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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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Communication Studies
The #1 resource for the communication field, how to write a thesis statement.
Academic writing can be intimidating, especially for an individual who is new to this type of composition. One important aspect of many academic papers is a solid thesis statement.
What is a Thesis Statement?
A thesis statement consists of one or two sentences that provide the reader with a brief summary of the direction of the paper. Rather than simply stating the topic, a thesis statement should indicate what argument is being made about that topic. A thesis is intended to answer a question, so a good thesis statement should briefly explain the basic premise of the argument.
How to Generate a Thesis Statement
When it is time to write a thesis statement, the author should already be deeply familiar with the material and the question being answered. One of the first steps in creating a thesis statement is isolating the primary question being answered by the paper. The rest of the thesis statement should be a concise answer to that question.
It is important to be specific because a vague answer does not give the reader a reasonable idea of what to expect. Additionally, the argument presented should be a claim that readers or experts could reasonably dispute. A statement that cannot be proven false is not a good thesis. Finally, the thesis statement and the paper should be fully connected. A paper that strays greatly or frequently from the thesis will lose readers.
Qualities of a Good Thesis Statement
- The thesis should answer the question
- It should be specific and avoid cramming too many ideas into one or two sentences. Vague statements should also be avoided
- The thesis statement should describe a disputable argument. If the statement cannot be proven false, it is not a good thesis statement
- A good thesis statement should use reader-friendly and accessible language. The potential audience should be considered
Example Thesis Statements
Male participants outperform females in spatial navigation tasks. This relatively short statement answers a question of male versus female performance on a particular task. The statement is a specific answer to that question. A fellow researcher could easily attempt to dispute those findings.
The downward shift in the economy promotes the election of polarizing political extremists. This statement should precede a paper that discusses how a troubled economy could contribute to the election of extreme politicians. Readers and researchers can dispute such a claim.
The convenience and accessibility of social media marketing makes traditional advertisement methods obsolete. This specific and disputable statement narrows the focus to how more modern technologies are making older methods of advertisement outdated.
Practice will eventually make generating thesis statements an automatic step in the writing process. By following the appropriate steps and examining the aspects of a good thesis statement, this step of academic writing can be mastered.
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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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How to write a thesis statement + examples
What is a thesis statement?
Is a thesis statement a question, how do you write a good thesis statement, how do i know if my thesis statement is good, examples of thesis statements, helpful resources on how to write a thesis statement, frequently asked questions about writing a thesis statement, related articles.
A thesis statement is the main argument of your paper or thesis.
The thesis statement is one of the most important elements of any piece of academic writing . It is a brief statement of your paper’s main argument. Essentially, you are stating what you will be writing about.
You can see your thesis statement as an answer to a question. While it also contains the question, it should really give an answer to the question with new information and not just restate or reiterate it.
Your thesis statement is part of your introduction. Learn more about how to write a good thesis introduction in our introduction guide .
A thesis statement is not a question. A statement must be arguable and provable through evidence and analysis. While your thesis might stem from a research question, it should be in the form of a statement.
Tip: A thesis statement is typically 1-2 sentences. For a longer project like a thesis, the statement may be several sentences or a paragraph.
A good thesis statement needs to do the following:
- Condense the main idea of your thesis into one or two sentences.
- Answer your project’s main research question.
- Clearly state your position in relation to the topic .
- Make an argument that requires support or evidence.
Once you have written down a thesis statement, check if it fulfills the following criteria:
- Your statement needs to be provable by evidence. As an argument, a thesis statement needs to be debatable.
- Your statement needs to be precise. Do not give away too much information in the thesis statement and do not load it with unnecessary information.
- Your statement cannot say that one solution is simply right or simply wrong as a matter of fact. You should draw upon verified facts to persuade the reader of your solution, but you cannot just declare something as right or wrong.
As previously mentioned, your thesis statement should answer a question.
If the question is:
What do you think the City of New York should do to reduce traffic congestion?
A good thesis statement restates the question and answers it:
In this paper, I will argue that the City of New York should focus on providing exclusive lanes for public transport and adaptive traffic signals to reduce traffic congestion by the year 2035.
Here is another example. If the question is:
How can we end poverty?
A good thesis statement should give more than one solution to the problem in question:
In this paper, I will argue that introducing universal basic income can help reduce poverty and positively impact the way we work.
- The Writing Center of the University of North Carolina has a list of questions to ask to see if your thesis is strong .
A thesis statement is part of the introduction of your paper. It is usually found in the first or second paragraph to let the reader know your research purpose from the beginning.
In general, a thesis statement should have one or two sentences. But the length really depends on the overall length of your project. Take a look at our guide about the length of thesis statements for more insight on this topic.
Here is a list of Thesis Statement Examples that will help you understand better how to write them.
Every good essay should include a thesis statement as part of its introduction, no matter the academic level. Of course, if you are a high school student you are not expected to have the same type of thesis as a PhD student.
Here is a great YouTube tutorial showing How To Write An Essay: Thesis Statements .
How to Write a Thesis Statement on Effective Communication
Writing a good thesis statement on effective communication involves communicating your motive in a statement of original and significant thought. The purpose you indicate in your thesis statement is the paper's main point – insight, argument or point of view – backed up by compelling research evidence. An effective communication thesis statement contains your proposed argument and support for your claim. It lets the reader know and understand the point of your paper in one or two sentences. Everything you write in your paper works toward building your thesis statement's strength. Remember that writing an effective communication thesis statement is different than writing one for most subjects; your educated readers will already know communication theory, application of techniques and personal experiences associated with effective communication.
Choose a topic for your thesis statement – if one is not assigned by your teacher – from a vast subject area with many diverse extended ideas. Examine how, what, when, where and whom in the process of gathering information for choosing the best topic. Narrow your focus if possible.
Explore a variety of research references on your topic that include journals, encyclopedias, books, newspapers and websites. Maintain notes that are detailed to help you conceptualize your thesis statement. Mark, underscore or highlight the most important data to back up your argument. Research acts as the basis for your specific, well-thought-out and defined thesis statement.
Decide whether the purpose of your composition is to inform or persuade. Formulate a thesis statement plan.
Review and analyze your notes to compose a thesis statement. An impressive thesis statement is made up of your argument proposal and claim support. Write down your thesis statement on a piece of paper. This allows you to see your thesis statement proposal in clear and logical terms.
Revise and adjust your thesis statement as you go along. Be sure it keeps the most fundamental and significant characteristics found in its original form. Pinpoint the two basics of your thesis: what your ideas relate to and what the angle of your ideas are. Make sure your thesis statement concentrates on these two basic points.
Establish individual insight in regard to your clear thesis statement. Your angle should reflect your own argument, ideas, analysis and interpretation of the effective communication topic.
Think about what might be argued against your thesis statement and refine your statement accordingly. Reflecting on possible counter-arguments allows you to consider differing opinions you will have to critique later in your essay.
- 1 Fastweb; Essay Tips: 7 Tips on Writing an Effective Essay; 2009
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How to Write a Strong Thesis Statement: 4 Steps + Examples
What’s Covered:
What is the purpose of a thesis statement, writing a good thesis statement: 4 steps, common pitfalls to avoid, where to get your essay edited for free.
When you set out to write an essay, there has to be some kind of point to it, right? Otherwise, your essay would just be a big jumble of word salad that makes absolutely no sense. An essay needs a central point that ties into everything else. That main point is called a thesis statement, and it’s the core of any essay or research paper.
You may hear about Master degree candidates writing a thesis, and that is an entire paper–not to be confused with the thesis statement, which is typically one sentence that contains your paper’s focus.
Read on to learn more about thesis statements and how to write them. We’ve also included some solid examples for you to reference.
Typically the last sentence of your introductory paragraph, the thesis statement serves as the roadmap for your essay. When your reader gets to the thesis statement, they should have a clear outline of your main point, as well as the information you’ll be presenting in order to either prove or support your point.
The thesis statement should not be confused for a topic sentence , which is the first sentence of every paragraph in your essay. If you need help writing topic sentences, numerous resources are available. Topic sentences should go along with your thesis statement, though.
