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Communication Studies Theses, Dissertations, and Professional Papers

This collection includes theses, dissertations, and professional papers from the University of Montana Department of Communication Studies. Theses, dissertations, and professional papers from all University of Montana departments and programs may be searched here.

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

COMEDY, CAMARADERIE, AND CONFLICT: USING HUMOR TO DEFUSE DISPUTES AMONG FRIENDS , Sheena A. Bringa

Navigating Toxic Identities Within League of Legends , Jeremy Thomas Miner

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

UNDERSTANDING MEDIA RICHNESS AND SOCIAL PRESENCE: EXPLORING THE IMPACTS OF MEDIA CHANNELS ON INDIVIDUALS’ LEVELS OF LONELINESS, WELL-BEING, AND BELONGING , Ashley M. Arsenault

CANCELING VS. #CANCEL CULTURE: AN ANALYSIS ON THE SURVEILLANCE AND DISCIPLINE OF SOCIAL MEDIA BEHAVIOR THROUGH COMPETING DISCOURSES OF POWER , Julia G. Bezio

DISTAL SIBLING GRIEF: EXPLORING EMOTIONAL AFFECT AND SALIENCE OF LISTENER BEHAVIORS IN STORIES OF SIBLING DEATH , Margaret C. Brock

Is Loss a Laughing Matter?: A Study of Humor Reactions and Benign Violation Theory in the Context of Grief. , Miranda B. Henrich

The Request Is Not Compatible: Competing Frames of Public Lands Discourse in the Lolo Peak Ski Resort Controversy , Philip A. Sharp

Patient Expectations, Satisfaction, and Provider Communication Within the Oncology Experience , Elizabeth Margaret Sholey

Psychological Safety at Amazon: A CCO Approach , Kathryn K. Zyskowski

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Discourse of Renewal: A Qualitative Analysis of the University of Montana’s COVID-19 Crisis Communication , Haley Renae Gabel

Activating Hope: How Functional Support Can Improve Hope in Unemployed Individuals , Rylee P. Walter

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

THE HOME AS A SITE OF FAMILY COMMUNICATED NARRATIVE SENSE-MAKING: GRIEF, MEANING, AND IDENTITY THROUGH “CLEANING OUT THE CLOSET” , Kendyl A. Barney

CRISIS AS A CONSTANT: UNDERSTANDING THE COMMUNICATIVE ENACTMENT OF COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE WITHIN THE EXTENSION DISASTER EDUCATION NETWORK (EDEN) , Danielle Maria Farley

FOSTERING COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE IN COMPREHENSIVE SEX EDUCATION: EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE FOUNDATIONS TRAINING , Shanay L. Healy

Belonging for Dementia Caregivers , Sabrina Singh

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Making the Most of People We Do Not Like: Capitalizing on Negative Feedback , Christopher Edward Anderson

Understanding the Relationship Between Discursive Resources and Risk-Taking Behaviors in Outdoor Adventure Athletes , Mira Ione Cleveland

Service Failure Management in High-End Hospitality Resorts , Hunter A. Dietrich

Fear, Power, & Teeth (2007) , Olivia Hockenbroch

The climate change sublime: Leveraging the immense awe of the planetary threat of climate change , Sean D. Quartz

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

The Relationship Between Memorable Messages and Identity Construction , Raphaela P. Barros Campbell

Wonder Woman: A Case Study for Critical Media Literacy , Adriana N. Fehrs

Curated Chaos: A Rhetorical Study of Axmen , Rebekah A. McDonald

THE ROLE OF BIPOLAR DISORDER, STIGMA, AND HURTFUL MESSAGES IN ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS , Callie Parrish

Cruising to be a Board Gamer: Understanding Socialization Relating to Board Gaming and The Dice Tower , Benjamin Wassink

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

STEAMED: EXAMINATIONS OF POWER STRUGGLES ON THE VALUE FORUM , richard E. babb

Beyond the Bike; Identity and Belonging of Free Cycles Members , Caitlyn Lewis

Adherence and Uncertainty Management: A Test Of The Theory Of Motivated Information Management , Ryan Thiel

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Redskins Revisited: Competing Constructions of the Washington Redskins Mascot , Eean Grimshaw

A Qualitative Analysis of Belonging in Communities of Practice: Exploring Transformative Organizational Elements within the Choral Arts , Aubrielle J. Holly

Training the Professoraite of Tomorrow: Implementing the Needs Centered Training Model to Instruct Graduate Teaching Assistants in the use of Teacher Immediacy , Leah R. Johnson

Beyond Blood: Examining the Communicative Challenges of Adoptive Families , Mackensie C. Minniear

Attitudes Toward Execution: The Tragic and Grotesque Framing of Capital Punishment in the News , Katherine Shuy

Knowledge and Resistance: Feminine Style and Signifyin[g] in Michelle Obama’s Public Address , Tracy Valgento

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

BLENDED FRAMEWORK: BILL MCKIBBEN'S USE OF MELODRAMA AND COMEDY IN ENVIRONMENTAL RHETORIC , Megan E. Cullinan

THE INFLUENCE OF MEDICAL DRAMAS ON PATIENT EXPECTATIONS OF PHYSICIAN COMMUNICATION , Kayla M. Fadenrecht

Diabesties: How Diabetic Support on Campus can Alleviate Diabetic Burnout , Kassandra E. Martin

Resisting NSA Surveillance: Glenn Greenwald and the public sphere debate about privacy , Rebecca Rice

Rhetoric, participation, and democracy: The positioning of public hearings under the National Environmental Policy Act , Kevin C. Stone

Socialization and Volunteers: A Training Program for Volunteer Managers , Allison M. Sullivan

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

THIRD PARTY EFFECTS OF AFFECTIONATE COMMUNICATION IN FAMILY SUBSYSTEMS: EXAMINING INFLUENCE ON AFFECTIONATE COMMUNICATION, MENTAL WELL-BEING, AND FAMILY SATISFACTION , Timothy M. Curran

Commodity or Dignity? Nurturing Managers' Courtesy Nurtures Workers' Productivity , Montana Rafferty Moss

"It Was My Job to Keep My Children Safe": Sandra Steingraber and the Parental Rhetoric of Precaution , Mollie Katherine Murphy

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Free Markets: ALEC's Populist Constructions of "the People" in State Politics , Anne Sherwood

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

COMMUNICATIVE CONSTRUCTION OF EXPECTATIONS: AN EXAMINATION OF EXPECTATIONS REGARDING MOTHERS IN NARRATIVE CONSTRUCTION , Jordan A. Allen

Let’s talk about sex: A training program for parents of 4th and 5th grade children , Elizabeth Kay Eickhoff

"You Is The Church": Identity and Identification in Church Leadership , Megan E. Gesler

This land is your land, this land is my land: A qualitative study of tensions in an environmental decision making group , Gabriel Patrick Grelle

The Constitution of Queer Identity in the 1972 APA Panel, "Psychiatry: Friend or Foe to Homosexuals? A Dialogue" , Dustin Vern Edward Schneider

The Effect of Religious Similarity on the Use of Relational Maintenance Strategies in Marriages , Jamie Karen Taylor

Justice, Equality, and SlutWalk: The Rhetoric of Protesting Rape Culture , Dana Whitney Underwood

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Collective Privacy Boundary Turbulence and Facework Strategies: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of South Korea and the United States , Min Kyong Cho

COMMUNICATING ARTIFACTS: AN ANALYSIS OF HOW MUSEUMS COMMUNICATE ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTITY DURING TIMES OF CONTROVERSY AND FINANCIAL STRAIN , Amanda Renee Cornuke

Communication Apprehension and Perceived Responsiveness , Elise Alexandra Fanney

Improving Patient-Provider Communication in the Health Care context , Charlotte M. Glidden

What They Consider, How They Decide: Best Practices of Technical Experts in Environmental Decision-Making , Cassandra J. Hemphill

Rebuilding Place: Exploring Strategies to Align Place Identity During Relocation , Brigette Renee McKamey

Sarah Palin, Conservative Feminism, and the Politics of Family , Jasmine Rose Zink

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

Salud, Dignidad, Justicia: Articulating "Choice" and "Reproductive Justice" for Latinas in the United States , Kathleen Maire de Onis

Environmental Documentary Film: A Contemporary Tool For Social Movement , Rachel Gregg

In The Pink: The (Un)Healthy Complexion of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month , Kira Stacey Jones

Jihad as an Ideograph: Osama bin Laden's rhetorical weapon of choice , Faye Lingarajan

The Heart of the Matter: The Function and Relational Effects of Humor for Cardiovascular Patients , Nicholas Lee Lockwood

Feeling the Burn: A Discursive Analysis of Organizational Burnout in Seasonal Wildland Firefighters , Whitney Eleanor Marie Maphis

Making A Comeback: An Exploration of Nontraditional Students & Identity Support , Jessica Kate McFadden

In the Game of Love, Play by the Rules: Implications of Relationship Rule Consensus over Honesty and Deception in Romantic Relationships , Katlyn Elise Roggensack

Assessing the balance: Burkean frames and Lil' Bush , Elizabeth Anne Sills

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

The Discipline of Identity: Examining the Challenges of Developing Interdisciplinary Identities Within the Science Disciplines , Nicholas Richard Burk

Occupational Therapists: A Study of Managing Multiple Identities , Katherine Elise Lloyd

Discourse, Identity, and Culture in Diverse Organizations: A Study of The Muslim Students Association (University of Montana) , Burhanuddin Bin Omar

The Skinny on Weight Watchers: A Critical Analysis of Weight Watcher's Use of Metaphors , Ashlynn Laura Reynolds-Dyk

You Got the Job, Now What?: An Evaluation of the New Employee Orientation Program at the University of Montana , Shiloh M. A. Sullivan

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

Because We Have the Power to Choose: A Critical Analysis of the Rhetorical Strategies Used in Merck's Gardasil Campaign , Brittney Lee Buttweiler

Communicative Strategies Used in the Introduction of Spirituality in the Workplace , Matthew Alan Condon

Cultures in Residence: Intercultural Communication Competence for Residence Life Staff , Bridget Eileen Flaherty

The Influence of Sibling Support on Children's Post-Divorce Adjustment: A Turning Point Analysis , Kimberly Ann Jacobs

TALK ABOUT “HOOKING UP”: HOW COLLEGE STUDENTS‟ ACCOUNTS OF “HOOKING UP” IN SOCIAL NETWORKS INFLUENCES ENGAGING IN RISKY SEXUAL BEHAVIOR , Amanda J. Olson

The Effect of Imagined Interactions on Secret Revelation and Health , Adam Stephens Richards

Teaching Intercultural Communication Competence in the Healthcare Context , Jelena Stojakovic

Quitting versus Not Quitting: The Process and Development of an Assimilation Program Within Opportunity Resources, Inc. , Amanda N. Stovall

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

IMAGES AS A LAYER OF POSITIVE RHETORIC: A VALUES-BASED CASE STUDY EXPLORING THE INTERACTION BETWEEN VISUAL AND VERBAL ELEMENTS FOUND ON A RURAL NATURAL RESOURCES NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WEBSITE , Vailferree Stilwell Brechtel

Relational Transgressions in Romantic Relationships: How Individuals Negotiate the Revelation and Concealment of Transgression Information within the Social Network , Melissa A. Maier

Theses/Dissertations from 2007 2007

THE SOCIALIZATION OF SEASONAL EMPLOYEES , Maria Dawn Blevins

Friends the family you choose (no matter what: An investigation of fictive kin relationships amoung young adults. , Kimberly Anne Clinger

Public relations in nonprofit organizations: A guide to establishing public relations programs in nonprofit settings , Megan Kate Gale

Negotiated Forgiveness in Parent-Child Relationships: Investigating Links to Politeness, Wellness and Sickness , Jennifer Lynn Geist

Developing and Communicating Better Sexual Harassment Policies Through Ethics and Human Rights , Thain Yates Hagan

Managing Multiple Identities: A Qualitative Study of Nurses and Implications for Work-Family Balance , Claire Marie Spanier

BEYOND ORGANIC: DEFINING ALTERNATIVES TO USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC , Jennifer Ann von Sehlen

Theses/Dissertations from 2006 2006

Graduate Teaching Assistant Interpretations and Responses to Student Immediacy Cues , Clair Owen Canfield

Verbal negotiation of affection in romantic relationships , Andrea Ann Richards

Theses/Dissertations from 2005 2005

Art of forgiveness , Carrie Benedict

"We shall fight for the things we have always held nearest our hearts": Rhetorical strategies in the U.S. woman suffrage movement , Stephanie L. Durnford

War on Terror Middle-East peace and a drive around the ranch: The rhetoric of US-Saudi diplomacy in the post-911 period , J. Robert Harper

What do you mean by competence?: A comparison of perceived communication competence among North Americans and Chinese , Chao He

Rhetoric of public interest in an inter-organizational environmental debate: The Fernie mining controversy. , Shelby Jo. Long

Investigation of the initiation of short-term relationships in a vacation setting. , Aneta Milojevic

"It 's the other way around"| Sustainability, promotion, and the shaping of identity in nonprofit arts organizations , Georgi A. Rausch

Child left behind: An examination of comforting strategies goals and outcomes following the death of a child , Kelly R. Rossetto

Profile of the modern smokejumper| A tension-centered lens on identity and identification , Cade Wesley Spaulding

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Home > College of Arts and Letters > Communication Studies > Communication Studies Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Communication Studies Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Theses/projects/dissertations from 2024 2024.

“BARBIE IS AS MUCH ABOUT FASHION AS SHE IS ABOUT CULTURE AND EMPOWERMENT”: FEMINISM IN BARBIE THE MOVIE AND ITS POSTFEMINIST MARKETING , Brooke Ashley Shepherd

Investigating the Potential of Augmented Reality in Creating a Sense of Place on College Campuses , Linda White

Theses/Projects/Dissertations from 2023 2023

CEZZARTT: BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH THE ARTS , Cesar Aguiar

BLACK WOMEN PROFESSIONALS CHARGED WITH DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION WORK: USE SILENCING ^VOICE TO RESIST AND NAVIGATE EMBEDDED STRUCTURES OF WHITENESS IN HIERARCHICAL ACADEMIA , Malika Bratton

TRANSFORMING BLACK STUDENTS’ HIGHER EDUCATION EXPERIENCES AND LIVES: A PROPOSAL FOR THE CSU , Don Lundy

THE PATRIARCHY BECOMES THAT GIRL: TIKTOK AND THE MEDIATIZATION OF HEGEMONIC FEMININITY , Irene Molinar

“YO SÍ SOY BORICUA, PA’ QUE TÚ LO SEPAS”: A DECOLONIAL AND INTERSECTIONAL ANALYSIS OF ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ , Jocelin Monge

Public Relations for Cryptocurrency: Coinbase Guidebook , Logan Odneal

CONNECTING STUDENTS WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS FOR INFORMAL, SHORT-TERM EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES: A PORTAL PROPOSAL FOR CSUSB , Dia Poole

Anticolonial Feminism, Sylvia Moreno-Garcia, and the Female Gothic: A Textual Analysis of Mexican Gothic , Hana Vega

Theses/Projects/Dissertations from 2022 2022

"ADVANCING PRIDE": HOW NEW TURKISH HISTORICAL DRAMAS CHALLENGED WESTERN MEDIA'S STEREOTYPICAL IMAGES OF MUSLIMS , Naim Aburaddi

THE PANDEMIC IS NOT KILLING US, THE POLICE ARE KILLING US: HOW THE CHANGE IN THE SUBJECTIVE REALITY OF NIGERIAN CITIZENS BROUGHT ABOUT THE #ENDSARS PROTESTS , Olabode Adefemi Lawal

UNAPOLOGETICALLY HER: A NOMADIC-INTERSECTIONAL CASE STUDY ANALYSIS ON LIZZO AND JILLIAN MICHAELS , Alexia Berlynn Martinez

THE RAIN OVER HANOI: A PERSONAL PROJECT ABOUT SCREENPLAY STRUCTURE, STORY, REPRESENTATION AND INTERGENERATIONAL STRUGGLE , Joan Moua

BLACK FEMALE ATHLETES’ USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR ACTIVISM: AN INTERSECTIONAL AND CYBERFEMINIST ANALYSIS OF U.S. HAMMER-THROWER, GWEN BERRY'S 2019 AND 2021 PODIUM PROTESTS , Ariel Newell

GIRL POWER?: 2017’S WONDER WOMAN AS A FEMINIST TEXT AND ICON IN AN ERA OF POST-FEMINIST MEDIA , Rachel Richardson

OVERCOMING SELF-OBJECTIFICATION THROUGH A MIND BODY AWARENESS PROGRAM , Alexandra Winner-Bachus

