Electronic Communication Tools

Running head: Elec. Comm. Tools 1

Electronic Communication Tools

Myrna Davis-Washington

University of the Rockies


Abstract

Communication is fundamental to health. There is widespread

consensus that health education and promotion efforts should use

state-of-the-art health communications strategies to disseminate

information and change behavior. This paper critiques, compares,

and contrasts some of today’s available electronic communication

tools: wikis, web forms, blogs, RSS newsfeeds, threaded forums,

e-brochures, e-mails, e-newsletters, and web conferences/

webinars. It defines each tool, explains how it can be used as a

source of health promotion communication, evaluates what types of

health messages they might best carry (e.g., specific health

promotion topics and initial marketing of a health promotion

program vs. ongoing motivational messaging), and identifies which

populations each type of electronic communication tool may be

best suited for and why. In addition to a critique of which type

of electronic mediums are most/least useful, this paper includes

an evaluation of how readability of the materials and literacy


level may factor into usability of electronic communication

vehicles, and concludes with an assessment of whether electronic

social networking websites are appropriate for health promotion

communications and why.

Electronic Communication Tools

The past decade has seen a tremendous increase in internet use and computer-mediated communication. As an increasing amount of communicative activity takes place through this new medium, there has likewise been a significant increase in primary research on virtual communities, online relationships, and a variety of other aspects of computer-mediated communication. Studies of online populations have led to an increase in the use of online surveys, presenting scholars with new challenges in terms of applying traditional survey research methods to the study of online behavior and Internet use. Communication researchers may find the Internet an especially rich domain for conducting survey research. Virtual communities have flourished online,


and hundreds of thousands of people regularly participate indiscussions about almost every conceivable issue and interest. Areas as diverse as interpersonal, group, organizational, health, and mass communication have been studied using online (technology). (Wright, 2005).

Communication is fundamental to health. As a communication

tool, the World Wide Web is a platform that harnesses collective

intelligence through the sharing of information and data in a

free, open-source way, providing a richer user-experience,

participation, openness, conversation, community and

connectedness. With just over 129 million websites in operation

as of March 2011, over 400 million people watch video online,

more than 350 million read blogs, over 300 million visit friend’s

social networking profiles, and over 500 million use Facebook. In

addition, 59% of American adults communicate wirelessly online

through mobile phones and 61% look online for health information.

With such powerful resources for the dissemination of all types

of information, it seems only logical that according to the

Institute of Medicine and the U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services (as cited in DiFranco, Bressi & Salaer, 2006), “there is

widespread consensus that health education and promotion efforts

should use state-of-the-art health communications strategies to


disseminate information and change behavior.” However, like any

new technology, there are advantages and disadvantages to using

such a newfound electronic communication tools. For example,

while there is an abundance of ‘good’, reliable information on

the Internet, there is also a plethora of ‘bad’ information laden

with opinions, misconceptions, irony, satire, parodies, and

inaccurate information. And, while the Internet is teeming with

the ‘truth’, it is also brimming with ‘lies’. Therefore, it is

incumbent upon health communicators to evaluate not only the

verifiability of these communication tools, but their

applicability as effective health communication tools. (Bardus,

2011; Domaine Tools, 2011; Johnson & Lamb, 2011; Root &

Stableford, 1999; Wright, 2005)

The purpose of this assignment is to critique, compare, and

contrast a variety of available electronic communication tools,

including wikis, web forms, blogs, RSS newsfeeds, threaded

forums, electronic newsletters, e-mails, e-brochures, and web

conferences/ webinars. To facilitate these goals, this paper

defines each tool, explains how it might be used as a source of

health promotion communication, evaluates what types of health


messages it might best carry (e.g., specific health promotion

topics and initial marketing of a health promotion program vs.

ongoing motivational messaging), and identifies which populations

each type of electronic communication tool may be best suited for

and why. In addition to a critique of which type of electronic

mediums are most/least useful, this paper evaluates how

readability of the materials and literacy level may factor into

usability of electronic communication vehicles and concludes with

an assessment of whether electronic social networking websites

are appropriate for health promotion communications and why.