Since the thesis statement is the most important sentence of your entire essay or paper, it’s imperative that you get this part right. Otherwise, your paper will not have a good flow and will seem disjointed. That’s why it’s vital not to rush through developing one. It’s a methodical process with steps that you need to follow in order to create the best thesis statement possible.
Step 1: Decide what kind of paper you’re writing
When you’re assigned an essay, there are several different types you may get. Argumentative essays are designed to get the reader to agree with you on a topic. Informative or expository essays present information to the reader. Analytical essays offer up a point and then expand on it by analyzing relevant information. Thesis statements can look and sound different based on the type of paper you’re writing. For example:
- Argumentative: The United States needs a viable third political party to decrease bipartisanship, increase options, and help reduce corruption in government.
- Informative: The Libertarian party has thrown off elections before by gaining enough support in states to get on the ballot and by taking away crucial votes from candidates.
- Analytical: An analysis of past presidential elections shows that while third party votes may have been the minority, they did affect the outcome of the elections in 2020, 2016, and beyond.
Step 2: Figure out what point you want to make
Once you know what type of paper you’re writing, you then need to figure out the point you want to make with your thesis statement, and subsequently, your paper. In other words, you need to decide to answer a question about something, such as:
- What impact did reality TV have on American society?
- How has the musical Hamilton affected perception of American history?
- Why do I want to major in [chosen major here]?
If you have an argumentative essay, then you will be writing about an opinion. To make it easier, you may want to choose an opinion that you feel passionate about so that you’re writing about something that interests you. For example, if you have an interest in preserving the environment, you may want to choose a topic that relates to that.
If you’re writing your college essay and they ask why you want to attend that school, you may want to have a main point and back it up with information, something along the lines of:
“Attending Harvard University would benefit me both academically and professionally, as it would give me a strong knowledge base upon which to build my career, develop my network, and hopefully give me an advantage in my chosen field.”
Step 3: Determine what information you’ll use to back up your point
Once you have the point you want to make, you need to figure out how you plan to back it up throughout the rest of your essay. Without this information, it will be hard to either prove or argue the main point of your thesis statement. If you decide to write about the Hamilton example, you may decide to address any falsehoods that the writer put into the musical, such as:
“The musical Hamilton, while accurate in many ways, leaves out key parts of American history, presents a nationalist view of founding fathers, and downplays the racism of the times.”
Once you’ve written your initial working thesis statement, you’ll then need to get information to back that up. For example, the musical completely leaves out Benjamin Franklin, portrays the founding fathers in a nationalist way that is too complimentary, and shows Hamilton as a staunch abolitionist despite the fact that his family likely did own slaves.
Step 4: Revise and refine your thesis statement before you start writing
Read through your thesis statement several times before you begin to compose your full essay. You need to make sure the statement is ironclad, since it is the foundation of the entire paper. Edit it or have a peer review it for you to make sure everything makes sense and that you feel like you can truly write a paper on the topic. Once you’ve done that, you can then begin writing your paper.
When writing a thesis statement, there are some common pitfalls you should avoid so that your paper can be as solid as possible. Make sure you always edit the thesis statement before you do anything else. You also want to ensure that the thesis statement is clear and concise. Don’t make your reader hunt for your point. Finally, put your thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph and have your introduction flow toward that statement. Your reader will expect to find your statement in its traditional spot.
If you’re having trouble getting started, or need some guidance on your essay, there are tools available that can help you. CollegeVine offers a free peer essay review tool where one of your peers can read through your essay and provide you with valuable feedback. Getting essay feedback from a peer can help you wow your instructor or college admissions officer with an impactful essay that effectively illustrates your point.
Related CollegeVine Blog Posts
Thesis Statements
What this handout is about.
This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.
Introduction
Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.
What is a thesis statement?
A thesis statement:
- tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
- is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
- directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
- makes a claim that others might dispute.
- is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.
If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for more information.)
How do I create a thesis?
A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are likely to need adjustment along the way.
Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming .
How do I know if my thesis is strong?
If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following :
- Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. If the prompt isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it. For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y” can be rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?”
- Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
- Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?
- Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to be “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
- Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
- Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.
Suppose you are taking a course on contemporary communication, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: “Discuss the impact of social media on public awareness.” Looking back at your notes, you might start with this working thesis:
Social media impacts public awareness in both positive and negative ways.
You can use the questions above to help you revise this general statement into a stronger thesis.
- Do I answer the question? You can analyze this if you rephrase “discuss the impact” as “what is the impact?” This way, you can see that you’ve answered the question only very generally with the vague “positive and negative ways.”
- Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not likely. Only people who maintain that social media has a solely positive or solely negative impact could disagree.
- Is my thesis statement specific enough? No. What are the positive effects? What are the negative effects?
- Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? No. Why are they positive? How are they positive? What are their causes? Why are they negative? How are they negative? What are their causes?
- Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? No. Why should anyone care about the positive and/or negative impact of social media?
After thinking about your answers to these questions, you decide to focus on the one impact you feel strongly about and have strong evidence for:
Because not every voice on social media is reliable, people have become much more critical consumers of information, and thus, more informed voters.
This version is a much stronger thesis! It answers the question, takes a specific position that others can challenge, and it gives a sense of why it matters.
Let’s try another. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:
Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.
You begin to analyze your thesis:
- Do I answer the question? No. The prompt asks you to analyze some aspect of the novel. Your working thesis is a statement of general appreciation for the entire novel.
Think about aspects of the novel that are important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:
In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.
- Do I answer the question? Yes!
- Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not really. This contrast is well-known and accepted.
- Is my thesis statement specific enough? It’s getting there–you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation. However, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal.
- Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? Not yet. Compare scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions and anything else that seems interesting.
- Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?”
After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:
Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.
This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.
Works consulted
We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.
Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.
Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.
Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 2018. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing , 8th ed. New York: Pearson.
Ruszkiewicz, John J., Christy Friend, Daniel Seward, and Maxine Hairston. 2010. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers , 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.
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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Communication Studies: Dissertations & Theses
Dissertation databases.
Use one of the following databases to find dissertations. Once you have identified the dissertations you need, submit an interlibrary loan request to get a copy if it is not available at UW or online. You can also buy copies of many dissertations via ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global .
- Australasian Digital Theses Program Dissertations from Australia and New Zealand, recent dissertations online.
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- DART Europe E-Theses More than 100,000 fulltext dissertations from 13 European nations
- Networked Digital Library of Theses & Dissertations (NDLTD) Clearinghouse of electronic, fulltext dissertations freely available on the web
- Theses Canada Index to Canadian dissertations, includes some fulltext from the last decade
Find UW Communication Dissertations
The UW Libraries hold physical copies of dissertations written by UW students before 2013. From 2013 forward, most UW dissertations will only be hosted online through UW Libraries ResearchWorks Service . To locate physical and online dissertations, use UW Libraries Search . Try using the Advanced Search in the following ways:
- communication theses AND interpersonal communication
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- By author or title
UW Communication Dissertations:
All UW dissertations are now published only online. This provides 24/7 access to your dissertation and supports open access to scholarly information. UW Communi cation dissertations are available online through UW ResearchWorks.
Connect directly to UW Communication dissertations.
Recent UW Dissertations
- 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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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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25 Thesis Statement Examples
A thesis statement is needed in an essay or dissertation . There are multiple types of thesis statements – but generally we can divide them into expository and argumentative. An expository statement is a statement of fact (common in expository essays and process essays) while an argumentative statement is a statement of opinion (common in argumentative essays and dissertations). Below are examples of each.
Strong Thesis Statement Examples
1. School Uniforms
“Mandatory school uniforms should be implemented in educational institutions as they promote a sense of equality, reduce distractions, and foster a focused and professional learning environment.”
Best For: Argumentative Essay or Debate
Read More: School Uniforms Pros and Cons
2. Nature vs Nurture
“This essay will explore how both genetic inheritance and environmental factors equally contribute to shaping human behavior and personality.”
Best For: Compare and Contrast Essay
Read More: Nature vs Nurture Debate
3. American Dream
“The American Dream, a symbol of opportunity and success, is increasingly elusive in today’s socio-economic landscape, revealing deeper inequalities in society.”
Best For: Persuasive Essay
Read More: What is the American Dream?
4. Social Media
“Social media has revolutionized communication and societal interactions, but it also presents significant challenges related to privacy, mental health, and misinformation.”
