skills, both verbal and written
Ability to work independently and in a team
Strong organization and planning skills
Adaptability and flexibility in learning new things and facing challenges
Positive attitude towards learning

My weakness is fear of failure and anxiety

What specific objectives would you expect to accomplish in class?

Expect to attend and engage with the class. · Expect to hear innovative ideas that do not match your own. · Expect to turn in all assigned work on time. ·

How do you normally approach your English writing assignments?
Doing research and getting the right stools for your writing

What is easy for you in writing? What poses a challenge for you in writing?

The challenge can face writing for academic will be Conducting effective research that is crucial for academic writing. This involves finding relevant sources, evaluating their credibility, and integrating information coherently into the paper.

Working in the nursing field i learned to develop critical thinking skills to analyze and evaluate information. Developing the ability to critically assess literature and integrate those insights into one’s own work comes easy to me.

What has been your best writing experience so far? Give specific examples.

This is my first college composition class.

Do you prefer prompts and ideas to get started?
yes
Describe your typical writing process.
Make sure I understand my assignment
Do research on the paper
Decide on a topic to write about
Brainstorms ideas
Decide on a topic to write about
organized. Make an outline organized.
Drafting
Revising
Editing and Proofreading

Are you a procrastinator? Do you have trouble getting your work completed on time?
No, I always try to meet my deadline

I will put the prompt in the files. Please read them and follow all directions. I basically need you to choose from the interest/skill/career resources provided and choose two to write about that “spark and interest”. My preferred career in COMS is Sales, Marketing, or maybe real estate.

Two parts to this Order require separate papers to show step work due by Sunday. Attached is the Research Paper Proposal & Preliminary Bibliography another writer had started and became unable to finish that you will continue. As soon as you are done with the rough draft, send it my way and start working on the final which is due this Sunday.
ROUGH DRAFT INSTRUCTIONS: 3 Pages (PLEASE SUBMIT WHEN BEFORE WORKING ON FINAL)
-Clear introduction and thesis statement
-1-2 paragraphs about the theory itself and how it is used in other research
-A clear argument about your application of the theory to your selected artifact/text
-References list so far
FINAL DRAFT: 6 Pages
Why is your topic relevant to research? What theory are you using to analyze your selection?
Note the paper must also have these elements:
-A clear introduction and thesis – what are you arguing/how are you applying the theory?
-Clear main points applying your theory and strong examples supported by references
-A strong conclusion arguing how you made your case in regard to your thesis and why the research is relevant