ADV 4930: Research Immersion Course Information Spring 2019

ADV 4930: Research Immersion & Application!  


Overview: This 3-credit course provides students with an in-depth research experience focused on humor and health/science communication. You will have the opportunity to work in a small group to take a research study from its beginning stages to implementation. 
I’ve included some frequently asked questions below, and I’ve attached the flyer with the course time and section number. If you have any additional questions about the course, I would be happy to chat! Please don't hesitate to email me at rdamiani@ufl.edu. 


To Register: The course is departmentally controlled and capped at 10 students. If you would like to enroll, please send me an email with your first name, last name, UFID, and a list of a few skills you have that may be applicable to research (e.g. public speaking, graphic design, writer, past experience in research, photographer, etc…). From there, I can contact Cally House in the Department of Advertising to register you for the course, if we still have space. As of now, we do still have space in the course, and I am hoping to recruit students with a diversity of interests and skills. 


Best,
Rachel
Rachel Damiani
NIH TL1 Fellow & Doctoral Student
​​College of Journalism and Communications
​​University of Florida​​​​​​


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FAQ


Does this class require a lot of knowledge about science and health?


Nope! The course does not expect any knowledge in science or health. The goal in this course is to help you hone your skill at translating science and health knowledge for a lay audience. If we need to delve in to details about science or health for the group project, we will consult with experts to assist us.


 


Will this course be exam heavy?


It will not! The course is intended to help you gain research skills that are transferrable to an industry or academia based career. That being said, you will not have exams. Instead, you will have a variety of different activities, including a group project, reflection papers, and class presentations. Your products in these activities will be evaluated based on your ability to apply concepts (as opposed to memorizing them).


 


Why humor in health and science communication?


Humor is a powerful communication tool that we often use in daily life. However, much remains known about the utility of humor to communicate health and science messages. In this course, we’ll be conducting our own study to evaluate whether humorous versus non-humorous messages are more effective in one specific health/science context. Our group research study will be supplemented by talks from guest speakers and readings. 


 


I don't know much about research. Will I be behind the rest of the group?


Not at all! I'm expecting students to have a range of experiences, and it's completely okay if you do not have a research background. Often times, students without a formal research background have already developed a variety of skills that are transferrable to the research process (e.g. critical thinking, public speaking, writing/message design, etc..). In this course, we will start at a beginning level to provide you with foundational skills. All students in the course will build upon this foundation to learn more advanced research skills.