Wikis

A ‘wiki’ is an open, collaborative community website that

handles complex problems with simple solutions; the most popular

of which is ‘Wikipedia’ (Matias, 2011). IBM, SAP, Sony Ericsson,

Pixar, Carbon Five, and Red Ant use wikis for collaboration with

clients and managing production on major projects (Elevator View,

2011). Some of the common uses of wikis include developer

networks, managing software development, technical documentation,

knowledge bases, and Intranets and extranets (Elevator View,

2011).


As a source of health promotion communication, wikis can be

used for a large variety of tasks, from personal note-taking to

collaborating online, creating an internal knowledge base,

assembling an online community, and managing a traditional

website (Mathias, 2011). The advantages of wikis are that they

simplify editing of the website, use simple markup, record

document history, simplify link and new page creation,

facilitates site organization, stores everything in an internal

hypertext database, functions as a collaborative, and encourages

good hypertext (Mathias, 2011). However, it is this openness to

collaboration that also works to undermines wiki’s verifiability;

anyone can change the information at any time. Luckily, wiki

keeps the website history in its database and false information

can easily be removed once it is found. The biggest problem with

wiki is its verifiability and the constant monitoring required to

stay abreast of misinformation and changes to the site. For this

reason, wiki is a reliable source of information for those with

high health literacy and people with higher levels of education;

those who are adept at discerning the information’s reliability

and veracity.


On a ‘good’ note, wikis contain detailed, reliable reference

lists, which are most often scholastic or peer-reviewed sources;

these can be accessed for more reliable and verifiable

information. Since the main concerns with Internet wikis are

speed, reliability, and security, wikis are recommended for

general health messaging and ongoing motivational messaging,

rather than the dissemination of sensitive or educational

information (Elevator View, 2011). Although specific health

promotion topics may be found on wikis, it is advisable to

‘consider the sources’ used for the articles and to only use

wikis as referrals for other, more reliable sources. Although

students and youth between the ages of 12 and 21 are the most

prevalent users of wikis, the populations that this electronic

communication tool are best suited for are people who are already

well-informed, and those with high health literacy and/or high

educational levels. (Matias, 2011)

Web Forms

‘Web Forms’ are User Interface (UI) elements or pages that

users directly or indirectly ‘request’ through their browser.

These pages are written as HTML and server controls along with


server-side logic or code. When requested by users, web forms

execute on the server and generate the HTML that the user’s

browser can render. The advantages to using web forms are that

they are easy to start, develop, and deploy; they optimize URLs

for search engines; they allow for more control over markup and

create a standards-compliant Web page; and they are more

productive and extensible (Microsoft APS.NET, 2011). As a source

of health promotion communication, web forms can be used to

disseminate information about general health and specific health

promotion topics and to market health promotion programs. As

such, they are best suited for populations with high health

literacy and proficient computer skills.

Blogs or Weblogs

A ‘blog’ or weblog is usually a single page of entries that

is organized in reverse-chronological order (from most recent

entry to least recent). It is normally public (visible by the

whole world) and usually comes from a single author. The entries

in a blog are usually stream-of-consciousness and there is no

particular order to them. A typical blog has a main page

containing a set of entries, each of which is a little text blurb


that may contain embedded links out to other sites, news stories,

etc. When the author adds a new entry, it goes at the top,

pushing the older entries down. The blog also has a right sidebar

that contains additional permanent links to other sites and

stories and the author can update the sidebar weekly or monthly.