Best For: Expository Essay
Read More: The Pros and Cons of Social Media
5. Globalization
“Globalization has created a world more interconnected than ever before, yet it also amplifies economic disparities and cultural homogenization.”
Read More: Globalization Pros and Cons
6. Urbanization
“Urbanization drives economic growth and social development, but it also poses unique challenges in sustainability and quality of life.”
Read More: Learn about Urbanization
7. Immigration
“Immigration enriches receiving countries culturally and economically, outweighing any perceived social or economic burdens.”
Read More: Immigration Pros and Cons
8. Cultural Identity
“In a globalized world, maintaining distinct cultural identities is crucial for preserving cultural diversity and fostering global understanding, despite the challenges of assimilation and homogenization.”
Best For: Argumentative Essay
Read More: Learn about Cultural Identity
9. Technology
“Medical technologies in care institutions in Toronto has increased subjcetive outcomes for patients with chronic pain.”
Best For: Research Paper
10. Capitalism vs Socialism
“The debate between capitalism and socialism centers on balancing economic freedom and inequality, each presenting distinct approaches to resource distribution and social welfare.”
11. Cultural Heritage
“The preservation of cultural heritage is essential, not only for cultural identity but also for educating future generations, outweighing the arguments for modernization and commercialization.”
12. Pseudoscience
“Pseudoscience, characterized by a lack of empirical support, continues to influence public perception and decision-making, often at the expense of scientific credibility.”
Read More: Examples of Pseudoscience
13. Free Will
“The concept of free will is largely an illusion, with human behavior and decisions predominantly determined by biological and environmental factors.”
Read More: Do we have Free Will?
14. Gender Roles
“Traditional gender roles are outdated and harmful, restricting individual freedoms and perpetuating gender inequalities in modern society.”
Read More: What are Traditional Gender Roles?
15. Work-Life Ballance
“The trend to online and distance work in the 2020s led to improved subjective feelings of work-life balance but simultaneously increased self-reported loneliness.”
Read More: Work-Life Balance Examples
16. Universal Healthcare
“Universal healthcare is a fundamental human right and the most effective system for ensuring health equity and societal well-being, outweighing concerns about government involvement and costs.”
Read More: The Pros and Cons of Universal Healthcare
17. Minimum Wage
“The implementation of a fair minimum wage is vital for reducing economic inequality, yet it is often contentious due to its potential impact on businesses and employment rates.”
Read More: The Pros and Cons of Raising the Minimum Wage
18. Homework
“The homework provided throughout this semester has enabled me to achieve greater self-reflection, identify gaps in my knowledge, and reinforce those gaps through spaced repetition.”
Best For: Reflective Essay
Read More: Reasons Homework Should be Banned
19. Charter Schools
“Charter schools offer alternatives to traditional public education, promising innovation and choice but also raising questions about accountability and educational equity.”
Read More: The Pros and Cons of Charter Schools
20. Effects of the Internet
“The Internet has drastically reshaped human communication, access to information, and societal dynamics, generally with a net positive effect on society.”
Read More: The Pros and Cons of the Internet
21. Affirmative Action
“Affirmative action is essential for rectifying historical injustices and achieving true meritocracy in education and employment, contrary to claims of reverse discrimination.”
Best For: Essay
Read More: Affirmative Action Pros and Cons
22. Soft Skills
“Soft skills, such as communication and empathy, are increasingly recognized as essential for success in the modern workforce, and therefore should be a strong focus at school and university level.”
Read More: Soft Skills Examples
23. Moral Panic
“Moral panic, often fueled by media and cultural anxieties, can lead to exaggerated societal responses that sometimes overlook rational analysis and evidence.”
Read More: Moral Panic Examples
24. Freedom of the Press
“Freedom of the press is critical for democracy and informed citizenship, yet it faces challenges from censorship, media bias, and the proliferation of misinformation.”
Read More: Freedom of the Press Examples
25. Mass Media
“Mass media shapes public opinion and cultural norms, but its concentration of ownership and commercial interests raise concerns about bias and the quality of information.”
Best For: Critical Analysis
Read More: Mass Media Examples
Checklist: How to use your Thesis Statement
✅ Position: If your statement is for an argumentative or persuasive essay, or a dissertation, ensure it takes a clear stance on the topic. ✅ Specificity: It addresses a specific aspect of the topic, providing focus for the essay. ✅ Conciseness: Typically, a thesis statement is one to two sentences long. It should be concise, clear, and easily identifiable. ✅ Direction: The thesis statement guides the direction of the essay, providing a roadmap for the argument, narrative, or explanation. ✅ Evidence-based: While the thesis statement itself doesn’t include evidence, it sets up an argument that can be supported with evidence in the body of the essay. ✅ Placement: Generally, the thesis statement is placed at the end of the introduction of an essay.
Try These AI Prompts – Thesis Statement Generator!
One way to brainstorm thesis statements is to get AI to brainstorm some for you! Try this AI prompt:
💡 AI PROMPT FOR EXPOSITORY THESIS STATEMENT I am writing an essay on [TOPIC] and these are the instructions my teacher gave me: [INSTUCTIONS]. I want you to create an expository thesis statement that doesn’t argue a position, but demonstrates depth of knowledge about the topic.
💡 AI PROMPT FOR ARGUMENTATIVE THESIS STATEMENT I am writing an essay on [TOPIC] and these are the instructions my teacher gave me: [INSTRUCTIONS]. I want you to create an argumentative thesis statement that clearly takes a position on this issue.
💡 AI PROMPT FOR COMPARE AND CONTRAST THESIS STATEMENT I am writing a compare and contrast essay that compares [Concept 1] and [Concept2]. Give me 5 potential single-sentence thesis statements that remain objective.
Chris Drew (PhD)
Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]
- Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Social-Emotional Learning (Definition, Examples, Pros & Cons)
- Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ What is Educational Psychology?
- Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ What is IQ? (Intelligence Quotient)
- Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 5 Top Tips for Succeeding at University
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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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Digital Commons @ USF > College of Arts and Sciences > Mass Communications > Theses and Dissertations
Mass Communications Theses and Dissertations
Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.
