JMC 690 Comprehensive Project in Mass Communications
Proposal Guidelines
1.
Objective
– To design and complete a comprehensive and professional project in mass
communications research, or in a major discipline of mass communications
2. Deadlines – The Graduate Coordinator must approve the proposal by October 15 for enrollment in Spring Semester, by March 15 for Summer Session and Fall Semester.
3.
Contents of the Proposal
A.
Narrative
description of the Project, no more than 250 words – For a research paper, please
state the research question and any hypotheses that you plan to investigate and
explain why you think this subject is important and interesting. For a
professional project, please summarize the contents and define the target
audience, the communication objective, and the desired impact of the contents
on the target audience.
B.
Result
of the project and a plan to disseminate the results – The final project may be
in any form of written, graphic, or electronic media or combination thereof.
For a research paper or feature article, 8000-10,000 words is an appropriate
length. For an advertising or PR campaign, photo essay, or series of
publications, a portfolio is appropriate. Presentations, audio and video
productions may be in electronic form, with written materials such as a script
or storyboard submitted separately. You must also have a strategy to publish,
distribute, present or display the final project in order to reach an audience
outside the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications, with specific
potential publications or venues.
C.
Method
for external review – Two faculty members will evaluate your project for a
grade. Beyond that, you need to have a strategy for external evaluation.
Possible sources are editors, peers who evaluate proposals for presentation at
professional and academic conferences, working professionals in you discipline
of mass communications, and feedback from the general public.
4.
Format of the Proposal
A.
It
must be typed neatly, proofed for errors, and submitted in 12 or 14 point fonts
with at least 1½ spaces between lines and margins of 1 inch at the top, bottom
and sides of the page.
B.
Use
APA style for any citations.
C.
Begin
page 1 with a header, centered, with the title of the project and your name.
D.
Please
submit two copies of the proposal.