Objectives and competences
The aim of this course is to provide participants with the ability to identify appropriate research questions and apply research methods to answer them. This will provide them with the skills required to successfully complete a research project or thesis.
Content (Syllabus outline)
Introduction to research methods (conceptualizing communication research, areas of communication research, variables, research questions and hypotheses.
Research design (research questions, literature review, digital libraries search, use of reference manager, designing valid communication research, research ethics and policy).
Communication research methodologies (experiments and non-experimental research, field study, case study, survey, survey design, action research, qualitative research).
Collecting data and data analysis (data sources, samples and populations, coding, descriptive and inference statistics, difference analysis, correlations, regression analysis).
Discussing research findings, interpreting results and writing a report.
Learning and teaching methods
Lectures,
seminar,
tutorial.
Intended learning outcomes - knowledge and understanding
On completion of this course the student will be able to
formulate a research question,
develop a theoretical model, based on literature review,
analyse existing literature in order to find a theory, which is being tested,
recognize which research methods are available to answer the research question,
select the most appropriate research method to address the research question,
carry out the research and prepare the statistical analysis using statistical software package,
summarise the results and prepare a final report.
Intended learning outcomes - transferable/key skills and other attributes
Communication skills: project presentation, manner of expression at examination.
Use of information technology: use of software statistical packages, use of digital libraries.
Calculation skills: statistical methods.
Problem solving: students learn how to scientifically approach to a real-world problem.
Readings
• A. Bhattacherjee: Social Science Research: Principles, Methods, and Practices, 2nd Edition. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012.
• L. R. Frey, C. H. Botan, G. L. Kreps: Investigating Communication: An introduction to Research Methods, Allyn & Bacon, 2000.
• G. Marczyk, D. DeMatteo, D Festinger: Essentials of research design and methodology, John Wiley & Sons, New Jersey, 2005.
• A. A. Berger: Media and Communication Research: An Introduction to Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches, Sage Publications, 2000.
• J. W. Creswell: Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, And Mixed Method Approaches, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, Calif, 2009.
Additional information on implementation and assessment The written exam may be replaced by continuous knowledge testing and assessment.
