Writing Like a Communication Researcher

Have you ever wondered why or how the increase of social media may affect our

lives? Reading communication research paper will help you understand and answer

questions about human behaviors. Like many social science research papers, studies such

as social media’s effect on people’s well-being have similar structures and characteristics.

The three main process that researcher do on their academic writing is literature review to

understand previous studies, to describe and select research methods that best fits their

study, and to explain the study’s findings to allow readers to understand the analysis of

the data.

In the introduction paragraph, researcher performs the literature review by

introducing the topic and explaining how they come to their hypothesis. By reviewing

previous research’s with theories on the impact of social media and well-being and

understanding the study’s findings, researchers can develop their own hypothesis. In an

introduction from a research paper, the author started off with “According to a survey

conducted by Nielson/NetRatings…studies such as these illustrates who is using the

Internet…” (Shaw, L.H.). Shaw used a previous study to illustrate how previous

researcher’s process of calculating the usage of Internet through survey had motivated

him to create his own study with social media. By incorporating previous research in the

introduction, researchers can show the readers how other studies have already developed

a rational reasoning to conduct the present study and to help explain how the present

variables, such as social media usage, can be tested and defined. The purpose of

reviewing previous research it to let researcher skip steps in explaining why their variable
measurements are reliable and valid. However, finding the proper article to review is very

difficult because there’s million of published work with different variables.

Using online database search with a variable in mind, can help readers track the

study they want to read. In fact, variable searches are how articles attract their targeted

audience. Searching a variable allow readers to see all the numerous articles that

mentioned the variable at least once. However, this results in too many articles for the

readers to read. In this situation, readers can read the title and the abstract of the study.

An abstract is a short summary that describes the aim and the process of the study and

gives a brief explanation of the hypothesis. Whereas the title contains a short description

of the study, containing the key words and variable used in the research. For example, in

one of the articles called “Friend Networking Sites and Their Relationship to Adolescents’

Well-Being and Social-Esteem” (Valkenburg), the authors used the title to let readers know

exactly what the research would be about. The two key words, “Networking Sites” and “Well-

Being” are included in their hypothesis. While networking site isn’t the same as social media,

readers can still easily search up the article with the keywords in the title or the writing.

As Rachyl Pines have mention in the interview, academic journals are fun to read

when “they are related to my area of study…outside of my research area of study… I

usually read [the] summaries of the articles, and not closely read the whole thing”

(personal communication, February 09, 2019). Since academic writings are filled with facts and

analysis, it can be tedious and annoying to read the whole paper with no enjoyment. Since, there

are still many human interactions and behaviors out there that are unexplained, there are always

new claims being tested by researchers. For this reason, the targeted audience are social scientist
that are interested on the article’s topics. Once the targeted audience decided on a study, they can

approach the method section to learn more about the process of conducting the study.

The purpose of the method section is to describe how the study would be

conducted and designed, which allows other scientist to retest their study for reliability or

to make changes or improvements. The section is divided into subgroups depending on

the number of variables involved and the structure of the study. The design of the study

depends on the topic of the research because the hypothesis determines the type of study

they would conduct for their study. A researcher chooses their topic based on personal

interest or curiosity after reading other research. After choosing the topic, they must

select the population of their study.

One of the subsections includes the description of the participants. When

conducting a study on social media usage and well-beings, the author described the

participants as “adolescent between 10 and 19 of age who had profile on the friend networking

site” (Valkenburg). By stating the subject’s basic demographic background, the researchers can

claim that their study can only represent the sample they tested on. They would further describe

how each participant are selected and how they would be compensated for their participation.

However, there are differences in the design for survey and experimental studies.

In a survey research, they would need to describe how each variable are measured, and

by using previous studies as reference, they can use other’s developed scales for their own study.

For example, Shaw and his co-writer used the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression

Scale (CES-D) to measure depression in their study by asking the same questions and using the

same scale so that they don’t have to go through the trouble of validating a new scale. Unlike,

survey, experimental studies need more explanation in assigning participants.

