Reading Summary Format

Research Articles

Find an article from a research journal.
1. Go to http://www.uvu.edu/library/ and click on the Articles link
2. Select Complete List of Databases and then choose a database.
3. I often choose Academic Search Premier database because of its wide range of articles. The Communication and Mass Media Complete database applies specifically to our area of studies in this course.
4. If you are off campus, enter your UVU identification and password.
5. Put your search terms into the search box and limit your search to Full Text articles only.
6. Choose an article that is relevant to the topic area and one that someone else in the class has not chosen.

You can get assistance from a UVU reference librarian. Names and phone numbers are listed on the UVU library website.

Prepare a reading summary of the article and post it in the course blog.

Academic articles found through a search of articles at the UVU library may report research. I seldom read the complete article, but focus on those parts that are most important to me. First, I read the Abstract. Then I read the Conclusion and the Introduction and Literature Review in that order. I don't always read the Methodology and Findings, but, if I want to know about how the research was done, I will read those sections.

Reading Summary

Prepare a summary of the article. Summary must be a minimum of 250-300 words, use academically acceptable references in APA format. Reading summaries will have five parts:
1. Prepare a reference for the summarized section in APA format.
2. Include a statement describing the thesis or theme of the reading.
3. Write 150 - 200 word summary of content in point form.
4. Comment on how the article applies to the topic of the lesson.
5. Apply the reading to your work (or future work) situation or to emergency services.

Complete the summary by Thursday and then comment on two other student summaries by Saturday.

Example Reading Summary

Follow this example when doing your reading summaries.

Reference: Lowery, W., Evans, W., Gower, K., Robinson, J., Ginter, P., McCormick, L., & Abdolrasunlia, M. (2007). Effective media communication of disasters: Pressing problems and recommendations. BMC Public Health. 7:97. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-7-97

Theme: Problems exist in the relationships between PIOs and the media that can be corrected by working and training together.

Summary:
• Public Information Officers and the media play important roles in providing the community with information that may be lifesaving.
• Both PIOs and journalists have issues that need to be addressed.
• PIOs perceive journalists as being too impatient. Turnover is extremely high and new journalists may lack knowledge and training. Journalists sometimes use unreliable sources, fail to understand the complexity of incidents and report them in terms of black and white, and have a hard time tolerating uncertainty.
• Journalists say PIOs err on the side of caution and withhold information, lack authority to provide access to information, and too often perform poorly on camera or in interviews.
• Expert sources complain that neither PIOs nor journalists do a good job knowing or relaying the important news. They worry about how their messages are conveyed. Working relationships suffer and distrust exists because PIOs and journalists lack scientific education and don’t understand the complexity of medical and health topics.
• Some recommendations to improve the system are: provide experiential training, hold professional orientations with all parties, use scenarios to train together, and put effort into working together.

Application to the lesson topic:
Working together is a very important because lives can depend on the information that is gathered and disseminated to the community or those who are at risk. When one part of the communication cycle fails the whole system will fail.

Application to emergency services:
Emergency scenes can be hectic with a lot of things going on. It is so important that both PIOs and journalists are able to work together to keep the community safe. Both need each other and communicating to the public cannot happen with only just one player.

Literature Reflection Format

Research Articles

Find an article from a research journal.
1. Go to http://www.uvu.edu/library/ and click on the Articles link
2. Choose the Behavioral Science subject area.
3. If you are off campus, enter your UVU identification and password.
4. Then choose a topic area (Communications) and a search database. I often choose Academic Search Premier database because of its wide range of articles.
5. Put your search terms into the search box and limit your search to Full Text articles only.
6. Choose an article that is relevant to the topic area and one that someone else in the class has not chosen.

You can get assistance from a UVU reference librarian. Names and phone numbers are listed online.

Prepare a reading summary (also called an abstract) of the article and post it in the discussion forum.

Academic articles found through a search of articles at the UVU library may report research. I seldom read the complete article, but focus on those parts that are most important to me. First, I read the Abstract. Then I read the Conclusion and the Introduction and Literature Review in that order. I don't always read the Methodology and Findings, but, if I want to know about how the research was done, I will read those sections.

Literature Reflection

Literature reflections will have five(5) parts:
1. Prepare a reference for the selected section in APA format.
2. Statement describing the thesis or theme of the reading.
3. Write a 500-750 word summary (or abstract), using your own words, of content in bullet point form and include your reactions as sub-bullets.
4. Comment on how this reading applies to the topic of the lesson.
5. Give an example of how the reading applies to your work situation or the emergency services field.