Theses/Projects/Dissertations from 2021 2021

THE LOUDEST VOICE IN THE ROOM IS OUR SILENCE: NARRATIVE POSSIBILITIES OF SILENCED ADULTS , Rebeccah Avila

How Couples YouTube Channels Forge "Friendships" With Their Viewers: A Thematic Textual Analysis , Marisol Botello

THE CURIOUS CASES OF CANCEL CULTURE , Loydie Solange Burmah

“DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?”: INFLUENCE OF EMBODIMENT AND IMMERSION ON CHARACTER IDENTIFICATION IN VIRTUAL REALITY ENVIRONMENTS , Shane Burrell

INTO THE COLLEGE CLASSROOM, ANOTHER TOUR OF DUTY: A GUIDE FOR INSTRUCTORS OF VETERAN STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION , Steven deWalden

DECOLONIAL LESSONS FROM HISTORICAL AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY LEADERS: RECONSTRUCTING AFRICAN AMERICAN IDENTITY AS RESISTANCE IN PRAXIS , Rhejean King-Johnson

WELCOMING FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN TO CSUSB: MAKING AN INTERGENERATIONAL DIFFERENCE , Leslie Leach

INCLUSIVITY IN PRACTICE: A QUEER EXAMINATION OF THE ACCEPTANCE OF TRANS COMMUNITIES FROM THE STANDPOINTS OF TRANS UNIVERSITY STUDENTS , Sean Maulding

ENHANCING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IN A SOCIALLY DISTANCED WORLD BY HUMANIZING ONLINE EDUCATION: A GUIDE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION INSTRUCTORS , Gilma Linette Ramirez Reyes

COMMUNICATION APPREHENSION: A PRESSING MATTER FOR STUDENTS, A PROJECT ADDRESSING UNIQUE NEEDS USING COMMUNICATION IN THE DISCIPLINE WORKSHOPS , Brenda L. Rombalski

When the Victim Becomes the Accused: A Critical Analysis of Silence and Power in the Sexual Harassment Case of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh , Erendira Torres

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING MANUAL: FOR FACULTY TO HELP STUDENTS , Ricardo Vega

THE IMPACT OF RACIST COMMUNICATION PRACTICES (RCP) ON A FORMERLY INCARCERATED STUDENT BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER PRISON , George Zaragoza

Theses/Projects/Dissertations from 2020 2020

REPORTING ON SUICIDE: A THEMATIC DISCOURSE ANALYSIS ON DISCOURSES REGARDING SUICIDE IN 2010S HIP-HOP SONGS , Andy Allen Acosta Jr.

COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE TRAINING WITHIN MINORITY-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES , Shirleena Racine Baggett

“REAL ME VERSUS SOCIAL MEDIA ME:” FILTERS, SNAPCHAT DYSMORPHIA, AND BEAUTY PERCEPTIONS AMONG YOUNG WOMEN , Janella Eshiet

DESDE LA PERIFERIA DE LA MILPA: TESTIMONIOS DE MSM DE LOS RANCHOS Y LOS PUEBLOS DE SOUTHERN MEXICO (FROM THE PERIPHERY OF THE CORNFIELD: TESTIMONIES OF MSM FROM THE RANCHES AND TOWNS OF SOUTHERN MEXICO) , Luis Esparza

WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION: EXAMINING LEADER-MEMBER EXCHANGE THEORY, UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE, AND SOCIAL STYLES , Guy Robinson

Passing vs Non-Passing: Latina/o/x Experiences and Understandings of Being Presumed White , Francisco Rodriguez

Theses/Projects/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Fully Immersed, Fully Present: Examining the User Experience Through the Multimodal Presence Scale and Virtual Reality Gaming Variables , Andre Adame

AN EXPLORATORY STUDY: COMMUNICATIVE DISSOCIATION BETWEEN BLACK AMERICANS AND AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS , Melody Adejare

TAKING A KNEE: AN INTERPRETIVE STUDY ON PRINT NEWS COVERAGE OF THE COLIN KAEPERNICK PROTESTS , Kriston Costello

TO BE OR NOT TO BE: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF INTERCULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN MEXICAN AMERICAN AND CAUCASIAN AMERICAN ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS , Jessica Helen Vierra

Theses/Projects/Dissertations from 2018 2018

"I JUST GOT OUT; I NEED A PLACE TO LIVE": A BUSINESS PLAN FOR TRANSITIONAL HOUSING , Walker Beverly V

Performing Stereotypical Tropes on Social Media Sites: How Popular Latina Performers Reinscribe Heteropatriarchy on Instagram , Ariana Arely Cano

NEGOTIATING STRATEGIES: AN EFFECTIVE WAY FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES TO COMMUNICATE FOR SERVICES , Dorothea Cartwright

A COMMUNICATION GUIDE FOR EX-OFFENDERS , Richard Anthony Contreras

AUTHENTICALLY DISNEY, DISTINCTLY CHINESE: A CASE STUDY OF GLOCALIZATION THROUGH SHANGHAI DISNEYLAND’S BRAND NARRATIVE , Chelsea Michelle Galvez

“I AM NOT A PRINCESS BUT…”: AN IDEOLOGICAL CRITICISM OF “FEMINIST” IDEOLOGIES IN DISNEY’S MOANA , Victoria Luckner

MEETING “THE ONE” AT MIDNIGHT IS YOUR DESTINY: THE ROLE OF YUAN IN USE OF THE TAIWANESE SOCIAL NETWORK, DCARD , Wen-Yueh Shu

Theses/Projects/Dissertations from 2017 2017

HANDBOOK ON TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS , Michael Anthony Arteaga

TRAGIC MULATTA 2.0: A POSTCOLONIAL APPROXIMATION AND CRITIQUE OF THE REPRESENTATIONS OF BI-ETHNIC WOMEN IN U.S. FILM AND TV , Hadia Nouria Bendelhoum

MEETING THE DISTANCE EDUCATION CHALLENGE: A GUIDE FOR DESIGNING ONLINE CLASSROOMS , Patrick Allen Bungard

MASTERING THE TASK AND TENDING TO THE SELF: A GUIDE FOR THE GRADUATE TEACHING ASSOCIATE , Angelina Nicole Burkhart

The Construction of Candidate’s Political Image on Social Media: A Thematic Analysis of Facebook Comments in the 2014 Presidential Election in Indonesia , Siti A. Rachim Marpaung Malik

BACKPEDALING NUGGET SMUGGLERS: A FACEBOOK AND NEWS ARTICLE THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF CHICK-FIL-A VS. GAY MARRIAGE , Stacy M. Wiedmaier

Theses/Projects/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Value Driven: An Analysis of Attitudes and Values Via BET Programming Past and Present , Sasha M. Rice

Theses/Projects/Dissertations from 2014 2014

CELEBRITIES, DRINKS, AND DRUGS: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF CELEBRITY SUBSTANCE ABUSE AS PORTRAYED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES , Brent John Austin

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, KEEP IN TOUCH, AS A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF VISITATION , Shalom Z. LaPoint and Shalom Z. LaPoint

Selling Disbelief , Gregory S. McKinley-Powell

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Media and corporate blame: Gate keeping and framing of the British Petroleum oil spill of 2010 , Kudratdeep Kaur Dhaliwal

Sperm stealers & post gay politics: Lesbian-parented families in film and television , Elena Rose Martinez

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Like us on Facebook: A social media campaign's effect on relationship management outcomes for a non-profit organization , Natalia Isabel López-Thismón

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

This is not a love story: A semiotic discourse analysis of romantic comedies , Stephanie Lynn Gomez

Blackness as a weapon: A critical discourse analysis of the 2009 Henry Louis Gates arrest in national mainstream media , Ashley Ann Jones

Fabulistic: Examination and application of narratology and screenplay craft , Nicholas DeVan Snead

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

The effect of cold calling and culture on communication apprehension , Kimberly Noreen Aguilar

The artistry of teaching: Commedia Dell'arte's improvisational strategies and its implications for classroom participation , Jean Artemis Vezzalini

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

Internet marketing strategy and the cognitive response approach: Achieving online fundraising success with targeted donor outreach , Carrie Dawn Cornwall

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

The design of an intercultural communication skills training for multicultural Catholic parishes in the Diocese of San Bernardino , Marco Aurelio De Tolosa Raposo

Religious social support groups: Strengthening leadership with communication competence , JoAnne Irene Flynn

Parametric media: A strategic market analysis and marketing plan for a digital signage, interactive kiosk and content company , Helena Irita Fowler

Factors affecting cognitive dissonance among automobile magazine subscribers , Petroulla Giasoumi

Web templates: Unifying the Web presence of California State University San Bernardino , Angela Marie Gillespie

United States media portrayals of the developing world: A semiotic analysis of the One campaign's internet web site , Lindsey Marie Haussamen

The Use of Violence as Feminist Rhetoric: Third-Wave Feminism in Tarantino's Kill Bill Films , Leah Andrea Katona

Superior-subordinate relationships found in Scrubs: A discourse analysis , Nicolle Elizabeth Quick

Theses/Dissertations from 2007 2007

A cultural studies analysis of the Christian women vocalists movement from the 1980's to 2000: Influences, stars and lyrical meaning making , Mary Elizabeth Akers

The application of marketing and communication theories on community festival event planning , Khara Louise Dizmon

The mad rhetoric: Toward a rigor on radical creativity and its function in consciousness as a communicative principle , Eugene David Hetzel

Millennial pre-camp staff training: Incorporating generational knowledge, learning strategies and compliance gaining techniques , Dana Robin Magilen

Images and lyrics: Representations of African American women in blues lyrics written by black women , Danette Marie Pugh-Patton

Theses/Dissertations from 2006 2006

Views from the center: Middle-class white men and perspectives on social privilege , Sandra Jane Cross

Rendering whiteness visible in the Filipino culture through skin-whitening cosmetic advertisements , Beverly Romero Natividad

Bias in the network nightly news coverage of the 2004 presidential election , Stephen Arthur Shelton

Theses/Dissertations from 2005 2005

A proposed resource development plan for the Department of Communication Studies, California State University San Bernardino , Donna Louise Cooley

From 9/11 to Iraq: Analysis and critique of the rhetoric of the Bush Administration leading to the war in Iraq , LaKesha Nicole Covington

A queer look at feminist science fiction: Examing Sally Miller Gearhart's The Kanshou , Jennifer Jodelle Floerke

Proposed marketing and advertising campaign for the United Negro College Fund , Rashida Patrice Hamm

The online marketing plan for Indra Jewelry Company, Thailand , Vorapoj Liyawarakhun

A metaphoric cluster analysis of the rhetoric of digital technology , Michael Eugene Marse and Nicholas Negroponte

Talking about drugs: Examining self-disclosure and trust in adult children from substance abusive families , Susan Renee Mattson

The public relations campaign for Bangkok fashion week, Thailand , Chanoknart Paitoonmongkon

A web design shop for local business owners , Mary Colleen Rice

International students' reliance on home-country related internet use , Songkwun Sukontapatipak

Theses/Dissertations from 2004 2004

Zapatistas: The shifting rhetoric of a modern revolution , Ofelia Morales Bejar

Globalization, values, and consumer trends: A French and USA comparison , Alexandre Hatlestad-Shey

Values and symbols: An intercultural analysis of web pages on the Internet , Aura Constanza Mosquera

Creating community through communication: The case of East Desert Unified School District , Michelle Elizabeth Shader

A comparison of women's roles as portrayed in Taiwanese and Chinese magazine print advertising , Yi-Chen Yang

Theses/Dissertations from 2003 2003

The concept of interest in the Western and Middle Eastern society , Mustapha Ben Amira

A comprehensive examination of the precode horror comic books of the 1950's , Gene Marshall Broxson

Narrative versus traditional journalism: Appeal, believability, understanding, retention , John David Emig

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Digital Commons @ USF > College of Arts and Sciences > Department of Communication > Theses and Dissertations

Communication Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Consumer Purchase Intent in Opinion Leader Live Streaming , Jihong Huo

Organizing and Communicating Health: A Culture-centered and Necrocapitalist Inquiry of Groundwater Contamination in Rural West Bengal , Parameswari Mukherjee

HIV Stalks Bodies Like Mine: An Autoethnography of Self-Disclosure, Stigmatized Identity, and (In)Visibility in Queer Lived Experience , Steven Ryder

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Reviving the Christian Left: A Thematic Analysis of Progressive Christian Identity in American Politics , Adam Blake Arledge

Organizing Economies: Narrative Sensemaking and Communciative Resilience During Economic Disruption , Timothy Betts

The Tesla Brake Failure Protestor Scandal: A Case Study of Situational Crisis Communication Theory on Chinese Media , Jiajun Liu

Inflammatory Bowel Disease & Social (In)Visibility: An Interpretive Study of Food Choice, Self-Blame and Coping in Women Living with IBD , Jessica N. Lolli

Florida Punks: Punk, Performance, and Community at Gainesville’s Fest , Michael Anthony Mcdowell Ii

Re-centering and De-centering ‘Race’: an Analysis of Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing Organizational Websites , Beatriz Nieto-Fernandez

The Labors of Professional Wrestling: The Dream, the Drive, and Debility , Brooks Oglesby

Outside the Boundaries of Biomedicine: A Culture-Centered Approach to Female Patients Living Undiagnosed and Chronically Ill , Bianca Siegenthaler

The Effect of Racial and Ethnic Identity Salience on Online Political Expression and Political Participation in the United States , Jonathon Smith

Grey’s Anatomy and End of Life Ethics , Sean Micheal Swenson

Informal Communication, Sensemaking, and Relational Precarity: Constituting Resilience in Remote Work During COVID , Tanya R.M. Vomacka

Making a Way: An Auto/ethnographic Exploration of Narratives of Citizenship, Identity, (Un)Belonging and Home for Black Trinidadian[-]American Women , Anjuliet G. Woodruffe

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

When I Rhyme It’s Sincerely Yours: Burkean Identification and Jay-Z’s Black Sincerity Rhetoric in the Post Soul Era , Antoine Francis Hardy

Explicating the Process of Communicative Disenfranchisement for Women with Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions (COPCs) , Elizabeth A. Hintz

Mitigating Negativity Bias in Media Selection , Gabrielle R. Jarmoszko

Blue Rage: A Critical Cultural Analysis of Policing, Whiteness, and Racial Surveillance , Wesley T. Johnson

Narratives of Success: How Honors College Newcomers Frame the Entrance to College , Cayla Lanier

Peminist Performance in/as Filipina Feminist Praxis: Collaging Stand-Up Comedy and the Narrative Points in Between , Christina-Marie A. Magalona

¿De dónde eres?: Negotiating identity as third culture kids , Sophia Margulies

The Rise of the "Gatecrashers": The Growing Impact of Athletes Breaking News on Mainstream Media through Social Media , Michael Nabors

Learning From The Seed: Illuminating Black Girlhood in Sustainable Living Paradigms , Toni Powell Powell Young

A Comparative Thematic Analysis of Newspaper Articles in France after the Bataclan and in the United States of America after Pulse , Simon Rousset

This is it: Latina/x Representation on One Day at a Time , Camille Ruiz Mangual

STOP- motion as theory, method, and praxis: ARRESTING moments of racialized gender in the academy , Sasha J. Sanders

Advice as Metadiscourse: On the gendering of women's leadership in advice-giving practices , Amaly Santiago

The Communicative Constitution of Environment: Land, Weather, Climate , Leanna K. Smithberger

Women Entrepreneurs in China: Dialectical Discourses, Situated Activities, and the (Re)production of Gender and Entrepreneurship , Zhenyu Tian

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Constructing a Neoliberal Youth Culture in Postcolonial Bangladeshi Advertising , Md Khorshed Alam

Communication, Learning and Social Support at the Speaking Center: A Communities of Practice Perspective , Ann Marie Foley Coats

A Visit to Cuba: Performance Ethnography of Place , Adolfo Lagomasino

Elemental Climate Disaster Texts and Queer Ecological Temporality , Laura Mattson

When the Beat Drops: Exploring Hip Hop, Home and Black Masculinity , Marquese Lamont McFerguson

Communication Skills in Medical Education: A Discourse Analysis of Simulated Patient Practices , Grace Ellen Peters

Hiding Under the Sun: Health, Access, and Discourses of Representation in Undocumented Communities , Jaime Shamado Robb

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Walking Each Other Home: Sensemaking of Illness Identity in an Online Metastatic Cancer Community , Ariane B. Anderson

Widow Narratives on Film and in Memoirs: Exploring Formula Stories of Grief and Loss of Older Women After the Death of a Spouse , Jennifer R. Bender

