Social Media: “Social Network Sites and Well-Being: The Role of Social Connection”

This assignment consists of two parts:

• A proposal for your research essay: 250-300 words (10% of final grade)
• An annotated bibliography including three research articles: 200-250 words; i.e. each annotation will be 50-60 words  (10% of final grade)

Choosing a Topic:

Choose a research topic from one of the following four areas.  These research areas are related to assigned readings in the course.  The course readings provide a launching point for thinking about your research topic but should not be included in your research sources.

Food:  “The Psychology of Eating Animals” (page 284) asks us think about our relationship with food.  You might decide to investigate the food industry, food security (or insecurity), or some other question related to food.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission:  “Canada 150 and the Truth about Reconciliation” (page 272) criticizes the Canadian government’s failure to implement the recommendations of the TRC.  You might investigate the purpose of the TRC, the outcomes, the success and/or failure of the commission, or another related question.

Climate Change:  “Debunking the Myths” (page 259) refutes false claims about climate change. You might investigate the impact of climate change, climate change denial, responses to climate change, or another issue related to this topic.

Social Media:  “Social Network Sites and Well-Being: The Role of Social Connection” (page 304) argues that social media has positive and negative impacts on well-being.  A fourth topic area for your research is social media, how it impacts society, mental health, or human communication, or another question related to the use of social  media.

Assignment Instructions

1. Once you have selected a topic area for your research essay, do some preliminary reading on that topic and narrow your focus based on your reading.  The topics listed above are very broad, and you will need to refine the one you have chosen to focus on a specific research question.  Reread pages 63-64 in Becoming an Active Reader on how to narrow a topic so the scope of your essay is appropriate for a 1200 -1400 word paper and your essay has a clear and specific purpose.  Here are three examples of how topics might be narrowed:

Truth and Reconciliation Commission –>  Impacts on education  –>  How successful has Canada’s education system been in responding to the TRC calls to action?

Food  –>  Vegetarianism  –>  How widespread is vegetarianism in Canada and what are Canadians’ reasons for eating plant-based diets?

Climate Change  –>  Climate change denial –>  What (or who) is behind the climate change denial movement in North America?

Limit your search for sources at this point to the Articles and Databases in the NIC Library. I strongly recommend that you contact a librarian for help narrowing your research topic and locating research sources.  Follow this link:   https://library.nic.bc.ca/researchhelp

2. Select three academic, peer-reviewed journal articles directly related to your narrowed topic. You will eventually be required to use five research sources (all from the NIC databases and at least four of which must be peer-reviewed) in your essay, but need only include three sources in your proposal for this assignment.  These articles MUST be available through the NIC Library website.

3. Write a research proposal including the following:

• Topic
• Purpose
• Description
• Tentative Thesis Statement and Central Questions
• Annotated Bibliography

4. See the Sample Research Proposal.docx 

5. Include an annotated bibliography with your proposal. This means 2 or 3 sentences following each bibliographic entry in which you state the thesis, main points, and conclusion of the article.

6. Format the annotated bibliography using the American Psychological Association style.  Follow the guidelines for APA formatting of references on pages 87-88 of Becoming an Active Reader. The sample you will rely on for this assignment is “Journal Article (Print or Online)” on page 88.  APA guidelines are also available on the NIC library website:   https://library.nic.bc.ca/apa7th

The research proposal is your initial attempt to become clear about the purpose and direction of your research. It also requires you to begin to select relevant research sources. You will almost certainly adjust your focus and fine-tune your thesis and central questions as you do more reading. You will also add more sources to your bibliography and may even replace some of the sources included in your proposal. Obviously, doing your proposal and bibliography carefully will save you time later in the process. Remember you are limited to articles in the library databases for this assignment.

Your final research essay will be approximately 1200 – 1400 words long and include a minimum of five sources. The sample research essay on page 92 of your text is the model for your final essay.  Remember the essay will be developed in stages and the final version will be handed in towards the end of the course.

All two parts of this assignment (your proposal and annotated bibliography) should be contained in a single document.