 If the study is conducted as an experiment like Vogel’s studies, then they would have to

add an addition step in explaining how each participant are placed in a control and experimental

group. Similarly, experimental studies also use previous studies’ scales to help measure their

variable. They are required to describe the procedure of how they collect the data for their study,

so their peers can reconduct the same study to ensure the accuracy of the measure. This

subsection include detailed step-by-step process of how the study was conducted and how data

were collected. To sum up the data, the researcher would provide a result section to conclude the

study.

The purpose of the result section is to describe any statistical techniques used to analyze

the data collected from the measurements they used. Before any visual aids are presented, they

must analyze the data in detail, explaining how the data may or may not support the hypothesis.

In most cases, the average or the mean score of the data would be calculated between the two

variables and then a correlation score would be calculated to show the strength and the type of

relationship the two variables have. Then they would include a graph to give a visual

presentation of how the two variables are connected. At the very end of the result section, they

would conclude the results into one single sentence and tie it back to their hypothesis.

For example, after showing there’s no correlation between social media and well-being,

the writers wrote “there were no significant interactions [between the two variables] …Table 2

shows the F statistics for interactions between scores of each of the measures…” (Shaw). The

writer first describe their findings from the data they collected, then they introduce the graphs to

help readers see the visual analyzation. To reduce confusion, they would label all the graphs or

tables with numbers and titles, so the readers know exactly which visual aid to look at while
reading the passages. However, as the results section consist mostly of statistical procedures and

numbers, the language used can be hard for most casual readers to understand.

Most readers would have trouble reading and understanding all the numbers in the result

section, especially readers that are not in the field of social science or statistic. However, readers

do not necessarily need to know what each number means to understand the results of the study

because the analysis are described in words as well. In some situation, non-scientist wouldn’t

know the meaning of some terms used in the paper. For example, it would be hard for most

readers to understand if the writer just mentions the Emotional Contagion Theory without

explaining the concept. When readers don’t understand the numbers or theories used in the result

section, they can proceed to the discussion section for a faster review of the results.

Discussion section is a place where researchers would evaluate and interpret their studies’

results. By using the data they’ve collected, they can determine if their research question were

answered. They would further explain how their data may or may not support their hypothesis.

The writers would criticize their study by pointing out their strengths and weakness, allowing

future researchers to avoid the same mistakes performed in the study. This allow researchers to

reveal their flaws in their study and explain how some variables may be exaggerated or used

improperly. The discussion section also explain how future researchers could improve their own

studies by giving advice and suggestions. At last, the study would explain their interest in the

study and how the results from this research can help and contribute to knowledge of the society.

To help understand how social media may affect our well-being, people are

recommended to read academic articles that are supported by evidence. The purpose of

publishing studies is “to contribute the body of knowledge on a topic that can then be public and

built on to improve our world” (Pine). Researchers writes academic journals to help people
understand human’s social behaviors. Since the writings are structed in organized section with

headings, it’s effective in allowing readers to access the information that they’re interested in and

allow them to skim through the article without having to read every section. By reading

academic journals, readers learn something new and avoid any false claims trending on the

internet. Reading academic writing allow normal citizens to make informed decisions and

evaluate information reported online and in the media.

 Reference Page

Pines, Rachyl. “Interview Question.” 9 Feb. 2019.

Shaw, L. H., & Gant, L. M. (2002). In Defense of the Internet: The Relationship between

Internet Communication and Depression, Loneliness, Self-Esteem, and Perceived Social

Support. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 5(2), 157-171.

doi:10.1089/109493102753770552

Valkenburg, P. M., Peter, J., & Schouten, A. P. (2006). Friend Networking Sites and Their

Relationship to Adolescents Well-Being and Social Self-Esteem. CyberPsychology &

Behavior,9(5), 584-590. doi:10.1089/cpb.2006.9.584

Vogel, E. A., Rose, J. P., Roberts, L. R., & Eckles, K. (2014). Social media, social

comparison, and self-esteem. Psychology Of Popular Media Culture, 3(4), 206-222.

doi:10.1037/e512142015-699