Life as a Reluctant Immigrant: An Autoethnographic Inquiry , Dionel Cotanda

“It’s A Broken System That’s Designed to Destroy”: A Critical Narrative Analysis of Healthcare Providers’ Stories About Race, Reproductive Health, and Policy , Brianna Rae Cusanno

Representations of Indian Christians in Bollywood Movies , Ryan A. D'souza

(re)Making Worlds Together: Rooster Teeth, Community, and Sites of Engagement , Andrea M. M. Fortin

In Another's Voice: Making Sense of Reproductive Health as Women of Color , Nivethitha Ketheeswaran

Communication as Constitutive of Organization: Practicing Collaboration in and English Language Program , Ariadne Miranda

Interrogating Homonationalism in Love, Simon , Jessica S. Rauchberg

Making Sense at the Margins: Describing Narratives on Food Insecurity Through Hip-hop , Lemuel Scott

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Telling a Rape Joke: Performing Humor in a Victim Help Center , Angela Mary Candela

Becoming a Woman of ISIS , Zoe D. Fine

The Uses of Community in Modern American Rhetoric , Cody Ryan Hawley

Opening Wounds and Possibilities: A Critical Examination of Violence and Monstrosity in Horror TV , Amanda K. Leblanc

As Good as it Gets: Redefining Survival through Post-Race and Post-Feminism in Apocalyptic Film and Television , Mark R. McCarthy

Managing a food health crisis: Perceptions and reactions to different response strategies , Yifei Ren

Everything is Fine: Self-Portrait of a Caregiver with Chronic Depression and Other Preexisting Conditions , Erin L. Scheffels

Lives on the (story)Line: Group Facilitation with Men in Recovery at The Salvation Army , Lisa Pia Zonni Spinazola

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Breach: Understanding the Mandatory Reporting of Title IX Violations as Pedagogy and Performance , Jacob G. Abraham

Documenting an Imperfect Past: Examining Tampa's Racial Integration through Community, Film, and Remembrance of Central Avenue , Travis R. Bell

Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia and Quality-of-Life: Ovarian and Uterine Cancer Patients and the Aesthetics of Disease , Meredith L. Clements

Full-Time Teleworkers Sensemaking Process for Informal Communication , Sheila A. Gobes-Ryan

Volunteer Tourism: Fulfilling the Needs for God and Medicine in Latin America , Erin Howell

Practical Theology in an Interpretive Community: An Ethnography of Talk, Texts and Video in a Mediated Women's Bible Study , Nancie Hudson

Performing Narrative Medicine: Understanding Familial Chronic Illness through Performance , Alyse Keller

Second-Generation Bruja : Transforming Ancestral Shadows into Spiritual Activism , Lorraine E. Monteagut

The Rhetoric of Scientific Authority: A Rhetorical Examination of _An Inconvenient Truth_ , Alexander W. Morales

Daniel Bryan & The Negotiation of Kayfabe in Professional Wrestling , Brooks Oglesby

Improvising Close Relationships: A Relational Perspective on Vulnerability , Nicholas Riggs

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

When Maps Ignore the Territory: An Examination of Gendered Language in Cancer Patient Literature , Joanna Bartell

From Portraits to Selfies: Family Photo-making Rituals , Krystal M. Bresnahan

Spiritual Frameworks in Pediatric Palliative Care: Understanding Parental Decision-making , Lindy Grief Davidson

Blue-Collar Scholars: Bridging Academic and Working-Class Worlds , Nathan Lee Hodges

The Communication Constitution of Law Enforcement in North Carolina’s Efforts Against Human Trafficking , Elizabeth Hampton Jeter

“Black Americans and HIV/AIDS in Popular Media” Conforming to The Politics of Respectability , Alisha Lynn Menzies

Selling the American Body: The Construction of American Identity Through the Slave Trade , Max W. Plumpton

In Search of Solidarity: Identification Participation in Virtual Fan Communities , Jaime Shamado Robb

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Straight Benevolence: Preserving Heterosexual Authority and White Privilege , Robb James Bruce

A Semiotic Phenomenology of Homelessness and the Precarious Community: A Matter of Boundary , Heather Renee Curry

Heart of the Beholder: The Pathos, Truths and Narratives of Thermopylae in _300_ , James Christopher Holcom

Was It Something They Said? Stand-up Comedy and Progressive Social Change , David M. Jenkins

The Meaning of Stories Without Meaning: A Post-Holocaust Experiment , Tori Chambers Lockler

Half Empty/Half Full: Absence, Ethnicity, and the Question of Identity in the United States , Ashley Josephine Martinez

Feeling at Home with Grief: An Ethnography of Continuing Bonds and Re-membering the Deceased , Blake Paxton

"In Heaven": Christian Couples' Experiences of Pregnancy Loss , Grace Ellen Peters

“You Better Redneckognize”: White Working-Class People and Reality Television , Tasha Rose Rennels

Designing Together with the World Café: Inviting Community Ideas for an Idea Zone in a Science Center , William Travis Thompson

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Crisis Communication: Sensemaking and Decision-making by the CDC Under Conditions of Uncertainty and Ambiguity During the 2009-2010 H1N1 Pandemic , Barbara Bennington

Communication as Yoga , Kristen Caroline Blinne

Love and (M)other (Im)possibilities , Summer Renee Cunningham

The Rhetoric of Corporate Identity: Corporate Social Responsibility, Creating Shared Value, and Globalization , Carolyn Day

"Is That What You Dream About? Being a Monster?": Bella Swan and the Construction of the Monstrous-Feminine in The Twilight Saga , Amanda Jayne Firestone

Organizing Disability: Producing Knowledge in a University Accommodations Office , Shelby Forbes

Emergency Medicine Triage as the Intersection of Storytelling, Decision-Making, and Dramaturgy , Colin Ainsworth Forde

Changing Landscapes: End-of-Life Care & Communication at a Zen Hospice , Ellen W. Klein

"We're Taking Slut Back": Analyzing Racialized Gender Politics in Chicago's 2012 Slutwalk March , Aphrodite Kocieda

Informing, Entertaining and Persuading: Health Communication at The Amazing You , David Haldane Lee

(Dis)Abled Gaming: An Autoethnographic Analysis of Decreasing Accessibility For Disabled Gamers , Kyle David Romano

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

African Americans and Hospice: A Culture-Centered Exploration of Disparities in End-of-Life Care , Patrick Dillon

Polysemy, Plurality, & Paradigms: The Quixotic Quest for Commensurability of Ethics and Professionalism in the Practices of Law , Eric Paul Engel

Examining the Ontoepistemological Underpinnings of Diversity Education Found in Interpersonal Communication Textbooks , Tammy L. Jeffries

The 2008 Candlelight Protest in South Korea: Articulating the Paradox of Resistance in Neoliberal Globalization , Huikyong Pang

Compassionate Storytelling with Holocaust Survivors: Cultivating Dialogue at the End of an Era , Chris J. Patti

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Home > USC Columbia > College of Information and Communications > Journalism & Mass Communications > Journalism & Mass Communications Theses and Dissertations

Journalism & Mass Communications Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

The Impact of Follower-Influencer Relationship Stages on Consumers’ Perceptions and Behavioral Intentions in the Context of Influencer Marketing , Khalid Obaid Alharbi

The Effect of Social Media (Instagram) Use Patterns on The Cultural and Athletic Identity of Black Female Collegiate Athletes’ Body Image Dissatisfaction , Shelbretta Kar’Anna Ball

Contextualizing Search: An Analysis of the Impacts of Construal Level Theory, Mood, and Product Type on Search Engine Activity , Jackson Everitt Carter

Words Evaporate, the Images Remain: Testing Visual Warnings in the Context of Intentions to Vape Among U.S. Adults as an Expansion of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) , Carl Arland Ciccarelli

Risk Propensity in Journalists: An Analysis of Journalists’ Personality Traits and How They Direct Behavior in the Field , Ellen Katherine Dunn

Online Information-Seeking and Cancer Screening Intention: An Analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey 2022 , Rachel Aileen Ford

Always on Display: South Carolina Civil Rights Lawyer Matthew J. Perry Jr. Expanding the Civil Sphere Through the Courts and the News Media, 1954-1963 , Christopher G. Frear

Exploring the Agenda-Setting Dynamics Between Traditional Newspapers and Twitter During Mass Shooting Event , Yujin Heo

Extreme Persuasion: Analyzing Meaning Creation and Persuasive Strategies Within Extreme Discourse on Alternative Social Media , Naomi Kathryn Lawrence

Framing Police Brutality: An Analysis of Newspaper Coverage of Walter Scott’s Murder , Shamira S. McCray

Understanding Podcast Advertising Processing and Outcomes: An Analysis of Podcast Ad Types, Message Types, and Media Context on Consumer Responses , Colin Piacentine

The Unsung Heroes for Intercollegiate Athletics: Examining the Dialogic Principles of Communication in Community College Athletic Departments , Matthew Alan Stilwell

Exploring Trustworthiness Issues About Disaster-related Information Generated by Artificial Intelligence , Xin Tao

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

The Effect of Emotional Intensity, Arousal, and Valence On Online Video Ad Sharing , Chang Won Choi

“Power, Poison, Pain & Joy”: Applying a Critical Race Conceptual Model of Implicit Racial Bias to Narratives Framing Blackness in Black Sports Columns, Black Music, and Black Journalism , Christina Lauren Myers

Gatekeeping Blackness: Roles, Relationships, and Pressures of Black Television Journalists at a Time of Racial Reckoning , Denetra Walker

The Binge Viewing Index: Creating and Testing a New Measure , Larry J. Webster Jr.

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Portion of Profit Donations: CSR as Public Relations Strategy and its Relationships with Trust and Purchase Intentions , Branden Dylan Cameron Birmingham

The Role of Sexting in the Development of Romantic Relationships , Max Bretscher

Let’s Be Friends: Examining Consumer Brand Relationships Through the Lens Of Brand Personality, Engagement, and Reciprocal Altruism , Daniel D. Haun

Go with The Flow: Testing the Effects of Emotional Flow on Psychophysiological, Attitudinal, and Behavioral Changes , Chris R. Noland

Brand New: How Visual Context Shapes Initial Response To Logos and Corporate Visual Identity Systems , Robert A. Wertz

Inoculating the Public Against Misinformation: Testing The Effectiveness of “Pre-bunking” Techniques in the Context of Mental Illness and Violence , Nanlan Zhang

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Gun Violence and Advocacy Communication , Minhee Choi

The Role of Third-person Perceptions in Predicting the Public’s Support for Electronic Cigarette Advertising Regulations , Joon Kyoung Kim

Conservative Media’s Coverage of Coronavirus on YouTube: A Qualitative Analysis of Media Effects on Consumers , Michael J. Layer

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Problem Chain Recognition Effect and CSR Communication: Examining the Impact of Issue Salience and Proximity on Environmental Communication Behaviors , Nandini Bhalla

The Games Behind the Scenes: Newspaper Framing of Female African American Olympic Athletes , Martin Reece Funderburk

Effectiveness of a Brand’s Paid, Owned, and Earned Media in a Social Media Environment , Anan Wan

Providing Prevention Education About Child Sexual Abuse to Parents: Testing Media Effects on Knowledge, Behavioral Intentions and Outcomes , Jane Long Weatherred

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Creating an Online Social Movement in Socially Conservative Societies: A Case Study of Manshoor Blog Using Frame Alignment Process , Noura Abdullah Al-Duaijani

How S. C. Daily Newspapers Framed the Removal of the Confederate Flag from the State House Grounds in 2015 Through Letters to the Editor and Editorials , Thomas Craig Anderson

Breaking The Silence: Extending Theory To Address The Underutilization Of Mental Health Services Among Chinese Immigrants In The United States , Jo-Yun Queenie Li

Fandom In Politics: Scale Development And Validation , Won-Ki Moon

Fatal Force: A Conversation With Journalists Who Cover Deadly, Highly-Publicized Police Shootings , Denetra Walker

Domestic Extension Of Public Diplomacy: Media Competition For Credibility, Dependency And Activation Of Publics , Yicheng Zhu

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Hydraulic Fracturing In the United States: A Framing Analysis , Kenneth Stephen Cardell Jr.

Network vs. Netflix: A Comparative Content Analysis of Demographics Across Prime-Time Television and Netflix Original Programming , James Corfield

Framing Marijuana: A Study of How us Newspapers Frame Marijuana Legalization Stories and Framing Effects of Marijuana Stories , Hwalbin Kim

The Allure of Isis: Examining the Underlying Mechanisms that Helped the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria , Alexander Luchsinger

International Twitter Comments About 2016 U.S. Presidential Candidates Trump And Clinton: Agenda-Building Analysis In The U.S., U.K., Brazil, Russia, India and China , Jane O’Boyle

Is That Online Review Fake News? How Sponsorship Disclosure Influences Reader Credibility , Mark W. Tatge

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Measuring Strategic Communications , Jeffrey A. Ranta

Public Perceptions Of Genetically Modified Food On Social Media: A Content Analysis Of Youtube Comments On Videos , Nanlan Zhang

Toward A Situational Technology Acceptance Model: Combining the Situational Theory of Problem Solving and Technology Acceptance Model to Promote Mobile Donations for Nonprofit Organizations , Yue Zheng

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Promoting HPV Vaccination for Male Young Adults: Effects of Social Influence , Wan Chi Leung

Redneckaissance: Honey Boo Boo, Tumblr, and the Stereotype of Poor White Trash , Ashley F. Miller

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Conflicted Union: Culture, Economics and European Union Media Policy , Daphney Pernola Barr

Beating Down the Fear: The Civil Sphere and Political Change in South Carolina, 1940-1962 , Sid Bedingfield

The State v. Perry: Comparative Newspaper Coverage of South Carolina's Most Prominent Civil Rights Lawyer , Christopher G. Frear

(MASCOT) NATION: EXAMINING UNIVERSITY ENGAGEMENT ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAMS’ FACEBOOK PAGES , Matthew J. Haught

Innovation Among Georgian Journalism Educators: A Network Analysis Perspective , Ana Keshelashvili

Emotional Bond between the Creator and the Avatar: Changes in Behavioral Intentions to Engage in Alcohol-Related Traffic Risk Behaviors , Hokyung Kim

Handcuffing Speech: Federal Fraud Statutes and the Criminalization of Advertising , Carmen Maye

Social Movements, Media, and Democratization in Georgia , Maia Mikashavidze

Am I in Danger? : Predictors and Behavioral Outcomes of Public Perception of Risk Associated with Food Hazards , Sang-Hwa Oh

Parental Mediation of Adolescent Movie Viewing , Larry James Webster Jr.

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Political Advertising In Kuwait - A Functional Discourse Analysis , Jasem Alqaseer

The Westernization of Advertisements Published In Kuwaiti Newspapers From 1992 to 2012; A Content Analysis , Farah Taleb Alrefai

What Can Reader Comments to News Online Contribute to Engagement and Interactivity? A Quantitative Approach , Brett A. Borton

Exploring a paradigm shift: The New York Times' framing of sub-Saharan Africa in stories of conflict, war and development during the Cold War and post-Cold War eras, 1945-2009 , Zadok Opero Ekimwere

Mental Health On Youtube: Exploring the Potential of Interactive Media to Change Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors About Mental Health , Caroline Belser Foster

That's News to Me: An Exploratory Study of the Uses and Gratifications of Current Events On Social Media of 18-24 Year-Olds , John Vincent Karlis

Making Stewardship Meaningful For Nonprofits: Stakeholder Motivations, Attitudes, Loyalty and Behaviors , Geah N. Pressgrove

An Alternative Path: The Intellectual Legacy of James W. Carey , Matthew Ross

The Corporation in the Marketplace of Ideas: The Law and Economics of Corporate Political Speech , Matthew W. Telleen

Child Sexual Abuse In the Media: Is Institutional Failure to Blame? , Jane Long Weatherred

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

The Relationship Between Facebook Use and Religiosity Among Emerging Adults , Heidi D. Campbell

Attribute Agenda Setting, Attribtue Priming, and The Public's Evaluation of Genetically Modified (GM) Food in South Korea , Soo Yun Kim

What's Mine is Yours: An Exploratory Study of Attitudes and Conceptions About Online Personal Privacy In the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , Patrick Sharbaugh

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

How Journalists Perceive Internal and External Influence: A Qualitative Assessment of Local Television Reporters' Ethical Decision-Making , Beth Eckard Concepcion

Collective Memory of the War In Iraq: An Analysis of Letters to the Editor and Public Opinion Polls, 2003-2008 , Lisa Cash Luedeman

A Framing Analysis and Model of Barack Obama in Political Cartoons , Anthony Palmer

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

Breaking Down the Fear' -- John H. Mccray, Accommodationism and theFraming of the Civil Rights Struggle in South Carolina, 1940-1948 , Sid Bedingfield

Do You See What I See?: A Comparative Content Analysis of Iraq War Photographs As Published In the New York Times and the Tehran Times , Garen Cansler

Exploring Intention to Adopt Mobile Tv Services In the U.S.: Toward A New Model With Cognitive-Based and Emotional-Based Constructs , Seoyoon Choi

Media Representations and Implications For Collective Memory: A Grounded Theory Analysis of TV News Broadcasts of Hillary Clinton From 1993-2008 , Mary Elizabeth McLaughlin

Resonance and Elaboration: the Framing Effect of Chinese Product Safety Issue Coverage , Ji Pan

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Communication Studies

Master's thesis topics, 2023 graduates.

