Chapter 12: Applying Research to Presentations and Reports

I. The Nature of Human Communication Research

Human communication studies is one of the social sciences, which include psychology, sociology, and anthropology - all of which study the way humans function in the social world.

Quantitative Studies

• Social sciences developed from the method of scientific inquiry begun in the natural sciences, which involves stating a hypothesis and setting up experiments to test it.
• Studies that measure aspects of human interaction are quantitative studies, in which a variable is measured against a constant.
• Social science experiments begin with the null hypothesis, the idea that there is no correlation between variables.
• Three factors are associated with quantitative records:
1. Objectivity as distinct from individual perceptions.
2. Replication, meaning that a second researcher should obtain the same results.
3. Categories of research set in advance and maintained throughout the experiment.
4. Quantitative Studies rely on statistics, or the study of probability as distinct from chance.

 

• Qualitative studies try to explicate, or qualify, human interactions rather than measuring them.
• Qualitative studies differ from qualitative studies in three ways:
1. They aim for explanation of common themes rather than objectivity.
2. Because they focus on individual rather than universal experience, they cannot be replicated.
3. They start with general questions instead of predetermined categories.
• Quantitative and qualitative studies are extremes of a range of methods of study depending on one's view of reality. At the quantitative extreme, reality is out there, independent of our beliefs. At the qualitative extreme, reality is shaped by our beliefs.

A major source of original research findings is academic journals.

Most quantitative research articles follow a pattern.

• The abstract is a concise summary.
• The introduction leads to the topic and the reason for treating it.
• The literature review recounts previously published research.
• The methodology section tells how the study was conducted.
• The discussion section reflects on the findings.
• The references section lists the works the author consulted.

III. The Beginning Researcher

• Do research on something you enjoy.
• Start with the library and become familiar with a variety of its resources - books, periodicals, databases, videotapes, recordings.

Tip #1. Make Time for the Library
Tip #2. Know Your Topic Before You Go.

• To review your interests, try brainstorming, writing down every topic that comes to mind.
• Narrow your topic by seeing what information is available.

Librarians can help you locate a book.

Incorporating Research Into Your… Presentation

• Read a number of resources to see several points of view.
• Synthesize, or combine, batches of material.

Original contributions to scholarship are intellectual property. Their authors should be given credit.

Using the intellectual property of others without giving them credit is plagiarism. To avoid it, cite the author in the following circumstances:

• A direct quotation.
• Statistical information.
• A particular study.
• Another person's original idea.

Most research in human communications uses American Psychological Association (APA) style.
• · Parenthetical citations (author and date) are in the text.
• · Bibliographies are lists of sources cited in a paper. They contain first an author block (author's name) and then a date block (date of publication).

 
1. Citations of Articles

Following the date block comes the article title block. Finally comes the publication title block (title of the periodical).
 
2. Citations of Books

Following the date block comes the publication title block (title of the book), the edition, and the publisher's block (city and publisher).

Oral citations have no set form, but they must
• Demonstrate the speaker's honesty about intellectual property.
• Testify to the quality of the research.

Helpful Links!

"How to Give a Scientific Presentation" - This site offers good statistics on the importance of just how much verbal and nonverbal actions count when giving a presentation. In addition, it also offers insight on how to effectively present a speech to a scientific oriented audience. "Analysis" - A virtual library, organized by subject that contains a variety of sources. At Your Bookstore
Hacker, D. A Writer's Reference (3rd ed.). Boston: St. Martin's Press. Lamm, K. (1995). 10,000 Ideas for Term Papers, Projects, Reports and Speeches (4th ed.). New York: ARCO. Rubin, R.B., Rubin, A.M., & Piele, L.J. (1996). Communication Research: Strategies and Sources (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Spencer, C., & Arbon, B. (1996). Foundations of Writing: Developing Research and Academic Writing Skills. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC.