1. First, choose one of the theories in the textbook (I will provide some suggestions on your choices). If none of the theories we’ve discussed so far have interested you, then look ahead in the textbook. 2. Once you have chosen a theory, then find a minimum of five communication academic sources that develop, analyze, criticize, or test the theory somehow. The minimum is five academic sources + Griffin’s textbook. 3. You will use these sources along with our textbook to summarize and analyze your theory. Paper Format (use headings in your paper for the sections below in bold) 1. Your paper should have a title page according to APA style (I will show examples). 2. Begin the paper with a brief (about 1 page) Introduction, including a thesis and the purpose of your paper. 3. Next, briefly (2 pages minimum) summarize the theory (Theory Summary). Who are the authors? What is the theory about? What are the key concepts? Use your textbook mostly, but other sources can be helpful also. 4. Using your sources and our notes, argue whether the theory is primarily objective or interpretive and where it should be placed on Griffin’s Map of Theory Traditions. After that paragraph, specifically apply the terms epistemology, ontology, and axiology to your theory. What is your theory’s epistemology? How does the theorist see the world? Its ontology? Its axiology? It’s best to organize this section with a paragraph for each of these three terms. This entire section is called Theory Worldview (2 pages minimum). 5. The third section (3 pages minimum) is the bulk of your paper, and the most important section. This section is called your Theory Analysis. Based on your decision whether your theory is objective or interpretive, apply Griffin’s standards for a good theory (see Chapter 3), and argue if the theory does or does not satisfy the standards. For example, does Uncertainty Reduction Theory satisfy the standard of “Relative Simplicity?” Why or why not? This section is where you rely primarily on your sources for evidence to support your arguments. For example, once you make a point that the theory does or does not satisfy a standard, you will support that point with examples from your textbook and/or additional sources. Important: Only apply the appropriate six standards to your theory (objective or interpretive), not all twelve standards. Finally, it’s best to organize this section with at least one paragraph per each of the six standards (“The first standard is. . .”). 6. Close your paper with a Conclusion section (about 1 page minimum) summarizing what your paper has accomplished and end with any final comments about your theory. 7. Your paper will have a References page, that lists all of the sources (and only the sources) you used in your paper. Please follow strict APA style rules.
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