Master’s Student: Ellen Alley

Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Anita Vangelisti

I CAN SEE HOW YOU FEEL: FRAMEWORKS FOR EMOTION RECOGNITION AND THEIR ASSOCIATIONS WITH RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Master’s Student: Dewi Rosfalianti Azizah

Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Stacey Sowards 

IN AND BEYOND THE GATE OF PESANTREN:  ISLAMIC FEMINISM AND FEMALE ULAMA CONTRIBUTIONS TO ISLAMIC DISCOURSE IN INDONESIA                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Master’s Student: Faith Osterberg

Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Jeffrey Treem 

UNDERSTANDING CONCEPTS OF WORK THROUGH YOUNG PROFESSIONALS' NOTIONS OF WORK, CALLING, AND SELF-ADVANCEMENT IN FULLY REMOTE ROLES                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Master’s Student:  Karissa Marie Hernandez

PARENTS, PRIVACY, PARENTIFICATION: EXPLORING PARENTAL DISCLOSURES OF FAMILY SECRETS, PARENTIFICATION, PRIVACY MANAGEMENT, AND RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Master’s Student:  Vanessa Lopez

Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Nik Palomares & Dr. Roselia Mendez Murillo (Co-Chair)  

HOW HISPANIC ACCENTS MAKE ONLINE DATING PROFILES MORE SOCIALLY ATTRACTIVE:  DOES INTERCULTURAL SENSITIVITY PLAY A ROLE?         

Master’s Student:  Katherine McChurch 

Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Rene Dailey 

SURVIVORS' DISCLOSURE AND THEIR ABILITY TO RECALL AND COPE WITH THEIR SEXUAL ASSAULT                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Master’s Student:  Margaret E Solice

Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Johanna Hartelius 

PRIVILEGING HISTORIES: AN HOSPITABLE HISTORIOGRAPHY OF THE FIRST ALL-WOMAN STATE SUPREME COURT                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Master’s Student:  Yating Yang

UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF OPEN COMMUNICATION ON COUPLES' RELATIONSHIP AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING DURING MENOPAUSE: AN EXAMINATION OF THE MEDIATING EFFECTS OF COMMUNAL COPING WITH AN ACTOR-PARTNER INTERDEPENDENCE MODEL                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

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Advice for Completing a Master's in Communication Thesis

The Structure of the Master’s Thesis

The steps to successfully completing a thesis: tips from real alumni, identify your research interests and potential mentors early, consult your faculty mentors and form your committee, conduct preliminary research and draft your proposal, conduct your study and analyze the results, revise, finalize, and submit your thesis, defend your thesis, final thoughts on your thesis journey.

For many students of master’s in communication programs, especially for those who have chosen an academic or research-oriented course of study, the thesis is a cornerstone of their graduate experience. As an extended and independent research project that contributes to the existing scholarly literature on the student’s topic of choice, the thesis can seem daunting at first. Indeed, in our interviews with alumni of master’s in communication programs, many of them noted that the thesis was an intimidating prospect for them. However, these students also described the process of completing their thesis as a highly educational and formative experience.

Chelsea Moss, who is an alumnus of Purdue University’s Master’s Degree in Communication with a focus on Media, Technology, and Society, explained in an interview with MastersinCommunications.com, “To be honest, I was somewhat terrified of writing the thesis. Attending grad school was a big learning curve for me as I was making the shift from a very hands-on, practical undergrad program to a very theoretical, research-oriented master’s program. However, writing the thesis gave me invaluable experience, not only in research skills, but [also] in project management, data collection and analysis, and training […] undergraduate research assistants.”

Sakina Jangbar, Ph.D. a graduate of California State University, Northridge’s Master of Arts in Communication Studies program, in her interview gave a candid view of her thesis experience and its impact on her career trajectory. “The thesis writing experience was quite difficult for me because it was my first major scholarly undertaking,” she said, “My thesis was 150 pages, as my mentor had high standards in terms of strength of the argument and length of the chapters.” Yet despite the daunting nature of her project, Dr. Jangbar’s thesis prepared her for even higher-level work as a doctoral student, and later as an Assistant Professor of Communication at St. John’s University. “Even though writing my thesis was a challenge for me, I think it was a valuable experience as it paved the way for me to write my doctoral dissertation.”

This feature provides a comprehensive look at the process of completing a master’s-level thesis for a graduate communication program. It delves into the typical structure of a thesis and the necessary steps in the process of researching, analyzing, and presenting one’s results. In addition, it features insights from alumni of master’s in communication programs across the nation who successfully completed their theses and used their project as a stepping stone to an advanced career in their area of interest.

The thesis is traditionally an extended, multi-chapter written project that students complete to answer an advanced research inquiry. While the structure of a thesis may vary, below is a general outline of the chapters of a traditional thesis:

• Chapter 1—Introduction : In the introduction, one discusses the background and context of one’s research topic, including a statement around the problem, question, or challenge at hand and its social significance. In the introduction, one must also outline the purpose and specific objectives of one’s study, and emphasize the target outcomes of one’s research.
• Chapter 2—Literature Review : This chapter contains a thorough overview of the historical background of one’s research topic, as well as key theoretical frameworks that are necessary to set up one’s research question and core hypotheses. This chapter explains how one’s research question contributes to the field by identifying the gaps in the existing literature and how they will be addressed by the research inquiry and study.
• Chapter 3—Research Design : This chapter delves into the research methodologies that one will use in one’s study, including the participants recruited, instruments used (including data analysis technologies), and the concrete procedures and timeline for the research project. This section also provides for any ethical considerations that one has taken into account, as well as the limitations of one’s research.
• Chapter 4—Results : This chapter includes all the results of one’s study, generally without any interpretations or inferences (which will be covered in Chapter 5). The structure of the results report should follow that of the study design outlined in the Research Design chapter, and should speak to the research questions outlined in the Introduction. This section may use figures, charts, or graphs to represent data in addition to text.
• Chapter 5—Analysis : This chapter is comprised of a thorough discussion and interpretation of the results outlined in the Results chapter. It will refer to the Literature Review chapter and discuss the results within the context of existing theories and established data. It is important to tie one’s results to the theories, existing research, and rationales provided in the Literature Review section.
• Chapter 6—Conclusions : This chapter discusses the practical implications of the results, as well as recommendations for further study and any theories or frameworks that may change as a result of one’s findings. This chapter also delves into any limitations of the study’s results, in terms of conclusions that can be drawn and how they impact further research and/or practice within the discipline.
• Chapter 7—Bibliography and Appendices : These sections provide a comprehensive listing of all sources used, as well as any additional information or tables that might be relevant.

As the outline above illustrates, the traditional thesis has a highly formal structure. That said, many of the alumni whom we interviewed for our Alumni Interview Series noted that their faculty advisors allowed them creative license in terms of the subject matter and potentially even the structure of their thesis (although this varies by university). In this way, students often end up creating a thesis that incorporates elements from other types of capstone options like applied projects.

For example, Millie Njezic, who graduated from the University of Northern Iowa’s Master of Arts in Communication Studies program, wrote a play as part of her thesis project, which investigated the different dynamics of neighbor relations between people in Bosnia versus Bosnian immigrants in Waterloo, Iowa. “I used the autoethnographic method in order to use my own experiences with neighbors back home [in Bosnia] and then I conducted qualitative interviews with Bosnian refugees in Waterloo, IA. The data from both areas was analyzed using poetic inquiry and I came up with a script for a play: Live Thy Neighbor,” she told MastersinCommunications.com, “I then directed the play and over the course of three showings at the Interpreters Theatre, I had amazing discussions with the audience as well as the cast. Finally, I wrote the traditional thesis chapters and defended in front of my committee. […] I was very fortunate to be able to do research in such a liberating and creative way.”

As Ms. Njezic’s anecdote reveals, by working closely with faculty mentors and explaining the types of topics and research methodologies that resonate the most with them, students can optimize their experience working on their thesis.

While the thesis may seem a daunting endeavor, the process for completing one is structured to provide students with support and guidance throughout. There are set deadlines for a student’s thesis proposal submission and defense, chapter drafts, final submission, and final oral defense. Below are key steps to successfully completing your thesis, featuring candid advice from alumni of a wide diversity of master’s in communication programs.

During your classes, it is important to take stock of what topics interest you the most and to connect with the faculty whose research interests align with your own. Doing so will help you to determine your ideal research question and its proper scope. In addition, taking the initiative to speak with faculty early on will help optimize your choice of professors for your thesis committee, which is the group of three faculty members who support your work on your thesis.

For many students, the choice of a thesis topic is an organic result of taking classes and getting a sense of what interests them. In her alumni interview, Olivia Hook Frey, a graduate of Illinois State University’s Master’s in Communication program, explained how she identified her thesis topic from a class she took that piqued her interest. “I stumbled upon my research idea in a training and development course,” she said, “I was intrigued by the onboarding and socialization processes across different organizations. Retention is something all organizations are concerned about, so I decided to investigate how the initial new employee socialization process predicts retention.”

Taylor McDade, DePaul University

For other students, a thesis can be an opportunity to delve into a topic of personal interest. Lauren Lee, an alumnus of University of Arkansas at Little-Rock’s Master of Arts in Applied Communication Studies, selected a topic that was connected to a life-changing event in her family. “Just a few months after entering graduate school, I found out I was pregnant with our first child,” she said, “[After my daughter was born] I spoke with a lactation consultant after her birth, [and] I knew there was something different about the way she communicated. […] When I took Interpersonal Communication in the fall of 2014 and studied Dr. Mirivel’s Model of Positive Communication, the light bulb came on. The lactation consultant demonstrated all seven behaviors from the model. Her communication was the foundation to my success!” These experiences led her on a path to exploring the role of interpersonal communication—specifically the Model of Positive Communication—in the work of registered nurses and lactation consultants in health care settings.

Choosing a topic of emotional and intellectual investment is crucial, said many of our alumni interviewees. Taylor McDade, who completed a Master of Digital Communication and Media Arts at DePaul University, told MastersinCommunications.com, “My advice to students who are tasked with completing a thesis is to first choose something you are passionate about, because in doing so the rest will come easily. Maybe you’re looking to solve some kind of problem, or maybe you simply want to investigate a topic related to your field that excites you. Either way, be sure to push boundaries.” Caleb Malik, a graduate of Illinois State University’s Master’s in Communication program, similarly advised, “[P]ick a topic you are interested in. You’re going to spend a lot of time on the topic, so don’t waste your time and hours on research you don’t find interesting. It’s also going to be challenging to succeed with a project and have continued dedication to a project that you don’t enjoy.”

Another crucial step in the thesis process is approaching faculty members in your program who can optimally advise you. Students writing their thesis typically have the support of a three-person faculty committee, comprised of one main advisor (the committee chair) and two additional faculty readers and mentors. These mentors are instrumental to your success, as they provide important feedback and guidance throughout your work, from the development of your initial proposal to the preparation for your final presentation.

In his alumni interview, Caleb Malik placed central importance on this step of the thesis process. “[M]ost importantly, give a lot of thought to whom you select for your committee,” he said, “You’re building a team, and you want to think about the skills and knowledge they are bringing to the table, and how they’ll interact as a group.” Choosing an ideal faculty mentor requires not only a strong rapport between student and professor, but also choosing an advisor whose research expertise aligns with the topic of your thesis (as well as the research methodologies you plan on implementing).

Jeremy Pesner, an alumnus of Georgetown University’s Master of Arts in Communication, Culture, and Technology explained how all of his faculty committee members were extremely helpful and supportive, but that selecting a committee chair whose expertise paralleled the type of research he wished to do for his thesis would have been wise. “My advice for students considering a thesis is to plan out what you’ll do a little more thoroughly than I did,” he said, “It was more of a challenge than I anticipated that my thesis advisor actually lacked experience in the research methodology I was using – in retrospect, it may have been more useful for the “methods” professor to be my main advisor, with the other as a secondary.”

Your faculty thesis advisors can also help you navigate unexpected snags in your research process. For example, Tiffany Wang, Ph.D. explained how her faculty advisor supported her through each stage of her research process. “Going into the thesis, I knew that I wanted to study an Instructional Communication topic. After talking to my faculty advisor, I decided to focus on studying students’ perceptions of instructors’ nonverbal immediacy behaviors using a quantitative survey research design. As I began to explore the literature and start my literature review, a Communication Studies scholar published a journal article on my initial thesis topic,” she recalled in her interview, “Going back to square one and selecting a new thesis topic was discouraging. However, my faculty advisor and committee members helped me identify new hypotheses and variables that would still allow me to retain much of the work I had already done on the initial topic.”

Once you have established your committee, the next step is to draft a proposal (also known as a prospectus). A thesis proposal provides details on your thesis topic and specific inquiry, as well as the issues that your inquiry seeks to address. In other words, it should describe a socially or academically significant challenge and explain how answering your research query will work towards solving this problem. The proposal is your opportunity to conduct much of the preliminary research that will be necessary in writing the Literature Review section of your thesis.

Throughout your work on your proposal, you are expected and encouraged to consult your committee and in particular your primary advisor/committee chair for advice and guidance. Ms. Lee explained how her faculty advisor worked closely with her as she developed her thesis proposal and established a process for completing her research project. “A critical piece in thesis topic prep is ensuring you will have enough research to write a full thesis. I did a preliminary paper about my own observations and experience and applied each concept accordingly,” she said, “From there, I created a prospectus which included the theory and methodology needed for conducting research. I began working with my faculty advisor to create a research process. After contacting possible research participants, I was on my way to writing a full thesis.”

As Ms. Lee’s example illustrates, your thesis proposal serves as a road map for your final thesis product, and therefore it is beneficial to include as accurate and as detailed information about your research topic, background, objectives, and methodologies as possible. In fact, master’s in communication programs typically require students to orally defend their thesis proposal as a way of preparing them for the type of questioning they will encounter in their formal thesis defense. While this defense may initially feel intimidating, many students find the proposal defense to be more of a constructive conversation rather than a formal presentation, a conversation that helps them solidify their research questions and methods.

Caleb Malik, Illinois State University

Megan Kendall, graduate of Purdue University’s Masters of Communication program, described in her alumni interview how her proposal defense was an opportunity to discuss her thesis topic in-depth with her faculty committee, and to receive detailed feedback that she could incorporate into her project moving forward. “For the prospectus, my advisor encouraged me to think of it as a proposal meeting to make sure the project idea is sound, and to receive any feedback before I started to really dig into the project, which was a helpful way to approach it,” she said, “[The oral defense was] a bit stressful just […by] nature of presenting to three faculty members on my personal project, but it was also an opportunity to connect with communication scholars and discuss something I was interested in.”

During the proposal development and revision stage, your faculty advisors will also provide questions to help you narrow the scope of your research inquiry. Mr. Malik recalled, “[T]he best advice I got from a professor was, ‘You’re not trying to create the overarching, all-encompassing theory of communication. You’re not expected to alter the field. […] Research is about theory building, taking small steps forward and progressing the field.’ For me, this helped take a weight off my back.”

Once your proposal is approved by your committee, your next task is to refine and implement your research study, employing quantitative research methods, qualitative research methods, rhetorical research, or a combination of two or more of the aforementioned methods, which is formally known as mixed methodologies. Quantitative research methods involve gathering and analyzing numbers and/or measurements in order to arrive at insights. Examples of quantitative research methods include surveys, statistical analyses, controlled experiments, and the use of mathematical models to analyze and form predictions or conclusions around aggregate data. On the other hand, qualitative research methods focus on gathering data that explores the “why” and the “how” more than the “how much” or “how many.” In other words, while quantitative data might determine how many people visit a particular news site or interact with a specific kind of content (be it a news article or a blockbuster film) within a given period of time, qualitative data would delve into these people’s motivations and content interests through methods such as interviews, observations, and focus groups.