An Experimental Analysis of the Effect of Crisis Response Message Strategies on Consumer Emotions, Perceptual Beliefs and Intended Behavior , Valentina Ahumada
How the Taiwanese podcast Bailingguo News framed the 2019 Hong Kong movement: A framing analysis of the anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill , Yu-Fei Chiu
Advocating for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Study of the NHL’s #HockeyIsForEveryone Campaign on Twitter , Jessica Martinez
Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022
An Analysis of International Soccer Fans’ Knowledge of Qatar, Perceptions of Qatar’s Country Image, and Intention to Support the 2022 FIFA World Cup , Taleb Al-Adbah
Analysis of Prescription Drug Brand Mentions in Music: Prevalence and Consumer Perceptions , Lisa A. Blake
Elements of Instagram Influencer Posts that Drive Follower Engagement , Yishan Li
Communicating Breast Cancer Awareness: Using the Health Belief Model to Develop Mass Communication Themes to Influence Early Detection Behaviors , Srisai Kamakshi Ramya Harika Pucha
The European Super League (ESL): A Political Economy and Media Framing Analysis , Patrick Sidwell
Inaugural Addresses, Framing Theory, and the Impact on American Perceptions of the Presidency , Kalin Meagan Velez
The Use of Social Media by Leaders in Times of Crisis: 2020–21 United States Election Protests , Cagdas Yuksel
Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021
The Influence of Hate Speech on TikTok on Chinese College Students , Tengyue Chen
Cultivating Courage: Medical Dramas and Portrayals of Patient Self-Advocacy , Alyssa H. Harrell
The Media Reproduction of Racial Violence: A Content Analysis of News Coverage Following the Death of George Floyd Jr. , Keylon Lovett
Credibility of Spokespersons and E-cigarette Prevention Messages: Elaboration Likelihood Model and The Moderating Role of Perceived Risk , Emmanuel Maduneme
An Examination of COVID-19 Health Behaviors and Public Health Messaging Using the Health Belief Model and Organization-Public Relationship Quality , Aaron L. Nichols
The Extended Parallel Processing Model (EPPM) and Risk Perceptions of Twitter messages related to COVID-19 , Muhammad E. Rasul
Framing #MeToo movement in China A Content Analysis of China Women’s News Coverage , Wenminzi Wu
Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020
Super Bowl Ads and the Donald Trump Culture War , Jessica Barron
A Case Study on Black Twitter’s Reactions to the Framing of Blacks in Dove’s 2017 Facebook Advertisement , Shereena Farrington
The Roles of Emotional Cues and Purchasing Incentives in WeChat Commerce: A Content Analysis , Xuezhu Hao
People with Parkinson’s and Care Partners of PwPs’ Uncertainty Management Through Information Strategies , Amy Haywood
Asian Male Stereotypes: An Investigation of Current Beliefs About Asian Males and Stereotypes Perpetuated by U.S. Modern Cinema , Noelle Knopp
Developing Design Elements for a Parkinson’s Disease Informative Website: A Social Marketing Approach , Emilie R. Madsen
Evaluation of Native Advertisement though Third Person Effect Theory: An Experimental Design , Inga Nafetvaridze
EPPM and Its Effectiveness in Advertisements of Colorectal Cancer Screening among Young Adults , Anh T. Nguyen
The Role of Threat and Efficacy in Anti-Vaping Ads: A Test of the Extended Parallel Process Model , Ryan Noone
An Experimental Investigation into the Impact of Crisis Response Strategies and Relationship Management in the Pharmaceutical Industry , Nikoletta Pappas
Media Fandom: Social Media Use and Collective Identity in China: A Case Study of Z.Tao’s Weibo Fandom , Mier Sha
'Golden Spike': Examining Atlanta United FC Communications During the Launch of the Team , Maria Tsyruleva
The Role of Influencer Endorsement in Consumer Brand Engagement on Sina Weibo , Xiaofan Wei
One News Event, Three Media Frames , Le Xin
Applying the Situational Theory of Publics to Children's Sex Education in China , Baoyi Zeng
Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019
The Role of Social Media Journalists in TV News:Their Effects on the Profession and Identity of TV Journalism, the Quality of News, and theAudience Engagement , Yousuf Humiad AL Yousufi
Relationship Management Communications by NHL Teams on Twitter , Kelsey M. Baker
2018 China-United States Trade War: Framing Analysis of Online News Coverage in the United States and China as portrayed by the New York Times and the People’s Daily , Jiangling Huang
The Research on the Determinants of Users' Willingness to Pay for Chinese Paid Sports Model Based on Use and Gratification Theory , Jing Li
Online MMORPG Games in China: Player Motivations and the Mediating Role of Flow , Jiaxin Liu
The Hostile Media Effect and Its Potential Consequences: Examining the Influence of Presumed Influence of International Media Coverage , Zhennan Liu
Womenpreneurs in a Digital Environment: Utilizing Instagram to Build a Personal Brand , Michelle N. Nuñez
Objectification of Women in Bollywood Item Numbers , Zahabia Z. Slatewala
A Research on eSports Users’ Motives and Satisfaction in China The Case of League of Legends , Qianyin Sun
An Analysis of the Language and the Relationship of the President of the USA Related Twitter Accounts toward the National Media , Sait Serif Turhan
Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018
Perception of Kazakhstan in the U.S through the New York Times Coverage , Tursynay Alikhanova
The Influence of Instagram Selfies on Female Millennials’ Appearance Satisfaction , Diliara Bagautdinova
Women’s Body Image in the Media: Fitspiration on Instagram , Brook M. Bryant
Political Talk Shows in Taiwan: First- and Third-Person Effects, Their Attitudinal Antecedents and Consequences , Shou-Chen Hsieh
An Examination of Image Repair Theory and BP’s Response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill , William Anthony Korte Jr.
An Analysis of Organ Donation Presentations on Weibo , Shengfei Li
Gender Sexualization in Digital Games: Exploring Female Character Changes in Tomb Raider , Jingjing Liu
Shithole Countries: An Analysis of News Coverage in the U.S. , Murewa O. Olubela
Self-esteem, motivation, and self-enhancement presentation on WeChat , Xiao Qiu
The Portrayal of Women in the Oldest Russian Women’s Magazine “Rabotnitsa” From 1970-2017 , Anastasiia Utiuzh
Cultural Adaptation and Maintenance: Chinese International Students' Use of Facebook and WeChat , Mengni Wang
The Understanding of Absolute Right to Freedom of Expression in the Case of Hate Speech , Qinqin Wang
Body Image, Self-Esteem and Eating Disturbance among Chinese Women: Testing the Tripartite Influence model , Weiwei Wang
I’m Your Fan – Engaging in Celebrity’s Social Media Page with the Mediation of Parasocial Interaction and Parasocial Relationship , Jiahui Zhuang
Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017
Household Food Waste Prevention in Malaysia: An Issue Processes Model Perspective , Syahirah Abd Razak
Countering the Questionable Actions of the CPD and FEC , Brian C. Cole
“You Know Who I Am, Don’t You? I’m the One They’re Writing About in the Newspapers and on TV” , Casey Killen Crane
To Tell the Truth: The Credibility of Cable News Networks In an Era of Increasingly Partisan Political News Coverage , Christopher Jadick
Political Media Bias in the United States: Immigration and the Trump Administration , Bryce Josepher
Social Media Use and Political Participation in China: The Mediating Role of Political Efficacy , Bingyang Liu
Framing Genetically-modified Foods Communication in China: A Content Analysis of News Coverage of People’s Daily and Southern Metropolis , Linqi Lu
Conceptualizing Social Wealth in the Digital Age: A Mixed Methods Approach , Kristina Oliva
The Road to the White House: A Correlational Analysis of Twitter Sentiment and National Polls in the 2016 Election Cycle , Melissa G. Pelletier
Using Green Messages to Cue Recycling Tendencies , Danielle Quichocho
Traversing Privacy Issues on Social Networking Sites Among Kuwaiti Females , Shahad Shihab
Chinese National Identity and Media Framing , Yufeng Tian
Smog Pollution in China: News Framing and Issue-Attention Cycle per the , Yingying Zhang
Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016
Corporate Social Responsibility Communication: Beliefs in Motives, First- and Third-Person Effects and Behavioral Consequences , Nianyuan Cheng
Crimean Referendum: Annexation VS Reunification. Framing Analysis of Online News Coverage in Russia and the U.S. , Anna Dedova
Investigating the Determinants of Recycling Behavior in Youth by Using Theory of Planned Behavior. , Tejaswini Gadiraju
Media Perceptions on Sexual Assault on College Campuses , Maggie M. Hall
The Impact of Emojis and Emoticons on Online Consumer Reviews, Perceived Company Response Quality, Brand Relationship, and Purchase Intent. , Jayme Hill Hill
Media Multitasking and Memory: The Role of Message Modalities , Le Nguyen
Cultivating Philanthropy in Community Colleges: A Dual-Model Approach , Rachel Faith Pleasant
Avatar Self-Identification, Self-Esteem, and Perceived Social Capital in the Real World: A Study of World of Warcraft Players and their Avatars , Melissa Watts
The Effects of Mission Statement Design on Behavioral Intention , Jonathan David West
Impact of a Brand Crisis on Nation Branding: An Analysis of Tweets about VW’s Emissions Crisis , Kara Julie Whytas
Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015
Responding to a Rumor: How Crisis Response Strategies Influence Relationship Outcomes , Bo Breuklander
Crisis Communication and Celebrity Scandal: An Experiment on Response Strategies , Leah Champion
Speaking Their Language: Textisms in Today's Communication , Adam Lloyd Drum
Direct-to-Consumer Messaging: A Phenomenological Examination of DTC Best Practices , Nicholas Dominick Fancera
Examining Endorsement and Viewership Effects on the Source Credibility of YouTubers , Stephanie Fred
The Cultivation of Eating Disorders through Instagram , Kendall O'Brien
Online Game Advertising and Chinese College Students: Attitudes, First- and Third-Person Effects , Yan Tang
On the Convergence of Cinema and Theme Parks: Developing a Predictable Model for Creative Design , Ryan Luke Terry
I Threw My Pie for You: Engagement and Loyalty on TV Show Facebook Pages , Tracy M. Wisneski
First- and Third-Person Effects of Alcohol Advertising on Chinese College Students , Dong Xue
Framing Occupy Central: A Content Analysis of Hong Kong, American and British Newspaper Coverage , Mengjiao Yu
Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014
Climate Change, Situational Theory of Problem Solving, and Issue Framing Effects , Michael Eddie Burch
British Cultural Narrative in Winston Churchill's Political Communication , Andres L. Faza
Communication Behavior Study of Support in the Arts Using the Situational Theory of Publics and the Theory of Reasoned Action , Ashleigh Gallant
A Comparison Study on Violent Video Games: Explained by the Gamers Themselves , Christopher John Kneifer
Applying Public Relations Theory to Assess Service-Learning Relationships , Karen Strand
EFFECTS OF COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, COUNTRY ANIMOSITY AND FOREIGN PRODUCT USAGE EXPERIENCES ON PRODUCT JUDGEMENT: A STUDY OF CHINESE CUSTOMERS , Cong Sui
The Accidental Motivator: Florida's Medicinal Marijuana Ballot Initiative's Impact on the Youth Vote , Robert Winsler
An Examination of Motives, Experiences, and Behaviors of MMORPG Players , Theresa Lynn Woods
Social Media Use During The College Transition , Kevin J. Yurasek
Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013
Media and USF Students' Perception of Terrorism , Mamdoh Suleiman Al-Ameri
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- Major in Communication
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The Communication Thesis
An honors or ComPS thesis allows students to take a deep dive into their chosen research topic, learning how to ask and answer big questions about our world.
