Final paper

For your final assignment, you will write a 800 – 1,000 word paper (double spaced). This word count does NOT include the list of references in a bibliography, but it does include footnotes. 

I will penalize you 10% for going over the upper word limit.  I want to make sure that I am grading all students on the same ‘product’ size. 

The final paper is worth 20% of your overall grade or 75 points. 

You have two options. After reading the descriptions below, choose the one you would like to write. 

OPTION 1 

Write a 800 – 1,000  word paper that primarily uses social media sources. These sources…

• must be reliable 
• may come from any social media platform (you may use a combination of platforms)  
• must include expert opinions  (thoughts from writers at @ABCNews, @ESPN, @theRoot, @RollingStone and journalists from elite media: Atlantic, Economist, New York Times, etc.)
• must be properly cited and give proper attribution (examples from Chicago Manual of Style are at below, but any style is acceptable)
• may include no more than two (2) academic resources not cited in class. Academic resources are not required, but may be used to help support your topic. 
  

This option will challenge you, as it takes a different format from what you’re probably used to writing. The goal of this assignment is to help you negotiate the precarious social media landscape by utilizing everything you learned in class.  You should be able to distinguish authoritative comments from the everyday thoughts of the average person, fake news from other forms of disinformation. This assignment will immerse you in social media and enhance your digital literacy 

Possible topics may come from your various social media accounts (e.g.  from trending topics on Twitter, suggestions from your TikTok, IG feed or a topic that interests you and can be easily researched on  social media).  Examples: Advertisers Boycott Facebook or How are Colleges Handling COVD-19 Outbreaks ?

Suggested Format:

• Title
• Introductory paragraph: Introduces your topic, outlines how your topic is linked to the broader themes of the course, and gives the reader an indication of the direction of the paper.
• Set of linked paragraphs that provide background and argument. Your paper should present the reader with a mix of information and analysis that both gives sufficient background information and provides insight into the question posed by the paper. Each paragraph should be a building block in that argument. If this were a PowerPoint, each paragraph could be summed up in a bullet point.
• Conclusions: This paragraph sums up the key points, synthesizing them into a coherent and convincing conclusion.
• Bibliography. Should be alphabetized and in an accepted academic format
• Screenshots of cited social media posts should be included in the appendix. These do not count towards word count. 
  

If you choose this option, you will have questions. I will be available to help you, so ask away!

Sample Citation Style (Chicago Manual of Style)

OPTION 2

Write a 800 – 1,000 word policy paper that gives a well-researched set of solutions to address one of the problems in social media. For example, you could suggest ways that a social media platform could address disinformation or perceived bias. 

• Introduction: say why you have selected this problem and how it relates to the course
• Background: describe and analyze how the problem and expand on how it relates to some of the key concepts in the course
• Solutions: Based on what you have learned in the course and additional research, you will suggestions for how to address the problem 
• Conclusions

References: The paper should include references to academic and policy analyses relevant to the case study. In other words, you need a bibliography with academic sources!

You will need a minimum of five (5) sources although some of your sources may come from policy centers and think tanks rather than academic sources. Students often ask if sources from think tanks or journalistic sources count. Some papers from think tanks (such as Pew) may count — the key is whether they discuss abstract concepts instead of just give data. Citing data is also good, but it doesn’t replace analysis so even if you find a source with data and you cite it, that doesn’t count toward your five academic sources. But it probably makes your paper better.