Rhetorical research, which is also referred to as rhetorical criticism or literary/textual analysis, is the examination and analysis of content, be it written works such as novels, essays, and articles, or visual and multimedia content such as online videos, computer games, movies, radio and television. Rhetorical research involves analyzing the use of diction, images and symbols, allusions, emotional vs. logical appeals, irony and satire, juxtapositions, and other rhetorical devices present in a particular work to identify the arguments being made and also how they are conveyed. A scholar of communication might use rhetorical research to identify the pro-diversity message in a short story, or to describe the ways in which a movie or television show contains problematic messages about masculinity.

Mixed methodologies describes when a scholar implements two or more of the aforementioned methodologies in his or her study. For example, a researcher might use a survey (a quantitative methodology) to measure the characteristics of workplace communication within a given organization, while also supplementing this survey with detailed interviews (a qualitative method) of specific people within the organization. In a mixture of rhetorical and quantitative research, another scholar might identify the use of certain words in a particular type of content (such as presidential campaign speeches), and evaluate both the occurrence of these words and their meaning within the context of political agendas. As these examples illustrate, integrating different methodologies in a given study is common as research inquiries are often complex and require multifaceted approaches to gain insight into a given topic.

While designing an entire research study may seem overwhelming at first, at its core the objective of any study is to gather and analyze data to answer a targeted research query. Answering the questions, “What exactly do I wish to understand about my research topic? What types of data will help me arrive at an answer to my inquiry?” is the starting point; from that foundation, the next steps are to investigate what methods have been used in previous studies relating to your topic, and to consult your faculty advisors who have expertise in the methodologies you need to be most effective. In some cases, a mix of qualitative, quantitative, and/or rhetorical analysis data may be optimal for answering your particular research query.

Zach McGeehon, alumnus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Master of Arts in Applied Communication Studies, utilized qualitative methods, namely surveys, for his thesis. “I decided to investigate one of my hobbies a bit more. I have over 10 years’ experience in FX makeup and costumes, so I started researching levels of narcissism in cosplayers (people who dress in costumes from various media) for that research project,” he explained, “That topic eventually led me to a larger question, ‘What motivates people to cosplay in the first place?’ which ended up being the focus of my thesis. I utilized two different qualitative methods during my thesis, where I distributed an online questionnaire and held semi-structured interviews with cosplayers. After a lot of transcription and coding, I was able to exhaustively identify 14 different motivations that cosplayers communicated during the study. Some of those results were a bit surprising, but it was an awesome feeling knowing that I finally got the answer to my query.”

Millie Njezic, University of Northern Iowa

Mary Worley, Ph.D. utilized primarily quantitative research methods in her thesis for her Master of Arts in Communication, which she completed at Illinois State University. “I wanted my thesis to align with my passion for teaching. My thesis advisor was my ultimate champion, sharing my passion for social media and technology in the classroom while acting as a steady source of encouragement,” she said, “The other members of my committee had expertise in communication pedagogy and quantitative data analysis and worked with me to deepen my understanding of theory and analytic procedures. My thesis explored social media (specifically, Twitter) as an educational tool for the classroom and its effects on social media competence, student motivation, affective learning, and perceptions of instructor immediacy. I was able to implement a series of activities into 10 sections of the basic communication course and collected data from both experimental and control groups to assess group differences. Data were primarily quantitative and provided support for social media as a useful educational tool.”

Scott Bredman, graduate of the University of Northern Iowa’s Master of Arts in Communication Studies program, completed a thesis that was centered on rhetorical research. “I knew I wanted to do a project using rhetorical research methods but was struggling to find the right topic,” he recalled in an interview, “During the summer of 2015, public discourse about confederate imagery was abundant, and I started down a rabbit hole of research that ultimately led me to discover the mascot controversy in the school district in Vestavia Hills, Alabama. My advisor, Dr. Ryan McGeough, and I were fascinated by the public deliberation occurring within the community and decided that the deliberation of the community (mostly a special school board meeting that occurred) and these symbols themselves were worthy of rhetorical analysis.” Through his research, Mr. Bredman evaluated both the mascot images as forms of cultural rhetoric, and also analyzed the messages contained in the discourse and debates surrounding these images.

Emma Mackenzie, alumnus of Montana Tech’s Master of Science in Technical Communication, employed mixed methodologies for her thesis, which examined the media representation and discussion of the debate to keep wolves on or off the national Endangered Species list. “I gathered reader comments in local, regional, and national media outlets and analyzed them using Grounded Theory, Semiotics, and Actor Network Theory, a mixture of quantitative and qualitative research,” she explained in her alumni interview.

Once you have collected all the relevant data for your study, you must analyze your results to try and find meaningful patterns or connections within your data or between your data and existing research, with the aim of answering your original research query. As with every step in the thesis completion process, frequent and in-depth discussions with your faculty mentors are very important at this stage, as your mentors can help you to identify important patterns within your data and to place those patterns within the context of past theories, frameworks, and research.

Your faculty committee can also help you work through challenges in the interpretation of your data. In her interview with MastersinCommunications.com, Dr. Wang explained how, when her study did not yield the anticipated results, her advisor helped her to assess and present the data in a way that still contributed to the existing literature on instructional communication in a meaningful way. “After I collected data, my faculty advisor helped me run and interpret the data in his office, “she said, “When there were no significant findings, he helped me determine how I could explain these non-significant findings in my Discussion section in a way that would still allow me to present and publish my research.”

Throughout your preliminary research, collection of data, and analysis of your study results, you should also be writing and working with your committee to continually review and revise your thesis chapters. Staying consistent with your writing at each stage of the process ensures that you have the time to receive quality feedback from your committee and to optimize your final thesis product.

Ms. Njezic described the role that regular discussions with her faculty committee chair played in her thesis. “My thesis chair, Dr. Danielle McGeough, held weekly touch base meetings with me and helped me determine my writing goals for the next week,” she recalled, “This helped me stay organized and focused on my work. Also, don’t be afraid to ask the questions. There is so much value in asking early and asking often. Lastly, remember that you’re doing this research because you’re curious about it. That does not mean that you will have all the answers, neither do you need to have all the answers in the end.” Dr. Wang similarly advised, “Looking back on the research and writing process, I would encourage students to be proactive in discussing any problems that may arise during the writing process with their faculty advisor so that they can get the help and support they need to be successful.”

Megan Kendall, Purdue University

In addition to your faculty mentors, your peers can also serve as support both during the writing and editing stages of your thesis. In her interview, Ms. Kendall explained how a peer writing group helped her manage her time effectively and optimize her writing process. “I highly recommend creating a writing group with several other master’s students,” she advised, “I connected with two others in my cohort and it was so helpful in managing deadlines, handling stress, and just working through the project together. We would meet for half an hour on a weekly basis and take time to update each other on what we were working on or any questions we had.” Weekly peer group meetings can help students think through difficult or complex questions arising from their research, and also create a non-intimidating venue for writing, editing, and workshopping chapters of their thesis.

Once you have completed a full draft of all the chapters of your thesis, you must submit your work to your committee chair as well as your other two faculty readers, who will provide additional feedback and targeted questions to ensure that each chapter is thorough and that your analysis and conclusions properly address your research inquiry and its relevance. It is important to finish your full thesis draft early enough to provide for any necessary revisions well before the final thesis deadline.

Once your faculty committee has approved your final thesis submission, the final stage is your oral thesis defense. The oral defense is considered by many students to be one of the most intimidating parts of the thesis completion process. However, most of the alumni we spoke with pointed out that their oral defense was less of a test and more of an engaging and even enjoyable discussion with the faculty members who served as their foremost allies during their thesis journey.

Mr. McGeehon explained how supportive his entire faculty committee was throughout his work on his thesis, and how their commitment to his success was reflected in his experience defending his final work. “After the completion of my thesis, I was required to orally defend it in front of my committee, which included Dr. Nastasia (thesis chair), Dr. DeGroot-Brown, and Dr. Wrobbel. Though, as expected, I was nervous about facing some difficult questions, I was able to thoroughly prepare for my defense, and I successfully passed on my first attempt,” he said, “Thankfully, I was able to work with a group of people that supported me throughout the entire endeavor. If I needed assistance, the committee was always there for me. They were never afraid to push me to do my best work or question my thought process and give me some constructive criticism.”

Of her experience defending her thesis, Ms. Moss told MastersinCommunications.com, “I found both of my defenses (prospectus and final defense) to be very rewarding and (dare I say) wonderful experiences! It was truly an honor to sit around a table with three brilliant minds who had taken the time to read my work and offer constructive critique on my project. In my case, both defenses were essentially conversations where my advisor had a few questions for me to answer (which he gave me ahead of time), and then I answered other questions from my two other committee members.” In addition, Ms. Moss’s thesis defense was an opportunity for her to find ways to push her research even further, beyond the time frame of her thesis project. “[The] suggestions of my committee encouraged me regarding the significance of my findings and gave me helpful suggestions that ultimately led to a stronger final product,” she said.

Dr. Jangbar similarly explained how the outcome of your thesis defense is a direct product of your efforts throughout the term, and therefore you have a great deal of control over it. “Defending a thesis is not hard if you have done quality work. When the writing is good, the question is not whether you will pass or fail,” she said, “Rather, the faculty are interested in having a conversation about your work. In any case, I thought it was flattering that three professors read my thesis and wanted to talk to me about it for an hour. The defense time went by so quickly. I found myself wishing for more time. Before I knew it, everyone was congratulating me. I wish I could go back to my past-self and tell the other Sakina to enjoy the process rather than worry.”

While students are expected to put in a great deal of independent work conducting preliminary research, designing their study, analyzing their results, and writing their thesis, their committee of faculty mentors is with them every step of the way. Students are not only expected, but also encouraged to consult with their committee members frequently and benefit from their expertise in order to step with confidence into the role of an advanced and independent scholar.

Faculty mentors are dedicated to providing constructive criticism and guidance, and eager to celebrate their students’ efforts. Dr. Stevie Munz, Ph.D., a graduate of Illinois State University’s Master’s program in Communication and an Assistant Professor of Communication herself at Utah Valley University, described how her faculty committee congratulated her on her hard work during her thesis defense. “All thesis projects are defended orally, which serves as an opportunity for students to demonstrate knowledge and competency in soliciting questions from their committee,” she told MastersinCommunications.com, “Because the department is supportive and collaborative, the oral defense is often an event attended by other faculty and graduate students–the department celebrates you on this day.” This final and highly positive experience paved the way for Dr. Munz’s future work in communication studies scholarship and pedagogy. “I found the oral defense important preparation for doctoral-level thinking and academic conversations,” she said, “The experience continues to be influential and permeate my research and teaching today.”

The master’s thesis is a challenging, time-consuming, yet incredibly empowering and formative endeavor. It not only represents the extent of the knowledge you have gained in your graduate program, but also propels you into higher levels of research expertise, writing and analytical skill, and intellectual inquiry. For more candid insights from alumni on their experiences completing their thesis, as well as details on other aspects of completing a master’s in communication program, please visit our flagship: Alumni Interview Series .

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• The Problem of Publishing an Agricultural and Home Journal in India  Raj, Kummar Sri Mohan V. ( University of Oregon , 1935-06 )
• Power Considerations as Invisible Filters of Local Involvement in Participatory Climate Adaptation: The Case of Ghana's Effutu Municipality  Koomson, Paul ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-10 ) The rising incidence and severity of environmental disasters associated with climate change and the acknowledged failure of adaptation projects to address the priority needs of marginalized and most vulnerable social groups ...
• Voting Behind Bars: Policy and Predictions of Total Enfranchisement for Incarcerated Voters in the United States  Tabor, Courtney ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) Nearly five million Americans remain disenfranchised because of their incarceration or felon status. Through this dissertation project, I study two legislative campaigns and conduct a nationwide experiment to better ...
• Representation and Exploitation of War and Conflict: Publicly Appropriable Media as Low Hanging Fruit  McLaughlin, Andrew ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) This dissertation examines the phenomenon of War Porn, a term that describes the visual destruction of bodies in conflict to elicit a visceral reaction in viewers for the purposes of titillation and entertainment. I examine ...
• A MEDIA GENEALOGY OF THE JAPANESE MOBILE PHONE, 1997–2007  St. Louis, Christopher ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) The mobile phone—in its present form, the smartphone—has become a ubiquitous part of everyday life. We use it to facilitate personal and professional communications, access entertainment media, and purchase goods and ...
• Filtered Morality: Theatrical Film Sanitization in Utah County, Utah, 1960s-1980s  Cowley, Brent ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) This dissertation examines a history of theatrical film sanitization in Utah County, Utah, primarily from the 1960s to the 1980s. Regional censorship boards throughout the Hollywood Production Code era labored to ensure ...
• Uncovering Vocational Rehabilitation Online: How the Standardization of State and Federal Government Information Can Empower the Deaf and Hard of Hearing  Deering, Charlotte Chère ( University of Oregon , 2023-06 ) Resources are often lacking or difficult to find for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) in the United States. The DHH fall behind in mainstream schools without assistive services and often turn to State Vocational ...
• Actualization through Activism: Transgender Media Making in Central Appalachia  Banks, Beck ( University of Oregon , 2022-10-26 ) Using ethnographic methods, this dissertation explores transgender media makers and their works in Central Appalachia. It employs audience studies, queer/trans migration, and queer rurality to understand the drive of these ...
• Who's In?: A Political Economic Analysis of the College Football Playoff  Eichner, Matthew ( University of Oregon , 2022-10-26 ) The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the CFP and its media presence through a political economic lens. For the political economic scholar, the CFP as an entry point into studying media and sport is a natural ...
• Life Among the Ruins: An Examination of Monument and Power in the Abandoned Game Star Wars: Galaxies  Hansen, Jared ( University of Oregon , 2022-10-26 ) In the genre of Massively Multiplayer Online video games are titles that have been abandoned by their developers. These cloud-based games are inaccessible and disappear when shut down unless new servers are launched. Such ...
• Gender-Power Relations in International Development Discourse and Practice: The Case of USAID in Post-Ebola Liberia  Amevor, Elinam ( University of Oregon , 2022-10-26 ) Liberia became the United States’ priority in the fight against the Ebola epidemic in West Africa between 2014 and 2015. After the epidemic was officially declared over in May 2015, the U.S. Agency for International ...
• Twitch Streamers and the Platformization of Cultural Production: Understanding Complementary Labor in the Creative Economy  Harris, Brandon ( University of Oregon , 2022-10-26 ) Twitch and other social media platforms allow a handful of content creators to act as social media influencers who perform complementary labor that advances their careers while also creating monetary and social value for ...
• Never the Twain Shall Mix: AIDS Patients’ Rejection of Antiretroviral Drugs in Favor of Christian Holy Water in Ethiopia  Beyene, Gubae ( University of Oregon , 2022-10-26 ) The laity in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church have always tapped into holy water as a therapeutic for health issues. A fundamental article of faith within the Church, this treatment necessitates total devotion on the part of ...
• Political News as a Cultural Repository: A Comparative Study of Political Reporting in South Korea and the United States  Moon, Young Eun ( University of Oregon , 2022-10-26 ) This dissertation explores how the journalistic, political, and organizational cultures of the United States and South Korea have moderated press/politics relationship in these two countries with regard to the practice of ...
• Silence and Banalization: An Analysis of History Writing About Computing  Hamid, Sarah ( University of Oregon , 2022-10-26 ) Myth, hype, and industry-captured historiography depict this moment as a unique and unprecedented confrontation with computational power and the devastating effects it has on vulnerablized communities. But automated decision ...
• Journalists Doing Video: Evolving Professional Values in Response to Video Work  Nicolosi, Michelle ( University of Oregon , 2022-10-04 ) Much of the research examining how newspaper journalists respond to changing labor practices finds that journalists are terrible at change. Ryfe’s influential study of newsrooms undergoing change found that journalists ...
• The Effects of Narrative- Versus Science-oriented Messages on Parents’ Attitude Towards MMR Vaccine: The Moderation of Conspiracy Beliefs in Vaccination  Wongphotiphan, Thipkanok ( University of Oregon , 2022-10-04 ) Research background: Vaccine hesitancy is ranked as a top ten global health threat by the WHO. One of the most skeptical childhood vaccines is MMR vaccine. Having a high level of conspiracy beliefs is one of the strongest ...
• Whose Future? Whose Facts?: A Critical Case Study of News Literacy Education in the United States  Guldin, Rachel ( University of Oregon , 2022-10-04 ) In the wake of the 2016 and 2020 U.S. presidential elections and the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing public attention has been paid to the ability of citizens to use and understand news media, information, and digital ...
• ShakeAlert in Oregon: Applying the Situational Theory of Publics to Understand Earthquake-Related Beliefs, Communication Behaviors, and the Formation of Stakeholders  Morgoch, Meredith ( University of Oregon , 2022-10-04 ) Common regional hazards in Oregon include wildfires and earthquakes. These hazards vary in severity and have the potential to cause damage to persons or communities in the state. Earthquakes range from small to significant ...
• Chinese State Ideology and Filmmakers Since the Cultural Revolution: 1966-1999 Revolution: 1966-1999  An, Dong ( University of Oregon , 1999-12 ) Chinese film stands as a cinematic barometer for the country's ideological vicissitudes. This research studies the relationship between Chinese film and changing government political philosophy. This interaction is ...

