Please only do introduction and theory overview on attribution theory

Goal of paper: Your aim in writing this paper is to demonstrate a clear understanding of a theory and make an argument about how this theory has been used in communication research. Keep in mind that the focus of your paper is exploring how the theory is used in a communicative context.

Guidelines: Papers should be double-spaced, in 12-pointTimes New Roman format, with 1-inch margins. The body of the paper (excluding title page and references) should be between 5-7 pages. Paper should contain the following sections.

1) Title Page: Include a descriptive title and format title page using APA citation style. No abstract is needed for this paper.

2) Introduction: (approx. ½ -1 page) Your paper should introduce readers to the theory you have selected and the context in which it will be explored (that is, the body of literature you’re addressing with this paper). The introduction should include some sort of attention-getter, the significance of your topic, a clear thesis statement (argument), and a clear preview of your paper.

3) Overview of theory: (approx. 1-2 pages) This section should include an explanation/summary of your theory. First, explain to the reader what the theory is about (big picture) and who developed it/the context in which it was developed (for example, social identity theory originated in social psychology and was formulated by Tajfel and Turner). You should cite course reading(s) for this section and may incorporate additional theoretical pieces (such as extended literature reviews) if you wish. This section should also explain key concepts of the theory (identify and define theoretical terms), and finally explain how this theory connects to communication studies

Be sure that you are appropriately citing all ideas that did not originate from you. Use APA citation style for in-text citations. Be sure to include page numbers for all quotations.

Accessing Academic Journal Articles: The UNC library website (http://library.unc.edu/) has many resources and information on accessing academic journal articles. Personally, I like using the metadatabase Ebscohost. You can certainly use other databases or means to find journal articles, but below are instructions for accessing Ebscohost. To access Ebscohost: (1) Go to library.unc.edu. (2) Click “E-research by discipline” (in the Research Tools box). (3) Click “communication studies” (under the “humanities and social sciences box). (4) Click the first link “communication and mass media complete.” This will take you to Ebscohost, where you can search for academic articles in the communication field. (5) If you find that you are not getting many results using just Communication and Mass Media Complete, you might also try searching within specific journals (E-journals). If you are having trouble finding articles, play around with your search terms. If you need help finding sources, please let me know. I’m happy to help – just be sure to identify the sources you’ll be using well before the deadline.

5) Conclusion: (approx. ½ – 1 page) Here, you will provide a summary and culminating statement about your paper. Restate your argument and discuss implications for communication research. You might suggest future directions for research based on your review of existing research. In other words, in the conclusion, give us a recap of the argument you made in the paper, and answer the question, “so what?”

10) References: be sure to include references for all sources used in your paper. At a minimum, you should have the 3 academic journal articles (original research) and 1 reading from the class. All references must be in APA style. For more information about APA, visit the library website: http://library.unc.edu/services/citing/ or Purdue OWL: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/a…

If you are citing a chapter from the Griffin textbook, you can simply cite the textbook: Griffin, E. (2009). A first look at communication theory. Boston: McGraw-Hill.

You should have enough information for all other articles, but if you have any questions, please let me know.

Rubric used to Grade Papers:

OVERALL:

____ Paper topic is clearly about a course theory discussed in class lecture/readings

____ APA compliant title page

____ 5-7 pages of writing, 12-pt. font, double spaced, 1-inch margins (excluding title page and references)

____ Paper appears to have all basic sections listed on assignment criteria

____ Careful editing to avoid errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and citation

____ Voice of paper sounds cohesive

____ Paper is organized in a logical manner

APA STYLE AND ORGANIZATION:

____ In-text citations follow proper APA style

____ All direct quotes have page number provided

____ Paper organized in a logical manner

____ Each paragraph has one main idea

____ Paper transitions between ideas

INTRODUCTION:

____ Clear introduction is present

____ Introduction captures audience attention

____ Introduction justifies the topic’s significance

____ Clear thesis statement

____ Clear preview of paper

OVERVIEW OF THEORY:

____ Clear explanation of theory, including author(s) of theory and big-picture aims of theory

____ Clear explanation of specific theoretical terms/concepts

____ Relevancy of theory to communication studies is explained

____ At least 1 source is cited in-text; citations follow APA citation style

REVIEW OF LITERATURE/RESEARCH:

____ Clear explanation/summary of at least 3 communication studies that use the theory in original research

____ Studies are situated within communication research and clearly use the specific theory as a lens for analysis (rather than being about a similar topic)

____ Studies are cited in text using APA style

____ Transitions are used appropriately to connect studies

_____Overarching argument (thesis) about theory is developed/supported (be sure that we don’t lose your voice as the author)

CONCLUSION:

____ Clear summary of paper’s argument

____ Clear culminating statement or overall insight into paper’s review of existing research

____ Clear implication of argument and/or directions for future research discussed