Although blogs can be completely free-form, many blogs have

a focus. For example, if a blogger is interested in diabetes, he

or she might post every news article and every piece of research

he or she finds on the disease. (Brian, 2011) The types of

health messages that this tool might best carry include social

support, social networking (i.e., walking clubs, exercise

groups), ongoing motivational messaging, general health

information, and tailored health messaging. Blogs are not,

however, suggested as a source of peer-reviewed, scholastic,

empirically-based information and should, therefore never be used

for urgent or emergency health. Although they are a popular

communication tool for sharing information between health and

wellness professionals, it is important for users to check the

credentials and authenticity of bloggers before accepting their

information as ‘gospel’. For this reason, the population(s) for


which this type of electronic communication tool are best-suited

include health professionals, those with high health literacy,

users with high levels of education/knowledge, those who have a

high sense of self-efficacy, and those who are self-motivated and

self-directed. (Brain, 2011)

RSS Newsfeeds

An ‘RSS (Rich Site Summary) Newsfeed’ is a format for

delivering regularly-changing web content. Many news-related

sites, weblogs and other online publishers syndicate their

content as an RSS Feed to whoever wants it. RSS facilitates the

use of the Internet as a source of health information by allowing

users to easily stay informed by retrieving the latest content

from the sites they are most interested in. Users save time by

not needing to visit each site individually, privacy is ensured

by not needing to join each site's e-mail newsletter, and the

number of sites offering RSS feeds is growing rapidly and

includes big names like Yahoo News. The way that RSS works is

that Feed Reader or News Aggregator software allows users to grab

the RSS feeds from various sites and display them to read and

use. A variety of RSS Readers are available for different

http://news.yahoo.com/rss/


platforms; popular feed readers include Amphetadesk (Windows,

Linux, Mac), FeedReader (Windows), and NewsGator (Windows -

integrates with Outlook). There are also a number of web-based

feed readers available. My Yahoo, Bloglines, and Google Reader

are popular web-based feed readers. Once the Feed Reader is

obtained, it is a matter of finding sites that syndicate content

and adding their RSS feed to the existing list of feeds the Feed

Reader checks. Many sites display a small icon with the acronyms

RSS, XML, or RDF to inform users that a feed is available.

(www.whatisrss.com, 2011)

As a source of health promotion communication, RSS is an

excellent source of reliable information; provided the sources

used are reliable, authentic, timely, objective, relevant, and

empirically-based. The types of health messages this tool might

best carry include specific health promotion topics, initial

marketing of a health promotion program, and targeted messaging.

Again, the population(s) that this type of electronic

communication tool are best suited for include those with high

health literacy and high levels of education, those in the medium

to upper SES levels (because they are most likely to have access

http://www.whatisrss.com/

http://www.syndic8.com/feedcat.php

http://www.google.com/reader/

http://www.bloglines.com/

http://my.yahoo.com/

http://www.newsgator.com/

http://www.feedreader.com/

http://www.disobey.com/amphetadesk/


to electronic communication), and those who are self-motivated

and self-directed.

Threaded Forums

A ‘threaded forum or discussion’ is a Web-based electronic

bulletin board that organizes group or class discussions into

easy-to-read threads (a thread is a single posted message from

one person; to read the thread the user simply clicks on the

thread to read the message). This is the format most commonly

used in online education (i.e., “discussion boards”) to stimulate

critical thinking and provide a forum of exchange and interaction

among and between students and the legal educator. Using this

format, the professor or instructor poses a question or

hypothetical for the student to answer and each student is then

responsible for responding to the question and at least two other

students. Students can then be witnessed checking their

understanding of an idea, verifying their grasp of a task, trying

out ideas on each other, offering drafts for comment, expressing

their re-thinking of those drafts, and so on. (Jordan, 2001).

In threaded forums, the focus is on individual posts

clustering by subject. Threaded is generally seen in two forms.


The first, which is the preferred form, is an individual HTML

page. In the second form, users must click to a separate web page

for each message (a slow and costly process). Threaded forums are

excellent for question and answers (Q&A), tasks that have very

specific breakdowns of content into fine-but-related categories.

