Graded Homework

MBA 525 – Module 1: Journal Article
Assignment 1

Assignment

You will locate one peer-reviewed journal
article related to a topic covered in Module 1 and create a professionally
designed PowerPoint presentation. In the presentation, you must identify and
explain the purpose of the study (article), interpret definitions and
variations in definitions, if any. The presentation should include a minimum of
five slides, with audio embedded on each slide (for a total of five-to-seven
minutes). You will also submit a Word document of your audio transcript.

Steps

The
following sequence of steps will help you complete this assignment
successfully.

1.
Read the module content and
assigned textbook material thoroughly.

2. Based
on the module content and textbook material, decide on a business-related topic
to research. It is helpful if the topic is narrowed and focused. For example,
the topic of global economy is too broad and yields over 5,700 peer-reviewed
articles in EBSCO Host. Instead, you may consider how Argenti discusses global
economy in Chapter 1. Based on Chapter 1, how would you narrow the topic? You
may decide you are interested in the role of technology and the global economy.
This search, in contrast, yields a much more manageable list of peer-reviewed
journal articles.

3.
Use the SLU online library databases to
search for your peer-reviewed journal articles. You will need to use your SLU
ID and password to gain access. From the list of databases, select either EBSCO
Host or Proquest. Both include an option to limit a search to
scholarly/peer-reviewed journals. You can also limit your search to full-text;
however, the SLU Library has an excellent inter-library loan service that
quickly gets you what you need. You can request full copies of articles the SLU
Library does not have.

4. Evaluate
your search results. Be certain a source is indeed an academic journal, not a
book review, abstract, or “popular” (magazine) article. You do need access to
the entire journal article. Open the complete database entry for your article.
Look for “document type” and “author affiliation.” You most often want a
document type of “article”; however, some essays may be appropriate. If you
have doubt, ask your professor. Most authors of peer-reviewed articles will be
affiliated with a university, college, or research institute. See Evaluating
sources below for further information regarding popular versus scholarly
articles.

5. Read
the article. Most will find it useful to read the abstract first and conclusion
second. You will then want to read the review of literature and the remaining
parts of the article. Keep in mind that scholarly articles are dense, and most
people need to read them more them once. Take your time to process what you are
reading and make notes. Use the Swales and Feak textbook to assist you with
identifying the purpose of the article and the definition of key terms.

6. When
you have completed reading the article, take time to reflect on it. Remember
the hallmark of graduate studies is original thought. Throughout your studies
you will be asked what you think about something. Try to connect the article
with what you already know from undergraduate studies, other classes, work
experience, and life experience. If you need to locate other sources to back up
your point, do that now before moving on.

7. Prepare
and organize thoughts for your presentation. Remember that your objective is
clear for this presentation. You are required to summarize the article, identify
and explain its purpose, and define key terms (clarifying any discrepancies in
definitions), all packed in a professional PowerPoint presentation. Be certain
to read the grading rubric in the Start Here folder for details.

Evaluating
sources

Scholarly/peer-reviewed
journals are vital sources of up-to-date information and scholarship. Although

“popular”
sources (magazine, primarily) are not without merit and may also contain
well-considered writing, the purpose of distinguishing between these types of
works is to determine their degree of authority and depth of research on a
given topic, and thereby their intrinsic academic value. The following chart
points out the distinctions between popular and scholarly periodicals.

	Popular		Scholarly/peer-reviewed
Broad range of topics, generally presented in		Specific, often narrowly focused topics in lengthy,
shorter articles		in-depth articles
Articles offer overview of subject matter; reportage,
rather than original research; sometimes contain		Articles often contain previously unpublished
feature articles and reports on current social issues		research and detail new developments in field
and public opinion
Intended to attract a general readership without any		Intended for specialist readership of researchers,
particular expertise or advanced education		academics, students and professionals
Written by staff (not always attributed) or freelance		Written by specialists and researchers in subject
	area, usually employing technical, subject-specific
writers using general, popular language
	language and jargon
Edited and approved for publication in-house (not		Critically evaluated by peers (fellow scholars) in
	field for content, scholarly soundness, and
peer-reviewed)
	academic value
			Well-researched, documented articles nearly
Articles rarely contain references or footnotes and		always follow standard format: abstract,
	introduction, literature review, methodology, results,
follow no specific format
	conclusion, bibliography/references
Designed to attract eye of potential newsstand		Sober design: mostly text with some tables or
	graphs accompanying articles; usually little or no
customers: usually filled with photographs or
	photography; negligible, if any, advertising; rarely
illustrations, printed on glossier paper		printed on high-gloss paper
			Page numbers of issues within a volume (year) are
Each issue begins with page number ‘1’		usually consecutive (i.e., first page of succeeding
	issue is number following last page number of
			previous issue)
Presented to entertain, promote point of		Intended to present researchers’ opinions and
view, and/or sell products		findings based on original research
Examples: Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Vogue		Examples: American Sociological Review, Journal
	of Popular Culture, Sustainable Agriculture

(Derived from material
created by UC Santa Cruz University Library. Used with permission.)

Statement
on graduate-level writing requirements

Your
writing reflects your ideas and communicates your understanding of the topic to
the instructor. Even though the writing in this assignment will be done as a
presentation (PowerPoint slides and a transcript of your audio), it is
important to adhere to graduate writing standards. This assignment will be
graded on the composition elements listed below, as well as your understanding
of the content:

Successful
graduate-level writing should demonstrate

•
Proofreading skills

•
Correct grammar and
punctuation

• Logical
organization

•
Proper content presentation
(introduction, body, conclusion)

•
Correct formatting for
citations, references, and headings

•
Correct and consistent use of
APA style and formatting

Assignment
submission

Submit
the Journal Article 1 to Chalk and Wire no later than Sunday 11:59 EST/EDT of Module 1.

The
Journal Article 1 Chalk and Wire link is located in the Module 1 folder.
Students who do not submit the assignment to Chalk and Wire will receive a
zero. This is a key program assessment; the results are used to ensure students
are meeting program goals. Video and PDF instructions can be found on the
course home page. PDF instructions are also located in the Start Here folder. (Chalk
and Wire is linked to turnitin).