Senior Honors theses and Communication and Public Service (ComPS) Capstone theses offer Senior Comm Majors an exciting intellectual opportunity to thoroughly investigate a Comm-related subject of their choice. Annenberg provides unique support to thesis students through the required two-semester Honors/ComPS Thesis Seminar and one-on-one mentorship by two faculty members. Thesis projects often serve as a qualifying experience for graduate education or, equally, may offer important evidence to employers of your skills in research and analytical thinking.
Senior Comm Majors’ thesis projects can be quantitative (e.g., surveys, experiments, content analyses) or qualitative (e.g., interviews, focus groups, textual analyses) research. Prior theses have focused on a wide range of communication topics including:
- Emotional chatbots and loneliness
- Mental health and children’s TV
- A comparison of Boomer and Millennial political rhetoric
- Diva worship on Twitter
- Street art at the US/Mexico border wall
- Understanding of social media privacy policies
- U.S. hurricane news coverage
- The U.S. immigration debate
- And many more Comm-related topics!
Copies of previous theses are available for review in the Annenberg Library .
Interested students should contact Dr. Kim Woolf , Academic Advisor and Research Director, Undergraduate Studies.
The thesis is a two-semester course for Communication majors, taken during the senior year.
- During the first semester, students write a research proposal that includes a literature review and detailed methodology.
- During the second semester, students conduct data collection and analysis and write the results and discussion to complete the thesis describing this work.
Students work with two professors throughout the course — a designated faculty supervisor and a thesis seminar supervisor — and receive one advanced course credit toward the Communication major for each semester completed.
Communication majors are strongly encouraged, though not required, to complete a thesis. On average, 15 to 20 percent of all majors write a thesis.
General Requirements
- The thesis is a two semester course. Students are required to successfully complete both semesters of the course to complete the thesis.
- Obtain a faculty supervisor
- Obtain written certification from the faculty supervisor that the student has the required technological and editing skills needed
- Notify Dr. Kim Woolf of their intention to complete a documentary thesis
- The thesis must be original work not completed in a previous course or undertaken in a current course outside the thesis seminar. In some cases, the thesis may continue work initiated in an Independent Study or in COMM 395 completed prior to the fall semester of senior year. Prior written approval by both thesis supervisors is required to ensure that an appropriate amount of new research is conducted for the thesis.
- Studies may be quantitative (e.g., surveys, experiments, content analyses) or qualitative (e.g., interviews, focus groups, textual analyses of magazines, TV shows, speeches, etc.).
Eligibility for the Thesis
Annenberg offers two undergraduate thesis options with different eligibility requirements:
Honors Thesis Eligibility
- By the end of the junior year, students must have achieved a cumulative GPA of at least 3.50 in all University of Pennsylvania courses.
- Students must maintain a 3.50 cumulative GPA through the end of the first semester of senior year AND obtain a grade of B+ or higher in the first semester of the thesis seminar. Students who fail to meet the eligibility requirements at the end of the first semester thesis course may not enroll in the second semester thesis course, but will receive one advanced credit towards the Communication major for the first semester.
Note: Eligibility for the Honors thesis does not guarantee a degree in Communication with Honors. To obtain Honors, students must complete all major requirements, achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher in all University of Pennsylvania courses at the conclusion of coursework, and earn a grade of A- or higher for the completed thesis in the second semester.
ComPS Capstone Thesis Eligibility
- A thesis is required for all students who graduate with the ComPS designation.
Note: ComPS students who meet the requirements for a degree with Honors may designate the Capstone thesis as a Capstone Honors thesis.
Students who withdraw from the ComPS program at the end of the first semester of the thesis may continue in the second semester of the seminar only if they meet honors thesis eligibility requirements. Students who are not eligible to enroll in the second semester thesis seminar will receive one advanced credit towards the Communication major for the first semester.
“Writing a ComPS Honors thesis my senior year undoubtedly was the most rewarding experience I had throughout my four years at Penn. It taught me that when you identify a passion, through hard work and a focused effort, you can cultivate it and transform those beliefs or ideas in your head into something tangible and important. I re-read my thesis every few months and am constantly reminded of how pertinent my words still are and how proud I am that I created this body of work with Annenberg's support.” –Amanda Damon C'19, “ The Immigrant Debate in America: The Civil Rights Question of Our Time? ”
Seminar Enrollment Requirements
Requirements for enrollment in the first semester seminar comm 4797 (formerly 494).
- Meet the eligibility requirements listed above.
- Designated faculty supervisors may be Annenberg faculty members , secondary faculty members , or some approved lecturers . These faculty members are listed on the Annenberg website. Ideally, the faculty supervisor is one with whom you have taken one or more classes.
- Students should begin the process of identifying a thesis topic and faculty supervisor during the junior year.
- Submit a research topic statement approved and signed by the designated faculty supervisor (not the thesis seminar supervisor) by the second class in the Fall Semester of senior year. Failure to submit a research topic statement approved by a designated faculty supervisor will prevent enrollment in the thesis seminar.
Required Forms
Honors Thesis Topic Statement ComPS Capstone Thesis Topic Statement
Prepared in consultation with the designated faculty supervisor, the research topic statement should be approximately 3-5 pages long. It should include:
- A review of relevant scholarship on the thesis topic
- Research questions or hypotheses to be addressed in the thesis research
- A brief description of the proposed methodology
Successful Completion of the First Semester Seminar
During proposal and thesis preparation, students will work jointly with the designated faculty supervisor and the seminar supervisor.
By the end of the first semester, all thesis students are required to submit a completed thesis proposal approved by both thesis supervisors. The proposal must include a detailed literature review and approved methodology. Completed coding manuals, experimental manipulations, questionnaires, and other instruments appropriate for the study methodology should be included in the proposal.
Applications for review of studies involving human subjects should be submitted to the Institutional Review Board in a timely manner, normally before the end of the first semester.
Requirements for enrollment in the Second Semester Seminar, COMM 4897 (formerly 495) or COMM 4997 (formerly 499)
- A completed thesis proposal signed by both thesis supervisors.
- Honors students must continue to maintain a 3.50 cumulative GPA and obtain a grade of B+ or higher in the first semester seminar.
- ComPS thesis students must continue with the ComPS designation. Those who drop out of the ComPS program are not eligible to continue with the second semester unless they meet Honors thesis requirements.
Successful Completion of the Thesis
Students will complete the thesis on a schedule specified by the thesis seminar supervisor. Every thesis must have four main components:
- Literature review (review of prior research)
- Methodology
- Results/Findings
There are no minimum page requirements for the thesis. The maximum length of the thesis is 100 pages, not including references or appendices. Students may apply for an exception to the maximum page limit; decisions will be made on a case by case basis. Formatting requirements will be distributed in the thesis seminar.