However, threaded forums can become very fragmented in large

groups and, unless well managed, difficult for group- and team-

building. Examples of threaded boards include www.vbulletin.com,

www.ip-forum.com, and www.prospero.com. (White, 2003)

As a source of health promotion communication, threaded

forums can be used in health education as an effective teaching

tool and to enhance learning by providing alternative learning

strategies. The types of health messages this tool best carries

includes the dissemination of general health information,

specific health promotion topics, health education, and ongoing

motivational messaging. Because they provide the opportunity for

dialogue and discussion, threaded forums are excellent for

students, organizations wishing to communicate health information

to employees, and health educators.

E-Brochures

http://www.prospero.com/

http://www.ip-forum.com/

http://www.vbulletin.com/


An ‘e-brochure’ or electronic brochure is a transactional

24x7 web service that complements the communication media of many

institutions (Head & Hughes, 2006). By diverting prospects from

making numerous hard-copy brochures, this communication tool

offers an interactive Web page that is customized according to

program interests. At Kennesaw State University, for example,

assembly and delivery of e-brochures are automated and outsourced

and the electronic brochure is automatically followed-up with

mail delivery of a print version of the e-brochure. (Head &

Hughes, 2006)

As a source of health promotion communication, e-brochures

can be used to deliver both tailored and targeted messages, as

well as specific health promotion topics, initial marketing of a

health promotion program, ongoing motivational messaging, and

general health information. The population(s) this type of

electronic communication tool are best suited for include those

with high health literacy and anyone who is affected by the

subject-matter of the e-brochures

E-mails


Of all the communication tools discussed in this paper, ‘e-

mail’ or electronic mail is the most powerful because it can

greatly enhance health communication through its numerous

potential applications within the health and wellness profession.

For example, individuals and large organizations can use e-mail

to communicate a vast array of messages from interpersonal

messaging to tailored health messages aimed at individual

behaviors to targeted health messages aimed at targeting specific

audiences to emergency communication of the Center for Disease

Control and Prevention’s (CDC, as cited in Dalton, Griffin, &

Slutsker, 1997) 50+ state epidemiologists and laboratory

directors during two 1995 outbreaks of salmonella. E-mails are

used in proliferation in every aspect of daily lives and are an

effective form of ‘instant messaging’ that can be utilized by

anyone with a computer and access to the Internet.

As a health communication tool, e-mails can be used by

physicians and their patients to enhance physician-patient

relationships and rapport and by public health groups to

disseminate urgent information at lightning speeds. However,

although physician-patient e-mail communication volume is


increasing, little research has addressed patient interest and

concerns about this now commonplace technology. One study

(Katzen, Solan, & Dicker, 2005) surveyed a population of cancer

patients to assess their access to e-mail and their attitudes

about physician-patient e-mail communication. Findings indicated

that patients favored e-mail for increased convenience,

efficiency, and timeliness about general health problems, but did

not favor it for urgent matters. (Katzen, Solan, & Dicker, 2005)

Electronic communication by public health groups (i.e., Epi-

net links public health agencies in the United Kingdom, Salm-net

links agencies involved in foodborne disease surveillance and

control in Europe) is rapidly increasing. However, there is a

need for a global network that allows public health agencies of

every country to rapidly communicate real or potential emergent

disease threats. (Dalton, Griffin, & Slutsker, 1997)

e-Newsletters

Electronic newsletters (e-newsletters), such as ePicks

Newsletter (Food & Health Communications, 2011) and HopeHealth

(2011), are private, online publications dedicated to creating

fun, engaging health education materials for professionals and


teachers to make a difference in their clients' lives. E-

newsletters print on-demand so that materials remain current and

provide free digital updates to products for clients. Materials

are based on peer-reviewed, current scientific information and

the information provided on the site is meant to complement (and

not replace) any advice or information from a health

professional. Food and Health Communications (2011) has

partnered with USDA to help get MyPyramid's critical nutrition

guidelines into the hands of families, teachers and health

educators to help individuals shop and stock their kitchen with

MyPyramid. They have facilitated cooking and meal planning by

providing the right ingredients to keep on-hand with recipes,

shopping lists, handouts and leader activity guides. (Food &

Health Communications, 2011).