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• Adeiza, M. (2019). Digital media and presidential campaigning in Sub-Saharan Africa : A study of the 2016 election in Ghana.
• Barta, K. (2019). Reclaiming publicness in the face of sexual assault : Social media, disclosure, and visibility.
• Bellinger, M. (2018). The rhetoric of Bitcoin : Money, politics, and the construction of blockchain communities.
• Bollinger, B. (2019). Stand, speak, act : Using the theory of planned behavior to evaluate a sexual assault bystander intervention campaign on a tri-campus university.
• Champion, K. (2019). Production misalignment : A threat to public knowledge.
• Dosch, M. (2018). Building recovery capital : The role of cooperative behavior in a community support institution.
• Fesenmaier, M. (2019). Migrants' reported use of communication behaviors that enact family across distance.
• Fichet, E. (2018). Creativity readiness in crisis communications : How crisis communicators' ability to be creative is impacted at the individual, work team, and organizational levels.
• Geary, D. (2018). Whiteness in American life : Communication and race in the era of Donald Trump.
• Kiene, C. (2020). Challenges and adaptations to technological change in online communities.
• Moon, R. (2018). Constructing journalism practice between the global and the local : Lessons from the Rwandan journalism field.
• Oishi, T. (2019). Tinder-ing desire : The circuit of culture, gamified dating and creating desirable selves.
• Shorey, S. (2019). Handmade future : A field-based inquiry of innovation through making and craft.
• Syfert, C. (2019). Expert advocacy : The public address of scientists in a post-truth society.
• Tanweer, A. (2018). Data science of the social : How the practice is responding to ethical crisis and spreading across sectors.
• Woolley, S. (2018). Manufacturing consensus : Computational propaganda and the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election.
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Thesis Proposals

All students should give serious consideration to electing to write a thesis. A thesis involves original research and is a proven method for developing specialized knowledge and skills that can enhance an individual’s expertise within a substantive area of study. A thesis is recommended for students who intend to continue study toward the PhD degree or plan research-related employment. If the thesis option is elected, the student must write the thesis and pass an oral examination on a report of research initiated by the student under the guidance of the major professor. A faculty committee, chaired by the major professor, will evaluate the written report and conduct an oral examination of the candidate.

Thesis Proposal Outline

This sample outline may not be appropriate for some studies. You should decide, in consultation with your major professor, whether to follow the sample outline below or modify it to suit the needs of your particular study. Proposals from former students are available on the department website and can be reviewed to assist you in developing your proposal.

• General background of the subject area
• Specific background for the topic of investigation
• Review of the literature
• Definitions of all key terms
• The hypotheses or questions to be addressed
• Identify and justify the choice of general approach and specific research method
• Subjects (if applicable; describe them and your rationale for their selection)
• Limitations
• Outline of Projected Results
• Potential Conclusions and Implications
• “Working” Bibliography of Sources & Materials

Sample Thesis Proposals

•   Sample 1
•   Sample 2
•   Sample 3

Theses and Dissertations (Communication Science)

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• The significance of centralised communication on a decentralised organisation : a case on railway safety regulator  Malete, Keatlegile Godwill ( 2023-09-21 ) The rationale for the study was to explore the significance of centralised communication in a strategically decentralised organisation. Organisations either centralise or decentralise their functions as part of adapting ...
• An analysis of the implementation of communication integration in Metropolitan Life Insurance in South Africa  Sokana, Nozimanga ( 2023-04 ) This study evaluated communication implementation within Metropolitan Life Insurance (“Metropolitan”) in South Africa. In the current volatile and competitive market setting where companies have similar offerings, compounded ...
• Investigating Covid-19 twitter sentiments during the 2021 vaccine roll-out in South Africa  Jimoh, Sinenhlanhla ( 2022-01 ) Vaccination is a vital component in the control of a pandemic like COVID-19. However, to a certain extent, COVID-19 vaccines have been met with public fear and scepticism, thereby making it difficult for communication ...
• An analysis of the extent of cyberbullying awareness among the stakeholders in the selected public school in Gauteng, South Africa  Noguba, Nwabisa ( 2023-08-07 ) Lack of technological infrastructure and poor adoption of digital literacy in South African schools have been cited as some of the factors that impede the success of cyberbullying awareness implementation and monitoring ...
• A textual analysis of three, South African, online newspapers (2021-2022) on the representation of the Economic Freedom Fighters  Legodi, Nancy Mapule ( 2023-07 ) This study, entitled “A textual analysis of three, South African, online newspapers (2021-2022) on the representation of the Economic Freedom Fighters”, is a cross-sectional, mixed methods textual analysis investigating ...
• Tracking the diffusion and adoption of ICTs among SMMEs in the agribusiness sector in Tshwane, South Africa  Kgaabi, Kwena Dominic ( 2022-10-24 ) Small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) are key catalysts for advancing inclusive growth and development in South Africa. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have transformed and revolutionised the way ...
• Brand communication and its influence on brand loyalty in the banking industry : an evaluation of First National Bank Customers  Ndlovu, Zamabomvu Tracey ( 2023-05 ) This study was conducted with the aim to investigate whether brand communication is effective in influencing South African customers to remain loyal to a specific bank, in this case, First National Bank, or if there ...
• Practice of participatory communication : asset based community development legacy project in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape  Maphumulo, Andile Bongeka ( 2022-11-30 ) The purpose of the study was to explore the practice of participatory communication by the South African National Road Agency (SANRAL) on the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) project in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape ...
• A conceptual framework for social-media crisis communication to build stakeholder relationships in Ghana  Tella, Fortune ( 2023-01 ) People are spending more time on social media, which means that public-relations professionals need to pay more attention to managing the reputation of their organisations. However, many Ghanaian organisations are not ...
• Developing a framework for public relations practice : an examination of gender issues among female PR practitioners in Ghana  Abudulai, Justice Issah ( 2023-01 ) This study aimed to develop a current and appropriate framework for Public Relations (PR) practice among female practitioners in Ghana by investigating gender issues in PR among female practitioners in Ghana. Data were ...
• Internal communication satisfaction at the NGO, gender links, with a specific focus on media quality, channel selection and technology  Mataruse, Vimbai ( 2023-01 ) We have long known that communication satisfaction is of utmost importance, but as it is in business organisations, so it is in non-profit organisations. Theorists have acknowledged that substantial communication ...
• Management approaches in the construction sector as experience by employees: a decolonial study: a research report  Mazibuko, Bafana Robinson ( 2022-11 ) Employees in the South African context are not at a happy state as the result of the way they are being managed (Kamoche 2011:1; Mangaliso 2001:29; Thomas & Bendixen 2000:509). The country’s workplace is characterised ...
• Towards a decolonial medical treatment team approach : the case of mental healthcare in South Africa  Asongu, Acha-Anyi ( 2023-01-26 ) Collaborative medical treatment teamwork through effective communication can enhance mental healthcare. Therefore, medical treatment teamwork is widely advocated as an approach for treating mentally ill patients, since ...
• Fake news and the political economy of the media in Ghana : the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution  Kwode, Paul Achonga Kabah ( 2022 ) This study investigates fake news and the political economy of the media in Ghana in the interplay of convergence of technology in the era of the fourth industrial revolution. It adopts the exploratory sequential mixed-method ...
• Mediated representations of violence against women (VAW) in the South African public broadcasting service: a study of cognitive effects of gendered communication  Manala, Thabile Keletso ( 2022-09-12 ) This research seeks to investigate, in an explanatory nature, how South Africa’s broadcast media represents the narrative of gender equality amid the culture of violence against women (VAW) within this society. Feminist ...
• Interpretation and influence of television alcohol advertisements on consumption considerations by youth in Elim, Limpopo: A reception analysis  Muleya, Tshimangadzo Elea ( 2022-09 ) This is a reception study, which explores and evaluates, through in-depth interviews and surveys, how television audiences or consumers interpret alcohol advertisements. The aim is to understand the influence of the ...
• An analysis of the representation of women in Forbes Africa and Business Day  Dorasami, Mary Magdalene ( 2022-02 ) This study aims to analyse the representations of women in business media through the identification of media discourses and underlying meanings in visual images. Prior research studies have indicated that there is minimal ...
• Deconstructing populists rhetoric presented in the tweets of the South African Trade Union, Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU): a critical discourse analysis study  Matsha, Ngoako Moses ( 2022-01-19 ) This study argues that social media network Twitter possess underlying political populist rhetoric and uses different discursive practices in the verbal and visual texts primarily to legitimise and/or delegitimise a political ...
• An assessment of the influence of organisational culture on communication practice within the Gauteng Department of Social Development  Tlalang, Mosiami Hendrick ( 2019-09-20 ) This study analyses the extent to which organisational culture influences and shapes an organisation’s communication practice, in the Gauteng Department of Social Development. This emanates from the realisation by the South ...
• Exploring the perceptions of Professional Editors Guild members on their participation in the association’s asynchronous communication : e-mail  Maseko, Pholile Faith ( 2022-02-25 ) The Professional Editors Guild is an online-based association for language practitioners in South Africa and designed the e-mail forum intending to reach out to members that could need professional editing support. Since ...

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Home > Education > Communication Disorders > Theses and Dissertations

Communication Disorders Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

Prosodic Speech Rate, Utterance Duration, Interruption Rate, and Turn-Taking Latency in Autistic and Neurotypical Adults , Grace Madeline Bell

Marriage and Family Therapists' Perspectives of Working With Couples Impacted by Aphasia: General Perceptions and Response to Relationship-Centered Communication Partner Training , Madison Rae Christensen

Measuring the Effects of Selective and Divided Attention Conditions on Language Production: Comparing Across Age Groups for Aphasia Assessment , Emily McDonald

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Interference Between Speaking and Computer Tasks in Younger and Older Adults , Paige Elise Asay

The Reversibility of Effects of Combination Inhaled Corticosteroids on Sustained Phonation Pressure and Flow in Ex Vivo Rabbit Larynges , Elisabeth Barlow

Microaggressions That Students From Underrepresented Groups Experience in Communication Sciences and Disorders , Samantha Berryhill

The Effects and Reversibility of Combination Inhaled Corticosteroids on Phonation Threshold Pressure (PTP) and Phonation Threshold Flow (PTF) in Ex Vivo Rabbit Larynges , Melanie Elizabeth Blauer

Validating a Predictive Early Kindergarten Dynamic Assessment of Word Level Reading and Language , Taylor Jordan Cena

The Effect of Speaking Context on Articulatory Kinematics in Habitual and Clear Speech , Lauren Elizabeth Clarke

Survey of Reading Habits and Dialogic Book Reading Practices in Parents of Preschool-Aged Children , Kimberly Cronin

Prosodic Pitch and Intensity in Autistic Individuals , Cassidy Gooch

Emotion, Sensory Processing, and Prosody in Neurotypical and Autistic Young Adults , Annika Henderson

Quantifying Speech Pause Durations in Typical English Speakers , John Hoffer

The Effects of an Oral Narrative and Expository School-Age Language Intervention: A Low-Dosage Study , Giana H. Hunsaker

Behavioral and Physiologic Relationships Between Sensory Processing, Attention, and Prediction in Autistic Children: An Eye Tracking Study , Courtney Hunter

The Impact of Speech Pause on the Perceived Effectiveness and Likability of a Speaker's Communication , Rebecca Lyman

Accounting for Oral Language Skills in Children With Dyslexia: A Systematic Review of the Literature , Natalie Kay Olsen Miller

The Acceptability of Relationship-Centered Communication Partner Training for Couples Impacted by Aphasia: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study , Kathryn-Anne Pertab

Examining the Validity of the CUBED Narrative Language Measures Listening and Reading Subtests , Trevor David Read

The Effects of Time Pressure on Speech Fluency in Aging Adults: Comparisons With Divided Attention , Caleb Henderson Sanford

Investigating Speech Perception in Children With Speech Delay, Dyslexia, and Speech Delay and Dyslexia , Lauren Marie Spencer

Bidirectional Interference Between Speech and Mathematical, Language, or Visuospatial Tasks in Younger and Older Adults , Chanelle Thomas

Exploring Posttraumatic Growth in Aphasia: A Qualitative Investigation , Camille Williams

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

A Comparative Study on the Expository Writing Abilities of Kindergarten Students With and Without Developmental Language Disorder , Kristine Michelle Dayley Andrus

Interference Between Speaking and Computer Tasks and Their Effects on Physiologic Arousal , Tiana Walker Bateman

Intolerance of Uncertainty, Sensory Processing, and Related Correlates in Autistic Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic , Mollie Bradley

The Behavioral and Neurophysiologic Relationships Between Sensory Processing and Autistic Traits in Emerging Adults , Savanah Calton

Auditory Brainstem Response in Autistic Children: Potential Implications for Sensory Processing , Madelyn Cate

Examining the Preliminary Validity of a Dynamic Assessment of Narrative Language in Mandarin Chinese , Lok Yee Sarah Cheung

External Laryngeal Oscillation and Aerodynamic Measures of Voice Onset: A Translational Study , Erik McLeod Christensen

Diagnostic Accuracy of Nonword Repetition Tasks for the Clinical Assessment of Spanish-English Dual Language Learners: A Preliminary Investigation , Audrey Czirr

The Effects of Dialogic Reading on the Oral Language of Diverse Kindergarten Students , Abigail Figgins

The Impact of Background Noise on the Communicative Experience of People With Mild to Moderate Aphasia: A Qualitative Study , Riley Robertson Hegewald

Comparing Relative and Absolute Reliability of Short Versus Long Narrative Retells , Jenna Hollis

The Effects of Stimulus Type on Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Speech Perception in Typical Adults , Melannee Wursten Ipsen

Effects of an External Oscillation Device on Phonation Threshold Pressure (PTP) , Brittany Tiffany Jones

Effects of Background Noise on the Spoken Language of Young and Older Adults During Narrative Discourse , Erin LeCheminant

The Effect of Two Rate Change Approaches on Speech Movement Patterns , Noelle Marie Lewis

Interprofessional Education for School-Based Settings , Brittney M. Mack

Speech Pause in People With Aphasia Across Word Length, Frequency, and Syntactic Category , Lana Mitchell

Defining Dyslexia Within and Across Disciplines: A Systematic Review of the Literature , Ann Marie Trumbo

An Exploratory Study of Behavioral Engagement in People With and Without Aphasia: Comparisons and Relationships , Vivian Elisabeth Ward

The Analysis of Omission and Substitution Errors in Various Language Tasks in Bilingual Children , Macy Whiting

A Randomized Control Trial Examining the Effects of a Multi-Tiered Oral Narrative Language Intervention on Kindergarten Expository Writing , Shaylee Rae Woods

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Variability of the Aerodynamic Measures of Leporine Larynges Exposed to Inhaled Corticosteroids , Miriam Angela Cannon Bake

Autistic Traits, Sensory Processing, and Intolerance of Uncertainty: Neurobiological and Behavioral Correlates , Maggie Buckhannon

Atypical Sensory Processing and Semantic Language in Autistic Children , Charlene L. Cooper

Dynamic Assessment of Narrative Language for Diverse School-Age Children With and Without Language Disorder: A Large-Scale Psychometric Study , Anahi Kamila DeRobles

Effects of Background Noise on the Speech Acoustics of People With Aphasia , Kirsten Dixon

Norming a Dynamic Assessment of Narrative Language for Diverse School-Age Children With and Without Language Disorder: A Preliminary Psychometric Study , Ashley Elizabeth Frahm

Measuring Speech Perception in Children With Speech Sound Disorders Using the Wide Range Acoustic Accuracy Scale , Briel Francis Garner

The Effect of Rate Control Cueing Modality on Articulatory Patterns , Amelia Caroline Jackson

Spatial Resolution of Quantitative Electroencephalography and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging During Phoneme Discrimination Tasks: An Abbreviated Meta-Analysis , Emily Jean Jacobs

Physiological Arousal, Emotion, and Word Retrieval in Aphasia: Effects and Relationships , Angela Lynne Johnson

The Use of Nonword Repetition Tasks in the Assessment of Developmental Language Disorder in Bilingual Children , Kirsten Kelly

Improving the Oral Narrative and Expository Language of Kindergarten Students and Reducing the Matthew Effect , Taylor Camille Magleby

Correlations Between Cognitive Pause Patterns and Listener Perceptions of Communicative Effectiveness and Likeability for People With Aphasia , Heidi Raylene McConaghie

