How digital or social media has transformed the communication of an idea, information, and arguments in society.

PROJECT 3: RESEARCH PAPER

Objective

The purpose of this project is to demonstrate your understanding of the following course concepts:

1. How companies or organizations and individuals use digital or social media to effectively communicate ideas, information, arguments, and messages to achieve a specific goal.
2. How digital or social media has transformed the communication of an idea, information, and arguments in society.
3. Access, analyze, interpret, and evaluate digital media to foster learning and to guide decision-making.
4. Make responsible choices in the creation and consumption of digital media based on awareness of global, social, ethical, and legal contexts.

Project Description
In this project, you will select a topic discussed in class from the list provided below, conduct additional research on the topic, and share this information in a research paper.
Project 3 consists of: 

1. Project Requirements (topics and content to cover)
2. Paper Requirements (content organization)
3. Submission Requirements (how to submit your assignment)
4. APA Resources (how to cite and select sources)
5. Due Date Information and Late Policy

Project Requirements
Select one of the 12 research topics below and complete ALL THREE sections: 

RESEARCH TOPICS

Topic 1: Digital Media as a Distraction (Week 1)
Digital Nation: Life on the Virtual Frontier – Chapter 1: Distracted by Everything PBS Online Video Documentary Series – Chapter 1 (00:00 – 08:28 minutes)
Topic 2: Digital Media’s Effects on the Brain (Week 1)
Digital Nation: Life on the Virtual Frontier – Chapter 2: What’s It Doing to Their Brains? PBS Online Video Documentary Series – Chapter 2 (08:29 – 10:40 minutes)
Topic 3: The Use of Digital and Social Media in Politics (Week 2)
(Smartphone political ads target non-political events to talk directly to voters, one by one (web page)
Topic 4: Cyber Psychology (Week 2)

Cyber psychology and cyber behavior of adolescents-the need of the contemporary era (web page)

Topic 5: Virtual Worlds and Their Impact on Society (Week 3)
Digital Nation: Life on the Virtual Frontier- Chapter 7 Virtual Worlds PBS Online Video Documentary Series – Start the video then Navigate to Chapter 7 (52:05 – 1:01:26)

Topic 6: Fake News (Week 3)
Fake News Vs Real News (PBS Online video)

Topic 7: Digital Rights Management (DRM) (Week 4)
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) (web page)

Topic 8: Filter Bubbles (Week 4)
How Filter Bubbles Isolate You (YouTube Video)
Measuring the Filter Bubble: How Google is measuring what you click.

Topic 9: Data Visualization (Week 5)
“Information is Beautiful” http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/
Big Data Visualization (YouTube Video)

Topic 10: The Digital Divide (Week 6)
Digital Divides 2016 | Pew Research Center  http://www.pewinternet.org/topics/digital-divide/2017
Small towns join forces to bridge the digital divide (YouTube video)

Topic 11: Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants (Week 6)
Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants (PDF)

Topic 12: E-commerce (Week 7)
How Amazon Controls E-commerce: Amazon.com the Hidden empire: (online slideshow – 84 slides)

SECTION 1: SELECT ONE TOPIC FROM THE 12 TOPICS LISTED ABOVE
Answer the questions below:
Item 1: Which topic did you select?
Item 2: Why does this topic appeal to you?
NOTE 1: Section 1 should be the shortest section of your paper (10-15%).

SECTION 2: SUMMARIZE THE TOPIC YOU SELECTED USING CLASS RESOURCES
Discuss your topic as presented in class. This is a summary of all the resources used in class relating to the topic including online discussions.
Item 1: Summarize the information on the topic as presented in the class, using the Read & Watch resources AND any classroom discussion (online or f2f) of the topic.
Item 2: Is the topic you selected relevant in a course on digital and social media? Whether you answer yes or no, justify your answer.
Section 2 Sources: Include the source(s) as an in-paper citation and on your References page.
NOTE 2: Section 2 should comprise (30-40%) of your paper.

SECTION 3: CONDUCT ADDITIONAL RESEARCH ON THE TOPIC
Provide additional information on the topic you selected by locating TWO or MORE new resources (in addition to the resources provided in class) to expand your knowledge of the topic.
Item 1: What additional sources did you find on the topic you selected (list at least 2)?
Item 2: Why is EACH resource you found (a) relevant, (b) credible, (c) accurate, and (d) unbiased based on what you learned from the What is a Credible Source? How to Evaluate Web Resources? Address a-d in your answer.
Item 3: What new information do the two new resources contribute to the topic as presented in class?
Section 3 Sources: Include at least TWO SOURCES related to your topic that are NOT presented, discussed, or posted in the weekly Read & Watch in class or posted in the 15 topic list above. Include these sources as in-paper citations and list them on your References page.
NOTE 3: Section 3 should comprise the majority of your paper (45-60%). This is where your primary focus should be.

Paper Requirements
1. Your paper must follow APA format guidelines throughout.
(A sample APA template for you to use is attached to the bottom of this page. It contains Latin placeholder text. Replace the text with your content).

a. Double-spaced
b. 1-inch Margins
c. 12-point size professional font (e.g. Times New Roman)
d. Header
e. Automatic Page numbers
f. Title page
g. Reference page

2. Length: Minimum of 1,500
(Title page, Reference page, and direct quotes do not count toward the total word count).
NOTE 4: Going over 1,500 words is fine, but if you are under 1,500 you will be penalized based on the following scale: 

One letter grade (10%) for every 500 words you are under the word count minimum.

3. Title Page

Your title page must be APA formatted and include the following:
a. Project Name
b. Your Name
c. Course Name and Section Number
d. Semester
e. Instructor’s Name
f. Title of Research Paper Topic

4. References Page
Your References page must be APA formatted.

5. Sources: Include the source(s) from Section 2 and at least TWO (2) sources in Section 3.

Clarification: Please do not use unprofessional sources such as Wikipedia, About.com, Answers.com, Dictionary.com, How.com, or anything remotely similar.  Examples of scholarly sources include textbooks, articles, academic journals, and conference proceedings. Scholarly resources are written by experts in their fields, grounded in research, and often refereed (reviewed and edited by researchers in the field). Examples of professional sources include trade journals or magazines. Professional sources are written for a specific audience that works in a certain field. They are not research-based. You can also use our course content (e.g. Read & Watch resources) as a source as well. UMGC has a top-notch, extensive online library. You can find many scholarly and professional sources there.

NOTE 5: You can also use social media (e.g. Twitter posts, blogs, YouTube) sources as well as this is a paper about the use of digital and social media.

6. Setup & Organization
Your paper must include the following pages and Level 1 Headings:

a. Cover Page
b. Topic Introduction (Section 1)
c. Topic Discussion (Section 2)
d. Additional Research (Section 3)
e. Reference Page

APA Resources
UMGC’s Library offers several resources for APA formatting and citation style, including the resources below:
APA 7th Edition: General Rules, Citation Examples, and Video Overview (UMGC Library).