For nearly 30 years, HopeHealth (2011) has been servicing

clients and providing high-quality, medically-accurate health

communication tools. As a communication tool, all of Hope

Health’s (2011) products are produced by staff experienced in

health communications, and reviewed for accuracy, timeliness and

suitability for a consumer audience by our active and esteemed


Medical Advisory Board. HopeHealth’s fast-loading, Web-based

design contains all the best features of a web-site, portal,

eNewsletter, and an eZine. As a source of health promotion

communication, the types of health messages that these e-

newsletters focus on include the four main areas of wellness

(food, fitness, self-care, and finances). E-newsletters can be

used alone or with existing print communications; for tailored or

targeted messaging; are easy to distribute via e-mail or post on

a secured Webpage; and require no sign-ins or passwords. The

population(s) that this type of electronic communication tool are

best suited for include the general population, employees

interested in health, individuals contemplating change, and those

with high health literacy. (HopeHealth, 2011).

Web Conferences of Webinars

A ‘webinar’ ("web" + "seminar") is a seminar hosted over the

Web or Internet. Also known as a web-based seminar or web

conference), a webinar involves a presenter communicating to an

audience via an online interface. Webinars typically allow users

to interact with the presenter through a chat feature or question

interface and are frequently used in the business world as a


teaching tool, and have multiple benefits. For example, instead

of the time and expense of having employees visit another

location for training, employers can bring the training to

employees’ computers. Webinars can also be an effective teaching

tool in the classroom and in high school or post-secondary

classes as an alternative learning methodology. Webinars often

use the telephone in conjunction with the computer. As the

student or trainee follows the course material, he or she can ask

questions to the instructor over the phone. (Duggan, 2011; McCoy,

2011)

Planning a health-focused webinar event involves

establishing goals and objectives for the program, deciding how

to promote the event so that participants are motivated to

attend, and deciding how frequently to offer the webinar.

Developing an effective webinar requires comprehensive planning

that typically includes two months in advance for a two-hour

event. (Duggan, 2011) Webinars can be used by organizations and

health professionals to disseminate specific information to

targeted audiences, as a teaching tool, and as a business adjunct

to facilitate communication. They are also effective in


communicating health messages about specific health promotion

topics and in the initial marketing of a health promotion program

to stimulate interests, provide training, and encourage

participation. Webinars are best-suited for those with high

health literacy and those who are self-motivated, self-directed,

and ready for change.

Utility of Electronic Mediums

Each of the nine health communication tools discussed in

this paper (i.e., wikis, web forms, blogs, RSS newsfeeds,

threaded forums, electronic newsletters, e-mails, e-brochures,

and web conferences/ webinars) has its own place and usefulness.

Health communicators and individuals who are contemplating using

electronic communication as a source of health information need

to learn to evaluate the quality of resources and information

they find on the Internet, as well as other information resources

such as books, magazines, CD-ROM, and television. In general,

they should remain skeptical of everything they find on the

Internet by ‘considering the source (of the information)’and

comparing and contrasting different information sources against

the following criteria: (1) authority (the author’s credentials,


background, and motivations); (2) objectivity (unbiased

perspective); (3) authenticity (accurate documentation of

sources); (4) reliability (verifiability or trustworthiness of

information); (5) timeliness (currency of information); (6)

relevance (alignment with health needs); and (7) efficiency

(organization and speed of accessibility) (Johnson & Lamb, 2011).