Effects of Inhaled Combination Corticosteroid Drugs on Aerodynamic Measures of Phonation and Visual-Perceptual Measures of Vocal Fold and Arytenoid Tissue in Excised Rabbit Larynges , Christina Lynn Pang

The Perceived Effect of Pause Length and Location on Speaker Likability and Communicative Effectiveness , Julia M. Price

Phonation Threshold Pressure and Phonation Threshold Flow in Rabbits Treated With Inhaled Corticosteroids Versus Controls , Heidi Joan Robison

The Impact of Background Noise on the Spoken Language of People With Mild to Moderate Aphasia: A Preliminary Investigation , Brenna DeLyn Scadden

How Word Characteristics Affect Language-Mediated Eye Movements in Preschoolers With Varying Language Ability , Shelby Nicole Slocum

Quantifying Speech Pause Durations in Speakers With Nonfluent and Fluent Aphasia , Brooke K. Thomas

Behavioral and Neural Correlates of Sensory Processing and Anxiety in Autistic Children , Kelsey Lee Ustach Tindall

The Influence of Pause on Listeners' Perceptions in Speech of People With Aphasia , Emily Wright

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Kinematic and Acoustic Adaptation to a Bite Block During Syllable Production , Allison Marie Barney

Kinematic and Acoustic Adaptation in Response to Electromagnetic Articulography Sensor Perturbation , Emily Adelaide Bartholomew

The Effects of Distracting Background Audio on Speech Production , Camille Margaret Cowley

The Development and Preliminary Evidence of Validity and Reliability of a Spanish Static and Dynamic Assessment of Decoding , Kayla Brooke Ditty

The Classification Accuracy of a Dynamic Assessment of Language in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Children When Using Response to Intervention as a Measure of Language Ability , Yuberkys Fryer

A Longitudinal Investigation of the Effects of a Kindergarten Multi-Tiered Oral Narrative Language Intervention on Later Literacy Outcomes , Tristin Carolyn Hampshire

Aerodynamic Measurement Stability During Rabbit Versus Pig Benchtop Phonation , Megan Caroline Hoggan

Effects of a Large Group Combined Narrative and Expository Language Intervention on Oral Language in Third Graders , Kylie Lynn Lee

Effects of Positive and Negative Emotional Valence on Response TimeDuring a Confrontational Naming Task: Findings from People with Aphasia and Young Adults , Corinne Jones Loveridge

Speech Perception of Global Acoustic Structure in Children with Speech Delay, with and Without Dyslexia , Mikayla Nicole Madsen

Speech Perception of Global Acoustic Structure in Children With Speech Delay, With and Without Dyslexia , Mikayla Nicole Madsen

The Classification Accuracy of a Dynamic Assessment of Inferential Word Learning for School-Age Children With and Without Language Disorder , Britney Ann Newey

Language-Mediated Eye Behaviors During Storybook Reading as aFunction of Preschool Language Ability , Emily Joy Nicholls

Effect of Positive and Negative Emotion on Naming Accuracy in Adults with Aphasia , Courtney Paige Nielsen

The Effect of Laryngeal Activity on the Articulatory Kinematics of /i/ and /u/ , Mendocino Nicole Peacock

The Efficacy of EPG Assisted L2 Pronunciation Instruction: An Audio-Perceptual Analysis of the Speech of Native Japanese Learners of English , Emily Louise Peterson

A Comparison of Phonation Threshold Pressure and Phonation Threshold Flow Between Pig and Rabbit Benchtop-Mounted Larynges , Amber Christeen Prigmore

Using Parallel Narrative-Based Measures to Examine the Relationship Between Listening and Reading Comprehension , Collette Leifson Warr

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

A Social Communication Intervention to Facilitate Emotion Word Learning in School-Age Children with Developmental Language Disorders , Sara Elise Avila

A Large-Scale Clustered Randomized Control Trial Examining the Effects of a Multi-Tiered Oral Narrative Language Intervention on Kindergarten Oral and Written Narratives and Oral Expository Language , Mollie Paige Brough

The Effects of Distracting Background Audio on Spontaneous Speech , Kacy Nicole Chapman

The Distinction Between Lingua-Palatal Contact Patterns of English Light and Dark [ɫ]: A Precursor to Using Electropalatography in Second Language Instruction , Kallie Lynne Chaves

The Cross-Validation of the Classification Accuracy of a Dynamic Assessment of Narrative Language for School-Age Children with and Without Language Disorder , Kallie Dawn Clark

Developmental Language Disorders and Reticence in Childhood , Aimee Diehl

Improving Narrative and Expository Language: A Comparison of Narrative Intervention to Shared Storybook Reading , Karee Douglas

The Ability of Children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) to Infer Emotions from Pictures: Where's the Breakdown? , Mary Rebekah Forbes

Agreement Between Parent and Teacher Ratings of Social Communication Abilitieson the Children's Communication Checklist-Second Edition , Courtney Lynn Hammond

A Discourse Analysis of Clinician-Child Interactions Within a Meaning-Based Phonological Intervention , Brittany Appleby Long

Kinematic and Acoustic Vowel Changes in Adult Bite Block Speech , Tanner Keith Low

The Impact of Electropalatography in Teaching the /r/-/l/ Sound Contrast for Native Japanese Language Learners of English: Evidence from Lingua-Palatal Contact , Nicole Rose McDougal

Sociability in Children with Developmental Language Disorder , Miranda Elizabeth Miller

Modeling Subglottic Stenosis Effects on Phonation Threshold Pressure in the Porcine Larynx , Jessica Maryn Murphey

Mismatch Negativity Event Related Potential Elicited by Speech Stimuli in Geriatric Patients , Dana Lynn Pierce

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Communication Studies

What this handout is about.

This handout describes some steps for planning and writing papers in communication studies courses.

Courses in communication studies combine material from the humanities, fine arts, and social sciences in order to explain how and why people interact in the ways that they do. Within communication studies, there are four different approaches to understanding these interactions. Your course probably falls into one of these four areas of emphasis:

• Interpersonal and organizational communication: Interpersonal communication concerns one-on-one conversations as well as small group behaviors. Organizational communication focuses on large group dynamics.
• Rhetoric: Rhetoric examines persuasion and argumentation in political settings and within social movements.
• Performance studies: Performance studies analyze the relationships among literature, theater, and everyday life.
• Media/film studies: Media and film studies explore the cultural influences and practical techniques of television and film, as well as new technologies.

Understanding your assignment

The content and purpose of your assignments will vary according to what kind of course you are in, so pay close attention to the course description, syllabus, and assignment sheet when you begin to write. If you’d like to learn more about deciphering writing assignments or developing your academic writing, see our Writing Center handouts on these topics. For now, let’s see how a general topic, same-sex friendships, might be treated in each of the different areas. These illustrations are only examples, but you can use them as springboards to help you identify how your course might approach discussing a broad topic.

Interpersonal communication

An interpersonal communication perspective could focus on the verbal and nonverbal differences and similarities between how women communicate with other women and how men communicate with other men. This topic would allow you to explore the ways in which gender affects our behaviors in close relationships.

Organizational communication

Organizational communication would take a less personal approach, perhaps by addressing same-sex friendships in the form of workplace mentoring programs that pair employees of the same sex. This would require you to discuss and analyze group dynamics and effectiveness in the work environment.

A rhetorical analysis could involve comparing and contrasting references to friendship in the speeches of two well-known figures. For instance, you could compare Aristotle’s comments about Plato to Plato’s comments about Aristotle in order to discover more about the relationship between these two men and how each defined their friendship and/or same-sex friendship in general.

Performance studies

A performance approach might involve describing how a literary work uses dramatic conventions to portray same-sex friendships, as well as critiquing how believable those portrayals are. An analysis of the play Waiting for Godot could unpack the lifelong friendship between the two main characters by identifying what binds the men together, how these ties are effectively or ineffectively conveyed to the audience, and what the play teaches us about same-sex friendships in our own lives.

Media and film studies

Finally, a media and film studies analysis might explain the evolution of a same-sex friendship by examining a cinematic text. For example, you could trace the development of the main friendship in the movie Thelma and Louise to discover how certain events or gender stereotypes affect the relationship between the two female characters.

General writing tips

Writing papers in communication studies often requires you to do three tasks common to academic writing: analyze material, read and critique others’ analyses of material, and develop your own argument around that material. You will need to build an original argument (sometimes called a “theory” or “plausible explanation”) about how a communication phenomenon can be better understood. The word phenomenon can refer to a particular communication event, text, act, or conversation. To develop an argument for this kind of paper, you need to follow several steps and include several kinds of information in your paper. (For more information about developing an argument, see our handout on arguments ). First, you must demonstrate your knowledge of the phenomenon and what others have said about it. This usually involves synthesizing previous research or ideas. Second, you must develop your own original perspective, reading, or “take” on the phenomenon and give evidence to support your way of thinking about it. Your “take” on the topic will constitute your “argument,” “theory,” or “explanation.” You will need to write a thesis statement that encapsulates your argument and guides you and the reader to the main point of your paper. Third, you should critically analyze the arguments of others in order to show how your argument contributes to our general understanding of the phenomenon. In other words, you should identify the shortcomings of previous research or ideas and explain how your paper corrects some or all of those deficits. Assume that your audience for your paper includes your classmates as well as your instructor, unless otherwise indicated in the assignment.

Choosing a topic to write about

Your topic might be as specific as the effects of a single word in conversation (such as how the use of the word “well” creates tentativeness in dialogue) or as broad as how the notion of individuality affects our relationships in public and private spheres of human activity. In deciding the scope of your topic, look again at the purpose of the course and the aim of the assignment. Check with your instructor to gauge the appropriateness of your topic before you go too far in the writing process.

Try to choose a topic in which you have some interest or investment. Your writing for communications will not only be about the topic, but also about yourself—why you care about the topic, how it affects you, etc. It is common in the field of communication studies not only to consider why the topic intrigues you, but also to write about the experiences and/or cognitive processes you went through before choosing your topic. Including this kind of introspection helps readers understand your position and how that position affects both your selection of the topic and your analysis within the paper. You can make your argument more persuasive by knowing what is at stake, including both objective research and personal knowledge in what you write.

Using evidence to support your ideas

Your argument should be supported with evidence, which may include, but is not limited to, related studies or articles, films or television programs, interview materials, statistics, and critical analysis of your own making. Relevant studies or articles can be found in such journals as Journal of Communication , Quarterly Journal of Speech , Communication Education , and Communication Monographs . Databases, such as Infotrac and ERIC, may also be helpful for finding articles and books on your topic (connecting to these databases via NC Live requires a UNC IP address or UNC PID). As always, be careful when using Internet materials—check your sources to make sure they are reputable.

Refrain from using evidence, especially quotations, without explicitly and concretely explaining what the evidence shows in your own words. Jumping from quote to quote does not demonstrate your knowledge of the material or help the reader recognize the development of your thesis statement. A good paper will link the evidence to the overall argument by explaining how the two correspond to one another and how that relationship extends our understanding of the communication phenomenon. In other words, each example and quote should be explained, and each paragraph should relate to the topic.

As mentioned above, your evidence and analysis should not only support the thesis statement but should also develop it in ways that complement your paper’s argument. Do not just repeat the thesis statement after each section of your paper; instead, try to tell what that section adds to the argument and what is special about that section when the thesis statement is taken into consideration. You may also include a discussion of the paper’s limitations. Describing what cannot be known or discussed at this time—perhaps because of the limited scope of your project, lack of new research, etc.—keeps you honest and realistic about what you have accomplished and shows your awareness of the topic’s complexity.

Communication studies idiosyncrasies

• Using the first person (I/me) is welcomed in nearly all areas of communication studies. It is probably best to ask your professor to be sure, but do not be surprised if you are required to talk about yourself within the paper as a researcher, writer, and/or subject. Some assignments may require you to write from a personal perspective and expect you to use “I” to express your ideas.
• Always include a Works Cited (MLA) or References list (APA) unless you are told not to. Not giving appropriate credit to those whom you quote or whose ideas inform your argument is plagiarism. More and more communication studies courses are requiring bibliographies and in-text citations with each writing assignment. Ask your professor which citation format (MLA/APA) to use and see the corresponding handbook for citation rules.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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178 Communication Research Topics For Your Paper

Imagine what the world would be without communication! How would we get along? I guess there would be no sense in existing after all. That is just a tiny snippet of how important communication is in everyday life. Exchanging information is a key component of coexistence as it creates order and a sense of satisfaction in the end.

However, communication as a discipline cuts across all other niches in the academic world. Students from an Engineering course would also take up communication as a unit of study. Students delve into the transmission, representation, reception, and decoding of information communicated to a greater extent.

Situations When You May Need To Write A Communication Paper

Various scenarios call for a communication paper either as an assignment or a research project in college. The communication papers needed for every situation vary in format and outline. Here are some of the cases when communication papers are necessary:

When writing a resume or cover letter In presentations and reports Internal or external communication in a company Writing a thesis statement

When writing communication papers in these different scenarios, students can develop the following aspects:

Understand the various communication phenomena Ability to direct communication messages towards accomplishing individual and organizational goals Understand various types of communication such as rhetoric, interpersonal or organizational

Such an assignment is peculiar because it deals with students’ communication processes. Therefore, the student can easily relate a communication assignment to the real-world environment.

You will have to conduct extensive digging before writing your paper like any other research project. In writing a communication research paper, you will benefit from the importance of communication in general, such as building better relationships and finding the right solutions to various problems.

It takes a lot of time to create a high-quality writing, so you have all the right to ask dissertation writers for hire to help.

Guidelines On Structure And Step By Step Tips On Writing

To have an award-winning communication paper, you need to understand that structure is always at the heart of it all. A great communication paper follows the structure below:

Solid intro : Begin by presenting a captivating introduction by highlighting the facts, questions, or problems that you will explore in the body. The reader should find more than a million reasons to proceed with your essay by reading the first two lines. A strong thesis statement is also necessary for the introduction. An insightful literature review : It shows the theoretical basis of your research project, thus giving it validity. An in-depth literature review will give room for exploration and further research. Main body : This is where we expect to find all your findings, methodological steps, concepts, analyses, and the outcome. Discussion and conclusion : Depending on your professor’s instructions, you can divide this into two parts or put it as one. In either case, this section will consist of the strengths and weaknesses of your research and any future development or improvements. You could also compare the results found in your research with what other authors have discovered.

Provided you have all your facts at hand, a communication research paper will be the easiest you will ever handle in college. Nonetheless, you can order a custom paper from various online writing experts.

If you want to make an impression with your communication research paper, here are some tips to consider:

Select a thought-provoking and captivating research topic Have a working outline with all the arguments and examples/evidence in place Ensure that you exhaust reading all the possible research materials on your topic Such papers are always in the first person except in unique cases

You can review some of the samples on our essay writer to familiarize yourself with the structure and outline of a communication research paper.

