CMNS 110 final research project:

Annotated Bibliography:

Before submitting your Final Research Project, you will submit an Annotated Bibliography,

providing FULL citations for THREE peer-reviewed academic sources that you will use in your

paper.

You may pick any citation style you like (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.). For each academic citation,

you must write 4-5 sentences explaining WHAT this source is about, and HOW you are using

it in your final paper. The sources you have in your Annotated Bibliography, MUST also be

used in your final paper; think through your choices, don't just grab a couple sources and

deal with it later.

Final Research Project:

This semester, you will produce a final research project. The project is composed of two parts:

a research paper and complimentary video.

Paper: Your paper will present a well thought out argument based on academic research and

evidence, using a range of academic sources. Your Final Research Paper must be 1000-1200

words (excluding bibliography and title page), and you must use a minimum of 3 peer

reviewed academic sources (from your Annotated Bibliography) in your work. This is a

research paper; you are expected to research your topic and use academic sources to inform

your argument.

Topic: The power of communication technology to create or make change is a constant point

of debate. We often think of these as the 'media effects' debates. For example, many

will claim that social media causes revolutions, while others will argue that video games

make us violent. These controversies and issues are the subject of rigorous debate, and

can be better understood using the tools and frameworks of media, communications,

and cultural studies. For your project, you will pick one of the common

controversies/debates listed below, and argue in favour of one side of the debate.

Pick ONE of the questions listed below, and take a stance on the debate. For this topic,

you need to clearly assert the position you are taking, defend it using research and

evidence, and address at least ONE counterargument to your position. Your position and

claims must be supported by evidence and research - this is not a personal opinion on

the debate. You are expected to look at both sides of the debate on the topic.

Pick ONE of the following questions:

Can social media drive political change?

Should cell phones be banned in Canadian high/secondary schools (grades 9-

12)?

Are social media influencers harmful to society?

You are being evaluated on the nuance and depth of your argumentation. Avoid

generalized statements of 'in today's society' or over extrapolations claiming that

something is true in all situations. If you choose this topic, do your research, anecdotal

evidence is not enough