Communication Research Methods

Objectives

If you are beginning your first research project, the task may seem overwhelming. How do I find a topic? Where do I find information on it? What do I do with it when I find it? Why do research? This course will get you asking questions, gathering information and encouraging you to think about the creation and interpreting of messages. Communication research is more than just statistics, so we will examine both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of communication research. This course will combine instruction and practice in both the methodology and analyses that communication scholars tend to employ. You will conduct an original communication research. Along the way you will acquire specific skills that will help you think, write, and speak like a communication scholar.

The goal is provides students with principles and basic skills necessary to criticize research literature; develops minimal proficiencies in structuring designs basic to descriptive and experimental studies, including data collection, analysis, and presentation techniques in communication research.

Learning outcomes

• Design and plan according to the objectives a research project in the field of communication.
• Develop field work according to the planning carried out in a collaborative manner.
• Critically evaluate the results obtained and identify improvements needed.
• Collect and interpret data and information on which to base conclusions, including reflections on issues of a social, scientific or ethical nature in the field of communication.
• Students will be able to:
  • Turn a vague interest into a problem worth posing and solving.
  • Create an introduction, literature review, analysis and conclusion that answers research questions.
  • Apply principles and research methodologies to determine and formulate research.
  • Learn the difference between quantitative and qualitative research.
  • Articulate a research presentation.

Competencies

General skills

• Demonstrate interpersonal skills and be able to adapt to new situations and work under pressure.
• Organise and plan tasks related to professional performance through proper time management and timing of these tasks.

Specific skills

• Master audiovisual and multimedia technology and apply it to the different stages in the creative process and thus be able to adapt to different work environments.
• Transfer knowledge of history, languages, communication theories and models, and also of art history and image theories.

Basic skills

• Students can apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional manner and have competencies typically demonstrated through drafting and defending arguments and solving problems in their field of study.
• Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (usually within their field of study) in order to make judgements that include reflection on relevant social, scientific and ethical issues.

Core skills

• Be a critical thinker before knowledge in all its dimensions. Show intellectual, cultural and scientific curiosity and a commitment to professional rigour and quality.

Content

1. Starting a research project in communication
   1. What is research (in communication)?
   2. Why write it up?
   3. Why a formal report?
2. From topics to questions
   1. From an interest to a topic
   2. Research question
   3. Problem
3. Literature review and sources
   1. Uses for sources
   2. Evidence
   3. Preparing a draft
   4. Writing a literature review
4. Your argument
   1. General and specific objectives
   2. Reasons, arguments
   3. Hypothesis
5. Research methodology
   1. Finding alternatives
   2. Qualitative vs quantitative research
   3. Design of interview
   4. Design of survey
6. Data collection
   1. Data analysis
7. Preparing a revision
8. Conclusions
   1. Three elements of an introduction
   2. Opening and closing words
9. Research presentation

Evaluation

• In-class assignments (15 % of final grade): 1.5 point
• Research project (part 1) and research presentation (25% of final grade): 2.5 points
• Oral research presentation (part 1) (5% of final grade): 0.5 points
• Research project (part 3) and research presentation (25% of final grade): 2.5 points
• Oral research presentation (part 2 and 3) (5% of final grade): 0.5 points

If your final grade does not appear as passing, you will need to complete a new activity to pass the course. To be eligible for the reassessment of the subject, you need to be enrolled to the corresponding subject and have obtained a final mark between 1.9 and 4.9. 

Methodology

This course use a project based learning (PBL) methodology. PBL is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to a questions, problems or challenges.

We will meet two times a week to work on research methods and discuss the course project. Readings will be assigned to facilitate the work, but class time we will not be spent to go over these documents. Class time will be used to work in a group, answer questions about the concepts and use these concepts to understand published research projects and help you to plan your own inquiries.

Each student will be a member of a group that will meet in class to work on course projects. People who do well in this class, regularly come to class. Please avoid missing a class, it is not ethical that only a portion of your group work on the research project. It's much easier to conduct research when everybody works together on an issue. We will be utilizing Excel, Word and Google Drive.

Bibliography

Key references

• Booth, W., Colomb, G., Williams, J. (2003). The Craft of Research (2 ed.). Retrieved from http://course.sdu.edu.cn/G2S/eWebEditor/uploadfile/20140306165625006.pdf
• Collins H. (2010). Creative Research: The Theory and Practice of Research for the Creative Industries. Bloomsbury Publishing.
• Creswell, J. W. (2008). Chapter 1. The Selection of a Research Design. In: Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage Publications: Los Angeles. Retrieved from http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/22780_Chapter_1.pdf
• Denzin, Norman K., Lincoln, Yvonna S., ed. (2005). The Sage handbook of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, Calif. : Sage Publications.
• Hesse-Biber Nagy S. (2010). Mixed Methods Research: Merging Theory with Practice. Guilford Press.

Further reading

Teachers will provide complementary bibliography and compulsory reading throughout the course via the Virtual Campus.