Communications:

Purpose of the Assignment: Explore research ideas in Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC).

• Design an original research question,
• argue for that question's real-world value, and
• formulate and consider two original predictions/hypotheses (in response to your research question).

Instructions: consider CMC's impact on communication, pose a question about that impact, and hypothesize answers to that question. To aid in this process, read theses article.

Question to write the position assignment:

What you have noticed while using CMC technologies to communicate with friends, family, romantic partners, work colleagues, etc.? How has CMC influenced or changed those interactions? How have you (or others) adapted the way you communicate based on the CMC medium?

1. one great research question at the top of the page.

2. explain/argue why that research question is important. In other words, why is this research question worth researching? Why is it valuable? What can we hope to learn about the nature of CMC?

• In that explanation, you should offer at least one specific example (from your life or a hypothetical). This example should work as evidence for your argument.

3. Next, offer two answers (predictions!) to your research question.

• What do you think we would find if we researched your question? What possible answers would we find?
• In this paragraph, please offer two competing explanations. Do not just explain what you logically think we'd find, but think outside the box a bit here. What answer might surprise us and why?

Source each research found.

Resources to help build an argument assignment:

• https://www.communicationtheory.org/computer-mediated-communication/
• What Makes a Good Research Question? What is a Research Question? A research question guides and centers your research. It should be clear and focused, as well as synthesize multiple sources to present your unique argument. Even if your instructor has given you a specific assignment, the research question should ideally be something that you are interested in or care about. Be careful to avoid the "all-about" paper and questions that can be answered in a few factual statements. Examples: 1. For instance, the following question is too broad and does not define the segments of the analysis: Why did the chicken cross the road? (The question does not address which chicken or which road.) 2. Similarly, the following question could be answered by a hypothetical Internet search: How many chickens crossed Broad Street in Durham, NC, on February 6, 2014? (Ostensibly, this question could be answered in one sentence and does not leave room for analysis. It could, however, become data for a larger argument.) 3. A more precise question might be the following: What are some of the environmental factors that occurred in Durham, NC between January and February 2014 that would cause chickens to cross Broad Street?