Hypodermic Needle Theory Assignments | Online Homework Help

For your third major assignment you will write a literature review on a specific theory of your choice. Each student must choose a different theory. Theories will be assigned on a first requested, first assigned basis. The cue will be the theory choice discussion board.
Your literature review should be between 8 and 10 pages and you must present a comprehensive discussion of the current body of research on this theory. For instance, if I see your last source is from 1998, I am going to know you are not up to date on the current research. This being said, some choices will be better than others as some areas will have more active current interest. So, please choose well.

Much like a book report describes a book or a biography describes a person’s life, this paper should, above all, describe a theory. Once you’ve described the theory, you’ll then need to elaborate on how the theory works, how it has been tested, how it has been applied, what shortcomings have been identified, etc. This will require that you research several sources, which may include books, book chapters and scholarly journal articles. Finding primary research – reported results of original studies – is really important so that you can see how researchers have developed and tested the theory first-hand.Finding the literature (and limiting your search, if necessary)

Many of the theories we discuss have generated volumes and volumes of research and literature. If this is the case for the theory you choose, you will need to be selective in deciding which sources to cite in your paper. I recommend first finding a chapter in a recent communication theory book, a whole book on your theory, or even a recent in-depth journal article that offers a broad overview of the history and scope of the theory you’re interested in. Use that source to find early key works that you can review directly to see how the theory was originally developed, and to choose a subset of the literature that can help you narrow your focus.Then bring your search “up to date” by following recent studies that lead to a current area of interest. This may require finding a limited number of recent articles or papers that closely relate a specific research interest and working backward from the references in these recent works until you feel like you have outlined the path of the theory or concept from its first widely cited introduction to recent applications in the area of interest.

Outlining the paper

Here’s a sample outline for a theoretical review:

1. Introduction/overview of the theory — This might be similar to the sections in Griffin, Ledbetter and Sparks that briefly cover the “big picture” of a theory. If you are focusing on a subset of research stemming from a broad theory, describe the area you have chosen. Be sure to review the original works yourself, and not just paraphrase someone else’s work.

2. Definitions of concepts — What are the main concepts and how have they been defined? This should include nominal definitions (working definitions used in research to date) and examples of operational definitions if possible (how the concepts actually have been measured). Again, cite primary research.

3. Relationships among concepts — How do the concepts defined above affect, mediate, or interact with one another? What other factors have come into play in the literature you have reviewed?

4. Critique — What are the limitations of the theory? What are proponents and critics concerned about? This likely will include issues of conceptualization, measurement, and general usefulness of the theory.

5. Implications for the area of interest — Here you may start to discuss the concepts within the context of a specific research interest. For example, if focus on how the theory is used in health communication campaigns, you might look at how the key concepts of the theory fit together within the context of the prevention of risky health behaviors.

Technical details for the paper

Due date – Friday of Week 7,

Length – 8-10 pages

Style – Please use APA style. I do expect your paper to be edited carefully for grammar and clarity. Also, please make sure to cite your sources properly. To avoid even the perception of plagiarism, please just ask in advance if you have any questions about proper attributio