A thesis is not complete until all necessary revisions have been made, and both thesis supervisors have signed off on the final draft.
Additional Requirements
To successfully complete the thesis, students must also:
- Meet regularly with both thesis supervisors to discuss progress toward completion
- Attend all required classes and individual meetings of the thesis seminar for both semesters
- Meet all deadlines laid out in the thesis course syllabus
- Present the thesis at a public forum at the end of the second semester. Length, date, time and format will be determined by the thesis seminar supervisor.
Thesis Awards
The Annenberg School offers two thesis awards at graduation . Honors thesis students are eligible for the George Gerbner Award. ComPS Capstone thesis students are eligible for the Communication and Public Service (Eisenhower) Award. ComPS students who are also Honors students are eligible for both awards.
Students who submit their completed thesis on or before the final completion date set by the department are eligible to be nominated for these awards.
Past Theses
Honors and ComPS theses span a wide variety of topics. Scroll below to see thesis titles of some past students.
Lilianna Gurry C'20: “Transforming the Media Regime in 47 Volumes: The Pentagon Papers Case and the Rise of Partisan Media”
Elena Hoffman C'20: “A Good Neighbor? Examining Presidential Rhetoric on Wilsonian Foreign Policy in Central America”
Tiffany Wang C'20: “East Meets West: Evaluating the Impact of American Films on Taiwanese Political Perspectives”
Jose Carreras-Tartak C'19: “A Corpus-Assisted Discourse Analysis and Comparison of Online U.S. Hurricane News Coverage”
Arielle Goldfine C'19: “Shaken Baby Syndrome in the Courtroom: A Rhetorical Study of Scientific Iconography and Prosecutorial Persuasion”
Nicholas Hunsicker C'19: “Yaaaaas Gaga: Diva Worship, Identity Formation, and Communities of Gay Men on Twitter”
Evangeline Giannopolous C'18: “The Comparative Effects of American and Norwegian Television Sexual Content on American Adolescent Sexual Intentions, Attitudes, and Knowledge”
Jaslyn McIntosh C'17: “Identity in the Age of Swiping: An Exploration of Identity Formation on Tinder Social”
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25 Thesis Statement Examples That Will Make Writing a Breeze
Understanding what makes a good thesis statement is one of the major keys to writing a great research paper or argumentative essay. The thesis statement is where you make a claim that will guide you through your entire paper. If you find yourself struggling to make sense of your paper or your topic, then it's likely due to a weak thesis statement.
Let's take a minute to first understand what makes a solid thesis statement, and what key components you need to write one of your own.
A thesis statement always goes at the beginning of the paper. It will typically be in the first couple of paragraphs of the paper so that it can introduce the body paragraphs, which are the supporting evidence for your thesis statement.
Your thesis statement should clearly identify an argument. You need to have a statement that is not only easy to understand, but one that is debatable. What that means is that you can't just put any statement of fact and have it be your thesis. For example, everyone knows that puppies are cute . An ineffective thesis statement would be, "Puppies are adorable and everyone knows it." This isn't really something that's a debatable topic.
Something that would be more debatable would be, "A puppy's cuteness is derived from its floppy ears, small body, and playfulness." These are three things that can be debated on. Some people might think that the cutest thing about puppies is the fact that they follow you around or that they're really soft and fuzzy.
All cuteness aside, you want to make sure that your thesis statement is not only debatable, but that it also actually thoroughly answers the research question that was posed. You always want to make sure that your evidence is supporting a claim that you made (and not the other way around). This is why it's crucial to read and research about a topic first and come to a conclusion later. If you try to get your research to fit your thesis statement, then it may not work out as neatly as you think. As you learn more, you discover more (and the outcome may not be what you originally thought).
Additionally, your thesis statement shouldn't be too big or too grand. It'll be hard to cover everything in a thesis statement like, "The federal government should act now on climate change." The topic is just too large to actually say something new and meaningful. Instead, a more effective thesis statement might be, "Local governments can combat climate change by providing citizens with larger recycling bins and offering local classes about composting and conservation." This is easier to work with because it's a smaller idea, but you can also discuss the overall topic that you might be interested in, which is climate change.
So, now that we know what makes a good, solid thesis statement, you can start to write your own. If you find that you're getting stuck or you are the type of person who needs to look at examples before you start something, then check out our list of thesis statement examples below.
Thesis statement examples
A quick note that these thesis statements have not been fully researched. These are merely examples to show you what a thesis statement might look like and how you can implement your own ideas into one that you think of independently. As such, you should not use these thesis statements for your own research paper purposes. They are meant to be used as examples only.
- Vaccinations Because many children are unable to vaccinate due to illness, we must require that all healthy and able children be vaccinated in order to have herd immunity.
- Educational Resources for Low-Income Students Schools should provide educational resources for low-income students during the summers so that they don't forget what they've learned throughout the school year.
- School Uniforms School uniforms may be an upfront cost for families, but they eradicate the visual differences in income between students and provide a more egalitarian atmosphere at school.
- Populism The rise in populism on the 2016 political stage was in reaction to increasing globalization, the decline of manufacturing jobs, and the Syrian refugee crisis.
- Public Libraries Libraries are essential resources for communities and should be funded more heavily by local municipalities.
- Cyber Bullying With more and more teens using smartphones and social media, cyber bullying is on the rise. Cyber bullying puts a lot of stress on many teens, and can cause depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. Parents should limit the usage of smart phones, monitor their children's online activity, and report any cyber bullying to school officials in order to combat this problem.
- Medical Marijuana for Veterans Studies have shown that the use of medicinal marijuana has been helpful to veterans who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Medicinal marijuana prescriptions should be legal in all states and provided to these veterans. Additional medical or therapy services should also be researched and implemented in order to help them re-integrate back into civilian life.
- Work-Life Balance Corporations should provide more work from home opportunities and six-hour workdays so that office workers have a better work-life balance and are more likely to be productive when they are in the office.
- Teaching Youths about Consensual Sex Although sex education that includes a discussion of consensual sex would likely lead to less sexual assault, parents need to teach their children the meaning of consent from a young age with age appropriate lessons.
- Whether or Not to Attend University A degree from a university provides invaluable lessons on life and a future career, but not every high school student should be encouraged to attend a university directly after graduation. Some students may benefit from a trade school or a "gap year" where they can think more intensely about what it is they want to do for a career and how they can accomplish this.
- Studying Abroad Studying abroad is one of the most culturally valuable experiences you can have in college. It is the only way to get completely immersed in another language and learn how other cultures and countries are different from your own.
- Women's Body Image Magazines have done a lot in the last five years to include a more diverse group of models, but there is still a long way to go to promote a healthy woman's body image collectively as a culture.
- Cigarette Tax Heavily taxing and increasing the price of cigarettes is essentially a tax on the poorest Americans, and it doesn't deter them from purchasing. Instead, the state and federal governments should target those economically disenfranchised with early education about the dangers of smoking.
- Veganism A vegan diet, while a healthy and ethical way to consume food, indicates a position of privilege. It also limits you to other cultural food experiences if you travel around the world.
- University Athletes Should be Compensated University athletes should be compensated for their service to the university, as it is difficult for these students to procure and hold a job with busy academic and athletic schedules. Many student athletes on scholarship also come from low-income neighborhoods and it is a struggle to make ends meet when they are participating in athletics.
- Women in the Workforce Sheryl Sandberg makes a lot of interesting points in her best-selling book, Lean In , but she only addressed the very privileged working woman and failed to speak to those in lower-skilled, lower-wage jobs.
- Assisted Suicide Assisted suicide should be legal and doctors should have the ability to make sure their patients have the end-of-life care that they want to receive.
- Celebrity and Political Activism Although Taylor Swift's lyrics are indicative of a feminist perspective, she should be more politically active and vocal to use her position of power for the betterment of society.
- The Civil War The insistence from many Southerners that the South seceded from the Union for states' rights versus the fact that they seceded for the purposes of continuing slavery is a harmful myth that still affects race relations today.
- Blue Collar Workers Coal miners and other blue-collar workers whose jobs are slowly disappearing from the workforce should be re-trained in jobs in the technology sector or in renewable energy. A program to re-train these workers would not only improve local economies where jobs have been displaced, but would also lead to lower unemployment nationally.