Individuals exploring health information on the web should

keep in mind that the information on the Internet ranges from

empirical data to opinions. In addition to checking for

reliability, authenticity, timeliness, objectivity, relevance,

and empirical support; they should search for clues (Is this site

an .edu, .gov, .org, .net, or a .com?), look for sponsors (how do

they impact the site’s content), ask questions, track backward

and forward using links to other sites, and cross-check data

(Johnson & Lamb, 2011). When filtering information, health

communicators and users need to understand the spectrum of

options between fact and opinion and discuss, whenever possible,

the ever-present issues of perspective, point of view, and bias.

For students, one of the advantages of using the Internet is the

accessibility of research data and the availability of so many


examples; students can see misinformation and propaganda in

action, question their findings and discuss their concerns.

(Johnson & Lamb, 2011)

In addition to providing access to unique populations,

electronic communication is time- and cost-effective. For this

reason, it is especially applicable for targeted health

communication. For example, a health communicator interested in

communicating with hard-to-reach populations (i.e., the elderly,

rural populations) can quickly gain access to large numbers of

such individuals by posting invitations to participate to

newsgroups, chat rooms, and message board communities. In the

workplace, community, or face-to-face research environment, it

would take considerably longer (if it were possible at all) to

reach an equivalent number of people with specific attributes,

interests, and attitudes in one location. Electronic

communication is not, however, appropriate or preferable for

communicating personal, sensitive, or urgent health information.

(Wright, 2005)

Readability and Literacy Level


In the United States, forty-seven percent of the adult

population (about 90 million people) and seventy-five percent of

welfare recipients read at very basic levels (eighth grade level

or below); and 50 percent of this audience reads at or below the

fifth grade level (Root & Stableford, 1999). This poses a problem

for health communicators because adults with low reading levels

do not perceive themselves as being "at risk." One study (Root &

Stableford, 1999) tested 26,000 adults in three skills areas: (1)

prose literacy (find and use information in a newspaper article,

interpret instructions from a warranty, and similar tasks). (2)

document literacy (locate and use information in materials such

as maps, transportation schedules, payroll forms, tables, and

graphs); and (3) quantitative literacy (the application of

arithmetic skills to everyday problems such as balancing a

checkbook, using information in a restaurant menu to calculate

change from a $10 bill, etc.). Literacy scores in each area were

reported in five levels, with levels one and two reflecting the

ability to do very simple tasks and level five reflecting the

ability to do very complex tasks. Findings indicated that the

average reading level was tenth grade and that the use of ‘plain’


language serves to protect programs and serve consumer interests

(and reading levels), as well. (Root & Stableford, 1990).

How does readability of the materials and literacy level

factor into usability of electronic communication vehicles? As

stated previously, communication is the backbone of health and

consumers are not only expected to learn about and take

responsibility for their own health, but they are also

responsible for processing vast amounts of information gathered,

analyzed, and synthesized by authors with high educational,

literacy, and health literacy levels. However, it is difficult

for consumers to be fully-informed, largely due to the very high

reading demands of most health communication and managed care

materials. Research studies from a host of sources, including

national literacy data, demonstrate that most U.S. adults have

difficulty reading and understanding marketing brochures, patient

care handbooks, and news articles that attempt to communicate

health promotion and health information. (Root and Stableford,

1999).

Targeted health communication is preferable to tailored

health communication when the target audience has low health


literacy and has difficulty understanding and acting on health

information (nearly 90 million or one in three American adults)

(Schwartzberg, Cowett, VanGeest & Wolf, 2007). Health

communication that is targeted to specific audiences, rather than

individuals, can positively impact readability and effectively

communicate health messages by slowing down, using plain, non-

medical language; showing or drawing pictures; limiting the

amount of information and repeating it, using the teach-back

technique, and creating a shame-free environment that educates

and empowers (Schwardzberg et al., 2007).

Conclusion

In the end, are social networking websites appropriate for

health promotion communications? According to Abroms and Maibach

(as cited in Bardus, 2011), social networking websites (i.e.,

wikis, blogs, podcasts, mobile phones, Facebook, Twitter,

YouTube, MySpace) have the potential to stimulate interpersonal

communication about a health promotion campaign or topic and

generate larger behavior change. Social networking is appropriate

for tailored health promotion communication because it provides

opportunities for tailoring health messages and for adapting to


users’ preferences, habits, health history, values, and beliefs.