Let’s now explore 178 of the hottest communication research topics to ace your project:

Top Interpersonal Communication Research Topics

• Evaluate the different relational patterns of interaction theory
• How to achieve coordinated management of meaning
• Discuss the fundamentals of pedagogical communication
• How does technology relate to interpersonal communication?
• Key constructs of openness and closeness
• Establishing identities in the identity management theory
• Evaluate the contribution of interpersonal communication scholars
• How mental representations influence how people interpret information
• Conceptualizing the process of social interaction
• Discuss the various behavioral interaction patterns among siblings
• Why do individuals modify their communicative behavior?
• Describe why new environments present a challenge for most people to communicate effectively
• The role of eye contact and gestures in interpersonal communication
• Varying effects of nonverbal and verbal acts of interpersonal communication
• Effects of different cultures on interpersonal communication strategies

World-Class Communication Research Topics For College Students

• Understanding the historical research methods in communication
• Discuss the relationship between technology, media, and culture
• Evaluate the various revolutions in human communication
• Discuss the developments made in the invention of human speech and language
• The role of image-making, cinema, and media entertainment in communication
• How to overcome communication barriers among students
• Steps in encouraging participation in meetings
• How employees contribute to the information flow in organizations
• How to evaluate a report based on its findings
• Sources of error during nonverbal communication
• How the media can match the channels of communication to their audience
• Ensuring audience attention during a presentation
• The impact of graphics in communication strategies
• How to interpret non-verbal signals
• Developing communication methods that match a given purpose

Possible Topics For Communication Research

• How to develop realistic communication strategies
• Discuss the economics of finance in communication processes
• How exposure to radio and TV impacts communication
• How to manage controversial issues in communication
• Why speaking with confidence is still difficult for many people
• The effectiveness of communicating with words and body language
• Why defining your purpose is key in any communication process
• Why explanatory communication is more difficult than informative communication
• The place of communication in long-distance relationships
• Communication strategies that influence people
• How to use communication effectively for conflict resolution
• Developing your self-esteem for effective communication
• Effects of redundancy in communication processes
• The place of responsibility in developing communication messages
• How to acquire effective communication skills in college

Latest Communication Topic For Research

• The role of persuasive dialogue in negotiations
• Why everyone must learn proper expression strategies
• Effects of emoji and other characters in enhancing textual conversations
• The role of propaganda in shaping communication tones
• Evaluate the unique political language used in America versus Africa
• The continuing impact of the internet on interpersonal communication
• How images are enhancing communication
• Discuss the effects of gender victimization on communication
• Evaluate the development of modern digital communication
• How to effectively communicate during a war or crisis
• How hacking is transforming communication of encrypted messages
• Effects of stereotyping in developing communication messages
• Is virtual reality ruining effective communication?
• Evaluate language as a barrier in communicating messages
• The role of empathy in communicating to victims of a disaster

Top-Notch Communication Research Paper Topics

• The role of diplomacy in fostering better relations among countries
• Why aided communication may not achieve the intended purpose
• Effects of using a translator in the communication of critical messages
• Evaluate the development of audio-visual devices for communication
• The dangers of failing to notice barriers to communication
• How stigma and prejudice impact effective communication
• Discuss the impact of having a common language in a country
• How social classes affect communication messages
• Factors that hinder communication between fighting political sides
• How to develop strong communication skills in a marketplace
• Why opinions may prevent one from seeing the true picture
• Discuss the role of fantasy and exaggeration in communication
• Differences between oral and verbal messages in conveying information
• The role of attitude and mood in enhancing effective message delivery
• How the media sets the communication pattern of a given society

Highly Rated Mass Communication Research Topics

• Discuss the essence of social media among PR practitioners
• The role of mass media in rebranding a nation
• Challenges to media freedom and their impact on proper communication
• Discuss the effects of news commercialization and their credibility
• How TV advertisements impact children and their development
• Compare and contrast between animation and real-people adverts in mass media
• How the internet affects professionalization in news media
• How mass media messages contribute to the development of religion in Africa
• Evaluate the radio listenership patterns between men and women
• How does mass media contribute to an emerging democracy
• Discuss how the media enlightens the public on issues of concern
• The role of mass media in communicating development messages
• Why mass media is critical before, during, and after elections
• Assess the influence of community radio in remote areas
• How mass media contributes to national integration

Good Communication Research Topics

• What determines consumer preference patterns in the 21 st century?
• Effective communication strategies for creating awareness against drug abuse
• Prospects and challenges of local dialects in communication
• Evaluate the influence of television on public opinion
• Discuss the growing cyberactivism in the digital age
• How social media is contributing to misleading information
• Challenges facing teachers when communicating to pre-school students
• Discuss the impact of information overload on the credibility of information
• Evaluate communication patterns among the youth in the US
• Assess the effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on communication patterns
• How public perception influences communication strategies
• Explain how mothers learn to communicate with and understand their babies at such a tender age
• The role of music in shaping communication models
• How to overcome the challenge of top-down communication in companies
• Management of information on online media for effective use

Business Communication Research Paper Topics

• Discuss the increasing role of influencers on brand marketing
• Why company blogs are essential in attracting new clients
• Evaluate the differences between face to face and virtual business meetings
• The growing popularity of social media in business marketing
• Why every company should have a partner relations department
• Dealing with complaints in a relaxed and useful manner
• Why online project management is the future of business
• Discuss why it is necessary to have company retreats
• Explore the role of digital document sharing in speeding up business communication
• Effects of relying on online communication at the expense of physical meetings
• The role of effective business management in the performance of an organization
• How staff motivation improve the overall working environment
• Discuss the place of corporate social responsibility in a company
• Effective ways of handling crisis in a large company
• Explain why trust is important in any business partnerships

Intercultural Communication Research Topics

• Discuss how Muslims interact with Christians at a social level
• Evaluate the reception of instructions from a man to a woman
• How Americans interact with Africans at the basic level
• Discuss how an American Democrat would associate with a Chinese politician
• Discuss the impact of marginalization in developing communication messages
• How migration and immigration affect communication patterns
• Effects of social stereotyping in communication
• How do Western communication models differ from those of Africa?
• Impact of discriminatory communication messages
• How to organize an effective intergroup come-together
• How the media represents various groups in its communication
• Effects of the growing intercultural norms
• The role of language attitudes in inhibiting effective communication
• Evaluate how ethnographic perspectives affect communication messages
• Why it is difficult to solve intercultural conflicts

Additional Interpersonal Communication Topics For Research Paper

• The role of interpersonal communication in team member satisfaction
• How collaboration and teamwork enhances business success
• Discuss how interpersonal communication enhances problem-solving skills
• The role of trust in interpersonal communication
• Effects of confusion, negativity, and conflicts on interpersonal communication
• How to deal with workplace miscommunication effectively
• The role of personalizing information
• How to improve internal communication channels in a company
• Discuss the role of interests in communication patterns
• Challenges when implementing modern communication solutions
• Evaluate how jargon and inattention make internal communication difficult
• The role of feedback in interpreting messages correctly
• Discuss the influence of environmental factors in communication
• Why miscommunication may result in a disconnect among a group of people
• Discuss the role of skills and knowledge in effective communication among leaders

Interesting Communication Research Topics

• How can effective interpersonal communication be a catalyst for action
• Why a focused and intentional approach is necessary for effective communication
• Discuss why online dating is not successful in most cases
• Evaluate the role of non-verbal communication and customer satisfaction
• Why is it important to have a list of communication networks?
• Effects of lack of personal contact when it comes to communication
• Discuss the various forms of human interactions and their influence on communication
• The role of clear communication during an organizational change process
• Why online communication is not as effective as physical meetings
• Evaluate the roles and issues involved in a nurse-patient communication
• The role of TV shows in determining how people relate to each other in the society
• Effects of the digital divide in communication paradigms
• The relationship between quality leadership and effective communication
• Why is email still not yet an effective communication medium?
• Effects of integrating marketing communication

General Communication Studies Research Topics

• Discuss the differences in body language between male and female
• The role of communication in familiarizing with someone
• How online gaming communication affects one’s interpersonal communication
• Why a leader without proper communication skills may not succeed
• The role of communication in achieving an organization’s vision
• How mobile phone conversations are turning around interpersonal communication
• Discuss the role of different personality types in communication
• Is there a difference between language and communication?
• Discuss how communication in the military is different from that in a normal setting
• Compare and contrast between written and spoken forms of communication
• Why family communication is critical for a peaceful coexistence
• Shortcomings to understanding foreign languages
• Discuss the effectiveness of web-based communication

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Home > Communication Studies > Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Communication Studies, Department of

Department of communication studies: dissertations, theses, and student research.

Public Mediations of Accountability in the #MeToo Era , Amanda Brand

“Evolving Homes, Not Revolving Doors”: Examining Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Foster Parents’ Discursive Construction and Negotiation of Identity Layers and Identity Gaps , Lucas Hackenburg

"Don't Put Restrictions On Us": The Dangers of Conservative and Populist Appeals for Abortion Access in Post-Roe America , Kayla Schmitz

Discursive Struggles Reflected in the Communication of Conservative Christian Parents and Their Adult Children With Differing Religious Beliefs and Values , Braedon G. Worman

BALLOONS, BREADCRUMBS, AND SPOONS: EMERGING ADULTS’ PRIVACY NEGOTIATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE (NON)DISCLOSURE OF CHRONIC ILLNESS-RELATED INFORMATION WITH A FRIEND , Robert D. Hall

Wisdom Narratives: Communicated Sense-making in Emerging Adulthood Autoimmune Disease , Jacqueline Gunning

Tales of Love's Perseverance: Family Bereavement Stories as a Means to Investigating Impacts of End-of-Life Care on Sense-Making , Cassidy Taladay

Fighting For 504: Negotiating Hegemonic Ability Through Verbal Advocacy and Disabled Embodiment , Drew Finney

ETHNIC-RACIAL SOCIALIZATION MAPPING IN ETHNIC-RACIAL MINORITY POPULATIONS: EXPLORING THE EFFICACY OF AN INTERVENTION TO INCREASE WELL-BEING AND SECURE ETHNIC-RACIAL IDENTITY , Mackensie Minniear

Conceptualizing Perceived Parental Communicated Acceptance During Parent-Child Religious Difference , Toni Morgan

Contextualizing Transgender Individuals' Discourses About Health Insurance , Jonathan Troy Baker

Examining the Role of Sibling Interaction in Multiethnic-racial Identity Development , Megan E. Cardwell

Conceal and Carry: Communicating about Trauma, Triggers, and Second Assaults in the Classroom , Amy Arellano

Getting to the Heart of It: Examining Intergenerational Sensemaking of Heart Disease , Sarah R. Petitte

Creating Dialogic Moments in Municipal Deliberation: The Case of Recycling in Nebraska , Janell C. Walther

Investigating Layers of Identity and Identity Gaps in Refugee Resettlement Experiences in the Midwestern United States , Gretchen Bergquist, Jordan Soliz, Kristen Everhart, Lee Kreimer, and Dawn O. Braithwaite

Communication and Family Identity: Toward a Conceptual Model of Family Identity and Development of the Family Identity Inventory , Kaitlin Elizabeth Phillips

The Interaction of Temporal and Spectral Acoustic Information with Word Predictability on Speech Intelligibility , Bahar Somayeh Shahsavarani

Family communication about sex: A qualitative analysis of gay and lesbian parents' parent-child sex communication , Allison Bonander

ENCHANTING MEMES: MEMETIC POLITICS IN THE FACE OF TECHNOCRATIC CONTROL , Jonathan Carter

If We're Mocking Anything, It's Organized Religion: The Queer Holy Fool Style of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence , Christina L. Ivey

Evaluating Family Caregivers' Memorable Messages of Social Support in the Context of Cancer , Alexis Johnson

The Technological Factors of Reddit: Communication and Identity on Relational Networks , Jennifer Kienzle

From the Gay Bar to the Search Bar: Promiscuity, Identity, and Queer Mobility on Grindr , Chase Aunspach

In(di)visible Dream: Rhetoric, Myth, and the Road in America , Raymond Blanton

Illness Narratives of Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Family Communication: A Mixed Methods Study , Katherine M. Castle

BEYOND CORRUPTION: ASSESSING THE ORGANIZATIONAL POTENTIAL IN ALTERNATIVE DISCOURSES OF STRUGGLE IN NIGERIA , Chigozirim Utah

You Bring Yourself to Work: An Exploration LGB/TQ Experiences of (In)Dignity and Identity , Sara J. Baker

An Examination of the Role of Social Support, Coping Strategies, and Individual Characteristics in Students’ Adaptation to College , Arleen Bejerano

THE RHETORIC OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION: NGOS’ DISCOURSES AND DELIBERATIVE PRACTICES WITH COMMUNITIES IN ETHIOPIA , Getachew Dinku Godana

How Adolescents Perceive their Parents' Communication about Sex: Toward Reducing Adolescent Sexual Risk , Amanda J. Holman

Toward a Global Organizational Public Sphere: Non-governmental Organizing and Democratic Legitimacy in a Postmodern World , Rachel Stohr

Transformative Engagement in Deliberative Democracies: Exploring a Framework for Engagement Using a Creative, Braided Approach , Janell C. Walther

Examining the Role of Family and Marital Communication in Understanding Resilience to Family-of-Origin Adversity , Kristen Carr

Negotiating Forgiveness in Nonvoluntary Family Relationships , Kristen Carr and Tiffany R. Wang

“If You Can Dream It, You Can Achieve It.” Parent Memorable Messages as Indicators of College Student Success , Haley Kranstuber, Kristen Carr, and Angela M. Hosek

Changes in narrative sense-making over time: The role of mother-daughter communication during conversations about difficulty , Haley Kranstuber Horstman

Formational Relational Turning Points in the Transition to College: Understanding How Communication Events Shape First-Generation Students' Relationships with Their College Teachers , Tiffany R. Wang

Risks and Benefits of Seeking and Receiving Emotional Support During the Divorce Process: An Examination of Divorcee Individual Adjustment, Closeness, and Relational Satisfaction with Multiple Partners from a Social Network , Sarah E. Wilder

H-Index , Travis Bartosh

Journal Impact Factor , Scott H. Church

Communicatively Forming Developed Adoptive Identity: Explicating the Association between Parental Communication, Developed Adoptive Identity, and Adoptee Adjustment , Colleen Colaner

SCImago , Getachew Dinku Godana

Extending Intergroup Theorizing To The Instructional Context: Testing a Model Of Teacher Communication Behaviors, Credibility, Group-Based Categorization, and instructional outcomes , Angela Hosek

Scholarly Books , Sarah Jones

Internet Usage Data , Adam Knowlton

Negotiating tensions across organizational boundaries: Communication and refugee resettlement organizations , Sarah Steimel

Web of Science Citation Data , Rachel Stohr

Secular Salvation: Sacred Rhetorical Invention in the String Theory Movement , Brent Yergensen

YouTube Politics: YouChoose and Leadership Rhetoric during the 2008 Election , Scott H. Church

An Intergroup Perspective on Stepchildren's Communication with their Nonresidential Parent's Family , Rebecca DiVerniero

Counter-Mapping as Place-Framing: Naturalized Injustice, De-Naturalized Community and Organizing for Social Change on Google Earth , Joshua P. Ewalt

Contesting Sphere Boundaries Online: Private/Technical/Public Discourses in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Discussion Groups , Kittie E. Grace

The Experience and Expression of Emotion Within Stepsibling Relationships: Politeness of Expression and Stepfamily Functioning , Emily Lamb Normand

Exploring Hurtful Communication from College Teachers to Students: A Mixed Methods Study , Michelle Marie Maresh

COMMUNICATING ETHNICITY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF CONSTRUCTED IDENTITY , Laura L. Pierson

The Relative Contribution to Meaning of Verbal and Nonverbal Channels of Communication: A Meta-Analysis , Jeffrey S. Philpott

An Evaluation of Transactional Analysis as a Strategy of Organization Development , Gilbert Frank Nykodym II

A Rhetorical Analysis of Political and Legal Speeches of Robert B. Crosby , Gilbert F. Nykodym II

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How to write a hook, how to cite a letter, how to cite yourself, social media & society thesis statement examples.

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Social Media & Society is a captivating and relevant research area, encompassing various aspects from interpersonal relations to global communication dynamics. A well-defined thesis statement is pivotal for delineating your research parameters and objectives in this expansive field. Below, you’ll find insightful examples of both good and bad thesis statements on Social Media & Society, accompanied by comprehensive explanations.

Good Thesis Statement Examples

Good: “This thesis evaluates the correlation between prolonged social media usage and increased levels of anxiety and depression among teenagers in the United States.” Bad: “Social media affects teenagers’ mental health.”

The good statement presents a specific correlation, target demographic (teenagers in the U.S.), and identified outcomes (anxiety and depression levels). The bad example, while correct, is vague and lacks defined variables and demographic focus.

Good: “The proliferation of fake news on social media platforms has discernibly influenced political elections, swaying public opinion and voter behavior.” Bad: “Fake news on social media impacts elections.”

The good statement provides a clear, arguable claim regarding fake news, public opinion, and voter behavior on social media. Conversely, the bad example states a general fact without depth or a specific area of impact.

Good: “Implementing educational programs that promote critical digital literacy can mitigate the negative effects of cyberbullying among middle school students.” Bad: “Education can help reduce cyberbullying.”

The good example is researchable and offers specific solutions (critical digital literacy programs), target demographic (middle school students), and defined problem (cyberbullying). The bad statement lacks detail, specific solutions, and target groups.

Bad Thesis Statement Examples

Overly Broad: “Social media has changed the way people communicate.”

Although true, this statement is excessively general and does not specify which aspect of communication or which demographic is being explored.

Lack of Clear Argument: “Social media is popular among young people.”

While factual, this statement lacks a clear argument or specific research focus, rendering it ineffective as a research guide.

Unmeasurable and Unresearchable: “Life is unimaginable without social media today.”

Although many might agree, this statement is not easily measurable or researchable and does not provide clear directions for academic exploration.

Crafting a compelling thesis statement for research in social media and society is crucial for delineating your investigation and elucidating your academic endeavor’s aims and scope. A good thesis statement should be specific, debatable, and researchable, acting as a sturdy foundation for scholarly inquiry. In contrast, a bad thesis statement is often too general, lacks a clear argument, and is not conducive to empirical exploration. The examples and analyses provided in this guide furnish students with valuable insights for developing thesis statements that are academically rigorous and insightful for exploring the intricate relationship between social media and society.

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