Summary (Abstract) must be a minimum of 500 words. Use academically acceptable references in APA format. Complete the reflection by Thursday and then comment on two other student summaries by Saturday.

Follow the Example Literature Reflection on the next pages.

Example Literature Reflection

Reference: Kotler, P. & N. Lee. (2007). Improving public sector performance by seizing opportunities to meet citizen needs. In Marketing in the Public Sector: A Roadmap for Improved Performance. (pp. 3-13). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Wharton School Publishing.

Theme: By meeting citizen needs, public agency performance can be improved.

Summary (Abstract):

Performance in the public service may be measured in terms of how well the agency meets the Common Good, which is creating the "greatest possible good for the greatest possible number of people."

Good in the public sector can be defined by three measures often referred to as the triple bottom line - social good, economic good, and environmental good. Kotler and Lee show how fundamental, proven marketing principles can achieve these goals.

1. When public agencies show they offer quality programs and services, they receive increased public interest, revenues and satisfaction.

My reaction: Getting the word out on quality programs and services creates an upward cycle of interest and revenue which leads to the ability to continually improve and serve more people. An example would be the performing arts. If quality events are available the public is interested in attending and paying admission.

2. By reporting on public performance, they get more support for programs.

My reaction: Items that are transparent and measured tend to improve accountability and thus glean the confidence and support of the public. An example might be the city budget. If citizens are confident in the way their city is run, they may be more willing to volunteer or donate resources for programs.

3. By communicating effectively, they motivate the public to comply voluntarily with regulations and requests.

My reaction: When regulations are explained in a way that resonates with people and are not put forward for the sake of controlling, but benefitting citizens they are more willing to be compliant. An example of this would be wearing seatbelts or motorcycle helmets.

4. By providing easy access to services, they get more citizen participation and decrease operating costs.

My reaction: If you have ever had to repeatedly wait in line for a particular service that you can get elsewhere without the hassle you will likely go somewhere else. A prime example of this is the Post office. Waiting for one clerk to help a long line of customers is frustrating. Since they have put in self-serve kiosks, it is not so painful to patronize them.

5. By working with the private sector, they can expand services and make them more convenient.

My reaction: Working with private sector experts for particular services is more efficient than trying to add another item to the already bloated public menu of services. An example would be hiring a drain cleaner who does this type of work every day and has all the necessary
equipment rather than training city maintenance people and purchasing the requisite equipment.

Application to the lesson:

By working together, public sector agencies can surpass the level of services delivered in the traditional way of offering solitary programs. Developing mutual understanding among concerned agencies and a healthy relationship between practitioners and the public go a long way in promoting the common good.

An example of how this applies to my work or Emergency Services:

Marketing and improved customer service can help my agency deliver programs more efficiently to more people.

Case Study Procedure and Format Guidelines

Analyzing the case should take the following steps:

1. Researching and finding information showing media coverage of a disaster situation
2. Defining the issue(s)
3. Analyzing the case data
4. Generating alternatives
5. Selecting decision criteria
6. Analyzing and evaluating alternatives
7. Selecting the preferred alternative
8. Developing an action/implementation plan

Issues/Problem statement

Begin by defining the issue and developing a problem statement. The following questions may guide your thinking:
1. What appears to be the problem(s) here?
2. How do I know there is a problem? (This questions helps you differentiate between the symptoms of the problem and the problem itself.)
3. What are the issues specific to the case and those that go beyond the case itself? (The immediate issues are ones that arise from the case itself; larger, more long-term issues may relate to how the media covers disasters and how officials react and respond to the information coming out of emergency situations.)
4. Differentiate between the importance and urgency of the issues you have identified.

Analyzing the data

Following the development of a problem statement analyze the case data. Consider the following questions as you begin your analysis:
1. Why or how did these issues (or problems) occur? What is the cause and effect of the issues? Consider (a) resources, (b) people, and (c) processes when answering these questions.
2. Who is affected most by the situation? Who are the stakeholders and what is the impact of the situation and any decisions on them?
3. What are the constraints and opportunities related to this situation? For example, the lack of resources could be a restraint and the resilience of people could provide opportunities.
4. What are the facts in the situation? Some facts will be relevant and need to be considered in developing alternatives and making recommendations while others are less important.

Your final case study paper should follow this format:

1. Title page
2. Executive summary
3. Description of the case (Tell a story in enough detail so that the readers could do their own analyses).
4. Problem (Issue) statement
5. Data analysis
6. Key Decision Criteria
7. Alternatives analysis
8. Recommendations
9. Action and Implementation Plan
10. Exhibits within an appendix

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