OverviewDeveloping research questions is an iterative process, which means that the questions are continuously changing as new information is uncovered and new thoughts occur. Since we are human, our beliefs, assumptions, and values may influence the questions we ask about human behavior. In addition, examining information from a social science perspective can influence what we focus on.
PromptUse the Module Five Activity Template to complete this activity. First, review your instructor’s feedback on the research question you wrote in the previous module. Use that information and any new thoughts you have had about your advertisements to revise your research question. Revising may involve rewriting your research question completely. Or you may need to narrow your focus, improve the clarity of the question, or more sufficiently connect it to a social science perspective.
You are not required to answer each question below the rubric criteria but may use them to better understand the criteria and guide your thinking.
Specifically, you must address the following rubric criteria:
Revise your research question that addresses at least one of your chosen advertisements.Consult the feedback from your instructor and additional analysis of your advertisements to revise your research question and make it stronger. For example, you may need to narrow your focus further, clarify language, or connect your topic to a social science perspective.
Explain how social science perspectives could be used to process information.Choose a perspective that is different from the one you discussed in the previous module (psychological, sociological, anthropological, economic, or political). How might looking at information you encounter daily from that perspective deepen your understanding of the content? How could you apply that perspective to things like sponsored posts on social media, study results reported in the news, claims made by politicians, or the representation of groups and cultures in television shows?
Describe how the answer to your research question might impact others.If you were to conduct a social science study to answer your research question, who might be particularly interested in hearing about your results? Which groups of people might be most affected by your research and how might they be impacted? What branch of the social sciences might be most interested in your results?
Guidelines for SubmissionSubmit the Module Five Activity Template. While references are not required, if you reference sources in your responses, they should be cited according to APA style. Consult the Shapiro Library APA Style Guide for more information on citations.
Module Five Activity RubricCriteriaProficient (100%)Needs Improvement (75%)Not Evident (0%)ValueRevise Research QuestionRevises research question that addresses at least one of the chosen advertisementsShows progress toward proficiency, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include connecting a social science perspective to the research question or making the question clearer or narrowerDoes not attempt criterion30Social Science PerspectivesExplains how social science perspectives could be used to process informationShows progress toward proficiency, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include applying social science perspectives to processing information or providing more examples of how social science perspectives can be usedDoes not attempt criterion30Impact OthersDescribes how the answer to the research question might impact othersShows progress toward proficiency, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include connecting the research question to community impact or explaining the impact with more examplesDoes not attempt criterion30Articulation of ResponseClearly conveys meaning with correct grammar, sentence structure, and spelling, demonstrating an understanding of audience and purposeShows progress toward proficiency, but with errors in grammar, sentence structure, and spelling, negatively impacting readabilityThe submission has critical errors in grammar, sentence structure, and spelling, preventing understanding of ideas10Total:100%