The advantages of social networking are that is a good and

reliable source and it is efficacious in attracting, retaining

and engaging users; the disadvantages involve privacy of personal

data and source credibility. (Bardus, 2011)

As a health communication tool, social media can be used as

a learning tool by educators, clinical practitioners, and public

health students; and as a support tool for those seeking health

information through electronic communication tools. When

considering social networking, users should consider the source

(use recognized authorities), focus on quality, remain skeptical

(be a ‘cyberskeptic’), look for evidence from medical or

scientific research, check for currency (latest information),

beware of bias, protect their privacy, and consult with their

health professionals to obtain the best health information.

Ultimately, patient/provider partnerships lead to the best

medical decisions and the best health choices. Social networking

that enables these partnerships are, of course, most effective in

disseminating appropriate, relevant and current health

information. (Bardus, 2011; Medline Plus, 2010)


The bottom line is that electronic communication tools

(i.e., the nine communication tools discussed in this paper and

social networking) contain a plethora of ‘good’ and ‘bad’,

reliable and unreliable, true and false information. Health

educators who wish to use electronic communication to disseminate

health messages and individuals who wish to use health

communication for their health information should realize that

websites can be just as dangerous as they are effective (Nauert,

2010). It is, therefore, incumbent upon health communicators and

those in receipt of health information to evaluate not only the

verifiability of communication tools, but their applicability as

relevant, effective health communication tools.

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Week Four Written Assignment Grading Criteria

Content Criteria 5 PointsThe key elements in the paper are covered in a substantive manner. The content is comprehensive, accurate, and well-developed.

Writing and Organization Criteria 1 PointThe central theme/purpose of the paper is clear.The structure is clear, logical, and easy to follow.The tone is appropriate to the content and assignment.The thoughts are clear and include appropriate beginning, development, and conclusion.Paragraph transitions are present, logical, and maintain the flow throughout the paper.Sentences are complete, clear, and concise.Sentences are well constructed, with consistently strong, varied sentences.Sentence transitions are present and maintain the flow of thought.Rules of grammar, usage, and punctuation are followed.The paper uses words and language that are inclusive, clear, and unambiguous.Spelling is correct.

Research Criteria 1 PointThe paper includes a summary and analysis of at least three professional/scholarly articles, internet sources, and information obtained from an organization.,Professional/scholarly journals are peer reviewed and focus on the profession/application of psychology (locatedon Proquest, EBSCOHost, PsycNET, etc.). Non-scholarly articles include newspapers, periodicals, secular magazines, etc, and are not peer reviewed. Websites not approved include wilkipedia.com and about.com.Research focuses on the most current information (past five to ten years) except when citing seminal works (e.g. Freud, Erickson, etc.).Paper includes the appropriate number of references required by the assignment.When appropriate, the paper addresses ethical considerations in research.

Style Criteria 1 Point.The paper is in the appropriate APA format used by the


institution/program (e.g. the 6th edition).The paper is double-spaced and in the appropriate length required by the assignmentThe paper includes an APA style cover page.The paper includes an Abstract that is formatted to support the appropriate version of APA Publication Manual (e.g. 6th edition).The paper properly uses headings, font styles, and white space as outlined in the appropriate version of APA Publication Manual (e.g. 6th edition).The paper includes an introductory paragraph with a succinct thesis statement.The paper addresses the topic of the paper with critical thought.The paper concludes with a restatement of the thesis and aconclusion paragraph.Citations of original works within the body of the paper follow the appropriate version of APA Publication Manual (e.g. 6th edition) guidelines.The paper includes a References Page that is completed according to the appropriate version of APA Publication Manual (e.g. 6th edition).

Total Possible Points 8 Points


Documents

Electronic Communication Tools