- Diversity in the Workforce Having a diverse group of people in an office setting leads to richer ideas, more cooperation, and more empathy between people with different skin colors or backgrounds.
- Re-Imagining the Nuclear Family The nuclear family was traditionally defined as one mother, one father, and 2.5 children. This outdated depiction of family life doesn't quite fit with modern society. The definition of normal family life shouldn't be limited to two-parent households.
- Digital Literacy Skills With more information readily available than ever before, it's crucial that students are prepared to examine the material they're reading and determine whether or not it's a good source or if it has misleading information. Teaching students digital literacy and helping them to understand the difference between opinion or propaganda from legitimate, real information is integral.
- Beauty Pageants Beauty pageants are presented with the angle that they empower women. However, putting women in a swimsuit on a stage while simultaneously judging them on how well they answer an impossible question in a short period of time is cruel and purely for the amusement of men. Therefore, we should stop televising beauty pageants.
- Supporting More Women to Run for a Political Position In order to get more women into political positions, more women must run for office. There must be a grassroots effort to educate women on how to run for office, who among them should run, and support for a future candidate for getting started on a political career.
Still stuck? Need some help with your thesis statement?
If you are still uncertain about how to write a thesis statement or what a good thesis statement is, be sure to consult with your teacher or professor to make sure you're on the right track. It's always a good idea to check in and make sure that your thesis statement is making a solid argument and that it can be supported by your research.
After you're done writing, it's important to have someone take a second look at your paper so that you can ensure there are no mistakes or errors. It's difficult to spot your own mistakes, which is why it's always recommended to have someone help you with the revision process, whether that's a teacher, the writing center at school, or a professional editor such as one from ServiceScape .
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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 > FACULTIES > Information & Media Studies (FIMS) > MEDIASTUDIES-ETD
Media Studies Theses and Dissertations
This collection contains theses and dissertations from the Department of Media Studies, collected from the Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023
Witnessing Conspiracy Theories: Developing an Intersectional Approach to Conspiracy Theory Research , David Guignion
Canadians Redefining R&B: The Online Marketing of Drake, Justin Bieber, and Jessie Reyez , Amara Pope Ms.
Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022
Instagram Influencers and their Youngest Female Followers , Amanda Jenkins
A descriptive analysis of sport nationalism, digital media, and fandom to launch the Canadian Premier League , Farzan Mirzazadeh
Influencer Engagement Pods and the Struggle Over Measure in Instagram Platform Labour , Victoria J. O'Meara
Radiant Dreams and Nuclear Nightmares: Japanese Resistance Narratives and American Intervention in Postwar Speculative Popular Culture , Aidan J. Warlow
Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021
More barriers than solutions: Women’s experiences of support with online abuse , Chandell E. Gosse
Heavy Metal Fundraisers: Entrepreneurial Recording Artists in Platform Capitalism , Jason Netherton
Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019
Resistant Vulnerability in The Marvel Cinematic Universe's Captain America , Kristen Allison
Unwrapping the Toronto Christmas Market: An Examination of Tradition and Nostalgia in a Socially Constructed Space , Lydia J. Gibson
Trauma, Creativity, And Bearing Witness Through Art: Marian Kołodziej's Labyrinth , Alyssa Logie
Appropriating Play: Examining Twitch.tv as a Commercial Platform , Charlotte Panneton
Dead Men Walking: An Analysis of Working-Class Masculinity in Post-2008 Hollywood Film , Ryan Schroeder
Glocalization in China: An Analysis of Coca-Cola’s Brand Co-Creation Process with Consumers in China , Yinuo Shi
Critiquing the New Autonomy of Immaterial Labour: An Analysis of Work in the Artificial Intelligence Industry , James Steinhoff
Watching and Working Through: Navigating Non-being in Television Storytelling , Tiara Lalita Sukhan
Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018
Hone the Means of Production: Craft Antagonism and Domination in the Journalistic Labour Process of Freelance Writers , Robert Bertuzzi
Invisible Labour: Support-Service Workers in India’s Information Technology Industry , Indranil Chakraborty
Exhibiting Human Rights: Making the Means of Dignity Visible , Amy J. Freier
Industrial Stagecraft: Tooling and Cultural Production , Jennifer A. Hambleton
Cultural Hybridity in the Contemporary Korean Popular Culture through the Practice of Genre Transformation , Kyunghee Kim
Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017
Regarding Aid: The photographic situation of humanitarianism , Sonya de Laat
The Representation of the Canadian Government’s Warrantless Domestic Collection of Metadata in the Canadian Print News Media , Alan Del Pino
(Not) One of the Boys: A Case Study of Female Detectives on HBO , Darcy Griffin
Pitching the Feminist Voice: A Critique of Contemporary Consumer Feminism , Kate Hoad-Reddick
Local-Global Tensions: Professional Experience, Role Perceptions and Image Production of Afghan Photojournalists Working for a Global Audience , Saumava Mitra
A place for locative media: A theoretical framework for assessing locative media use in urban environments , Darryl A. Pieber
Mapping the Arab Diaspora: Examining Placelessness and Memory in Arab Art , Shahad Rashid
Settler Colonial Ways of Seeing: Documentary Governance of Indigenous Life in Canada and its Disruption , Danielle Taschereau Mamers
Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016
Finding Your Way: Navigating Online News and Opinions , Charlotte Britten
Law and Abuse: Representations of Intimate Partner Homicide in Law Procedural Dramas , Jaime A. Campbell
Creative Management: Disciplining the Neoliberal Worker , Trent Cruz
No hay Sólo un Idioma, No hay Sólo una Voz: A Revisionist History of Chicana/os and Latina/os in Punk , Richard C. Davila
Shifting Temporalities: The Construction of Flexible Subjectivities through Part-time Retail Workers’ Use of Smartphone Technology , Jessica Fanning
Becoming Sonic: Ambient Poetics and the Ecology of Listening in Four Militant Sound Investigations , David C. Jackson
Capital's Media: The Physical Conditions of Circulation , Atle Mikkola Kjøsen
On the Internet by Means of Popular Music: The Cases of Grimes and Childish Gambino , Kristopher R. K. Ohlendorf
Believing the News: Exploring How Young Canadians Make Decisions About Their News Consumption , Jessica Thom
Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015
Narrative Epic and New Media: The Totalizing Spaces of Postmodernity in The Wire, Batman, and The Legend of Zelda , Luke Arnott
Canada: Multiculturalism, Religion, and Accommodation , Brittainy R. Bonnis
Navigating the Social Landscape: An Exploration of Social Networking Site Usage among Emerging Adults , Kristen Colbeck
Impassioned Objects And Seething Absences: The Olympics In Canada, National Identity and Consumer Culture , Estee Fresco
Satirical News and Political Subversiveness: A Critical Approach to The Daily Show and The Colbert Report , Roberto Leclerc
"When [S]He is Working [S]He is Not at Home": Challenging Assumptions About Remote Work , Eric Lohman
Heating Up the Debate: E-cigarettes and Instagram , Stephanie L. Ritter
Limitation to Innovation in the North American Console Video Game Industry 2001-2013: A Critical Analysis , Michael Schmalz
Happiest People Alive: An Analysis of Class and Gender in the Trinidad Carnival , Asha L. St. Bernard
Human-Machinic Assemblages: Technologies, Bodies, and the Recuperation of Social Reproduction in the Crisis Era , Elise D. Thorburn
Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014
Evangelizing the ‘Gallery of the Future’: a Critical Analysis of the Google Art Project Narrative and its Political, Cultural and Technological Stakes , Alanna Bayer
Face Value: Beyond the Surface of Brand Philanthropy and the Cultural Production of the M.A.C AIDS Fund , Andrea Benoit
Cultivating Better Brains: Transhumanism and its Critics on the Ethics of Enhancement Via Brain-computer Interfacing , Matthew Devlin
Man Versus Food: An Analysis of 'Dude Food' Television and Public Health , Amy R. Eisner-Levine
Media Literacy and the English as a Second Language Curriculum: A Curricular Critique and Dreams for the Future , Clara R. Madrenas
Fantasizing Disability: Representation of loss and limitation in Popular Television and Film , Jeffrey M. Preston
(Un)Covering Suicide: The Changing Ethical Norms in Canadian Journalism , Gemma Richardson
Labours Of Love: Affect, Fan Labour, And The Monetization Of Fandom , Jennifer Spence
'What's in a List?' Cultural Techniques, Logistics, Poeisis , Liam Cole Young
Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013
