COMM/ENGL 807 Summer II, 2010

Framing Study Project General Guidelines

Primary Research Question:

What are the frames journalists and others used when reporting on the health-
related consequences of the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico?

Within this overall question, students may choose to pursue sub-questions as

appropriate to the theory, topic of interest, and methodology. For example,
students may wish to provide comparisons related to sources quoted and/or
specific media outlets when examining and reporting their findings.

When collecting data, all students must record the following information for each
article or story quoted/included in the research:

1. Full APA-style citation of article or story (be sure to print/record this at the
time data is initially collected)
2. Author(s) of story and type of source (newspaper, magazine, website, etc.)
3. Source(s) quoted for each piece of health-related information identified—
name, organization affiliation, position in organization (if identified)

To facilitate data organization and analysis, students must maintain paper copies
as backups of all electronic-based sources and record the above information each
time a source is quoted or information is used in the study.

Students will have the option of selecting preferred types of media and research
methodology within the overall study. If you have already identified these, please
email me no later than Monday, July 26 with the following information:

1. Types of media and/or specific outlets of your particular interest for this study
2. The type of research methodology you would like to employ in your part of
the study
3. Any other information regarding any specific interests you would like to
explore in this research

Be as specific as you can to me in explaining the above goals for your research
project. I will need to finalize each person’s participation before we can begin
with data collection and analysis as a class to avoid duplication and ensure that
our work represents a coordinated effort. To that end, while you may wish to
conduct a preliminary “scan” of media coverage of health-related consequences
of the crisis to ensure that the kind of project you have in mind will be feasible,
please do not begin any of your own research until I have approved your specific
focus for the study in writing.
Some students, such as those with more limited research experience, will work
with me to collect and analyze data using a quantitative coding scheme that I
will provide. It is my hope that we will have a blend of approaches that can be
used in concert to provide a multi-faceted representation of the framing that has
taken place with regard to the health effects of the crisis.

What to turn in to me:

At the end of the semester, to earn full credit for this assignment, you will
submit to me:

1. An abbreviated APA-style literature review of relevant academic research

specific to your particular focus (use the articles posted on Blackboard when
constructing your review, supplementing with additional sources if needed)
2. APA-style method and results sections that report the methods and findings of
your part of the study. If you have limited research experience, I will work with
you in the construction of these sections of your paper, as needed.
3. Some preliminary conclusions based on your research, presented in an APA-
style discussion section.
3. An APA-style reference list.
4. Hard copies of all data included in the study, clearly labeled using the
identification format above (these may be submitted to my office or mail box in
Strode); if hard copies are unavailable, a list of all data included, following the
labeling format above, must be provided.

Once the semester has concluded, I will begin compiling the separate research
projects into one larger study and plan to create at least one publication to be
submitted to academic peer-reviewed outlets in the coming academic year. If
you are interested in continuing to work with me on this project after the close of
the term, please let me know at the time you submit your final report and data.
Students will receive credit/acknowledgement in any publications resulting from
this project appropriate to the contributions made toward the completion of the
project and any subsequent paper(s).