Scholarly vs. Popular Media
This assignment will help you explore the way a topic in human sexuality is covered in two very different sources: 1) a scholarly journal; and 2) a popular media source.
Instructions
Choose a topic on sexuality that interests you. Use the textbook as a guide in selecting your topic.
Find a scholarly article
Select an appropriate topic, and search the APUS online library databases to find an article from a "peer-reviewed" evidence-based scholarly journal.
If you have questions on appropriate types of articles, you can use the library tutorials or contact a librarian.
Summarize the scholarly article
Write a 300-400 word summary of the scholarly article you selected, including:
The hypothesis of the study (what was he author trying to prove or disprove?)
How the study was conducted, including:
The group of people researched and written about (colleges students? adolescents? the elderly? military members? sexual minorities? etc.)
The research method used (i.e. naturalistic observation, lab experiment, survey, etc.)
The results of the study, the interpretation of the data by the authors and any conclusions they include at the end of the article.
Find and summarize the popular media article
Find and analyze/summarize an article from the popular media that covers the same topic as the scholarly paper. Acceptable popular media sources include sources like:
Traditional newspapers
Magazines
Credible websites
Unacceptable popular media sources include:
Blogs
Wikis
Wikipedia
TV shows
Movies
Tabloids (National Enquirer, etc.)
Write a 300-400 word summary and review of the popular media article.
Summarize the key points and include any information that identifies the group and the methods described.
Describe any conclusions drawn by the authors.
Critique (about 500 words)
Compare the article from Step 3 with the article from Step 4, addressing the following:
What do they have in common?
Other than visually, how are they most different?
What is the value for consumers reading each?
What are the cons associated with the way each presents the information?
Both sources can be important means of communicating information about your topic. Explain what is best about the scholarly approach and why, and what is best about the popular media approach and why. Consider:
Reasons professors require students to use papers from peer-reviewed and professional organizations.
Reasons for studying sex formally instead of just learning about it from popular media sources.
Conclusion (about 500 words)
Conclude your paper. Include insights you gained from conducting the review, summary, and comparison of the two forms of nformation. You may comment on their relative interest to you or the average reader.
General Writing Requirements
Total paper length should be 1500-2000 words.
Use appropriate APA formatting, in-text (parenthetical), and Reference citations. APA formatting guides are available in our class Resources link. APA tutorials are also available on the APUS Library page. If you're not sure how to do this, take the APA tutorial available in the APU library.
APA formatting requires a separate cover page and a separate References page. Neither counts toward the word length.
Sources must be cited in the body of your paper (in-text or parenthetical citations) and on a page titled: References
Paraphrases should be used instead of quotes unless the quote is VERY short and necessary for complete understanding or to make a particular point. Place quotes inside quotation marks and properly cite them. Failure to correctly quote or cite, even if not intended is plagiarism and will result in a zero on the paper for a first instance and course failure for a second occurrence in any other assignment.
Rewrites are not permitted for plagiarized work.