Distinguishing the 'Vanguard' from the 'Insipid': Exploring the Valorization of Mainstream Popular Music in Online Indie Music Criticism , Charles J. Blazevic
Anonymous: Polemics and Non-identity , Samuel Chiang
Manufacturing Legitimacy: A Critical Theory of Election News Coverage , Gabriel N. Elias
The Academic Grind: A Critique of Creative and Collaborative Discourses Between Digital Games Industries and Post-Secondary Education in Canada , Owen R. Livermore
We’re on This Road Together: The Changing Fan/Producer Relationship in Television as Demonstrated by Supernatural , Lisa Macklem
Brave New Wireless World: Mapping the Rise of Ubiquitous Connectivity from Myth to Market , Vincent R. Manzerolle
Promotional Ubiquitous Musics: New Identities and Emerging Markets in the Digitalizing Music Industry , Leslie Meier
Money, Morals, and Human Rights: Commercial Influences in the Marketing, Branding, and Fundraising of Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch , Danielle Morgan
If I Had a Hammer: An Archeology of Tactical Media From the Hootenanny to the People's Microphone , Henry Adam Svec
Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012
Watching High School: Representing Disempowerment on Teen Drama Television , Sarah M. Baxter
Will Work For Free: Examining the Biopolitics of Unwaged Immaterial Labour , Brian A. Brown
Social Net-working: Exploring the Political Economy of the Online Social Network Industry , Craig Butosi
Watching the games: Critical media literacy and students’ abilities to identify and critique the politics of sports , Raúl J. Feliciano Ortiz
The Invisible Genocide: An Analysis of ABC, CBS, and NBC Television News Coverage of the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda. , Daniel C. Harvey
It's Complicated: Romantic Breakups and Their Aftermath on Facebook , Veronika A. Lukacs
Keeping Up with the Virtual Joneses: The Practices, Meanings, and Consequences of Consumption in Second Life , Jennifer M. Martin
The (m)Health Connection: An Examination of the Promise of Mobile Phones for HIV/AIDS Intervention in Sub-Saharan Africa , Trisha M. Phippard
Born Again Hard : Transgender Subjectivity in Paul Chadwick's Concrete , Justin Raymond
Communicating Crimes: Covering Gangs in Contemporary Canadian Journalism , Chris Richardson
Online Social Breast-Working: Representations of Breast Milk Sharing in the 21st Century , Cari L. Rotstein
Because I am Not Here, Selected Second Life-Based Art Case Studies. Subjectivity, Autoempathy and Virtual World Aesthetics , Francisco Gerardo Toledo Ramírez
Day of the Woman?: Feminism & Rape-Revenge Films , Kayley A. Viteo
Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011
"Aren't They Keen?" Early Children's Food Advertising and the Emergence of the Brand-loyal Child Consumer , Kyle R. Asquith
Immediacy and Aesthetic Remediation in Television and Digital Media: Mass Media’s Challenge to the Democratization of Media Production , Michael S. Daubs
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Communication Apprehension and Perceived Responsiveness, Elise Alexandra Fanney. PDF. Improving Patient-Provider Communication in the Health Care context, Charlotte M. Glidden. PDF. What They Consider, How They Decide: Best Practices of Technical Experts in Environmental Decision-Making, Cassandra J. Hemphill. PDF
It should be specific and avoid cramming too many ideas into one or two sentences. Vague statements should also be avoided. The thesis statement should describe a disputable argument. If the statement cannot be proven false, it is not a good thesis statement. A good thesis statement should use reader-friendly and accessible language.
A thesis statement must go beyond fact and convey a stance. At the heart of a debate is agreement and disagreement. If your argument were indisputable, it wouldn't be an argument. In the example below, the first sentence might make a good hook, but it doesn't require any argumentation - it's simply a statement of fact. The second sentence is
a communication guide for ex-offenders, richard anthony contreras. pdf. authentically disney, distinctly chinese: a case study of glocalization through shanghai disneyland's brand narrative, chelsea michelle galvez. pdf "i am not a princess but…": an ideological criticism of "feminist" ideologies in disney's moana, victoria ...
Placement of the thesis statement. Step 1: Start with a question. Step 2: Write your initial answer. Step 3: Develop your answer. Step 4: Refine your thesis statement. Types of thesis statements. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about thesis statements.
Proofread carefully for spelling and grammatical errors. Most writing should to oneself, but first person plural ("we," "us") and second person ("you," "your") are often vague and should be avoided unless the referent is clearly specified. Write in clear, organized paragraphs. sentences, but generally shorter than a page.
It is a brief statement of your paper's main argument. Essentially, you are stating what you will be writing about. Organize your papers in one place. Try Paperpile. No credit card needed. Get 30 days free. You can see your thesis statement as an answer to a question. While it also contains the question, it should really give an answer to the ...
This thesis may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without the permission of the author. Mastering the Art of Interpersonal Communication: A Qualitative Study on How Individuals Become Masters of Interpersonal Communication. by. Jessica Renney B.A., University of Lethbridge, 2007. Supervisory Committee.
Writing a good thesis statement on effective communication involves communicating your motive in a statement of original and significant thought. The purpose you indicate in your thesis statement is the paper's main point -- insight, argument or point of view -- backed up by compelling research evidence. An ...
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 ...
Step 4: Revise and refine your thesis statement before you start writing. Read through your thesis statement several times before you begin to compose your full essay. You need to make sure the statement is ironclad, since it is the foundation of the entire paper. Edit it or have a peer review it for you to make sure everything makes sense and ...
Thesis Statements. This resource was prepared by the Business Communications Lab at the Sam M. Walton College of Business View All Resources Research & Citation Resources. A thesis statement clearly states the argument or position on a topic as well as previews the main points. It functions as a guide, or essay map, for the audience.
A thesis statement: tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion. is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper. directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself.
Communication Studies: Dissertations & Theses. This subject guide is a starting point for communication-related research, including mass media, speech communication, and more. Dissertation Databases. Use one of the following databases to find dissertations.
Master's Student: Karissa Marie Hernandez. Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Anita Vangelisti. 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)
Strong Thesis Statement Examples. 1. School Uniforms. "Mandatory school uniforms should be implemented in educational institutions as they promote a sense of equality, reduce distractions, and foster a focused and professional learning environment.". Best For: Argumentative Essay or Debate. Read More: School Uniforms Pros and Cons.
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.
Theses/Dissertations from 2020. PDF. Constructing a Neoliberal Youth Culture in Postcolonial Bangladeshi Advertising, Md Khorshed Alam. PDF. Communication, Learning and Social Support at the Speaking Center: A Communities of Practice Perspective, Ann Marie Foley Coats. PDF.
Theses/Dissertations from 2022. An Analysis of International Soccer Fans' Knowledge of Qatar, Perceptions of Qatar's Country Image, and Intention to Support the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Taleb Al-Adbah. Analysis of Prescription Drug Brand Mentions in Music: Prevalence and Consumer Perceptions, Lisa A. Blake.
The thesis is a two-semester course for Communication majors, taken during the senior year. During the first semester, students write a research proposal that includes a literature review and detailed methodology. During the second semester, students conduct data collection and analysis and write the results and discussion to complete the ...
What that means is that you can't just put any statement of fact and have it be your thesis. For example, everyone knows that puppies are cute. An ineffective thesis statement would be, "Puppies are adorable and everyone knows it." This isn't really something that's a debatable topic. Something that would be more debatable would be, "A puppy's ...
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.
(Not) One of the Boys: A Case Study of Female Detectives on HBO, Darcy Griffin. PDF. Pitching the Feminist Voice: A Critique of Contemporary Consumer Feminism, Kate Hoad-Reddick. PDF. Local-Global Tensions: Professional Experience, Role Perceptions and Image Production of Afghan Photojournalists Working for a Global Audience, Saumava Mitra. PDF
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