This course is an introduction to the methodology appropriate to the social scientific study of human communication. The course briefly examines the implication of a social scientific methodology as a “way of knowing” about the world. The primary objective of the course is to develop critical insight regarding communication research. It aims at providing an overview of the concepts, methods, and tools by which communication research is designed, conducted, interpreted, and critically evaluated.

Learning Outcomes

After the completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Understand and differentiate different research approaches and methodologies
• Explain how to conduct data collection in quantitative research
• Students should explain key research concepts and issues
• Students should know why media research is undertaken, and the audiences that profit from research studies.
•  Students should be able to identify the overall process of designing a research study from its inception to its report.
• Students should know the primary characteristics of quantitative research and qualitative research.
• Students should be familiar with ethical issues in media research, including those issues that arise in using quantitative and qualitative research.

Course Contents:

• The research process
• What is research
• The development of mass media research
• Media research and scientific method
• Two sectors of research
• Academic and private
• Differences between Quantitative and qualitative research
• Research design for quantitative research
• Identifying the research problem
• Formulating the problem statement
• Reviewing the literature
• Theoretical framework
• Formulating research questions
• Formulating hypothesis
• Conceptualization and operationalization of variables
• Identifying the methodology
• Sampling techniques
• Collection of data
• Tabulation and interpretation of data
• Quantitative measurement
• Reliability and validity
• Survey method development of a questionnaire
• Scales Index score
• Ethics in research

Day                          Time

                                Self-Support

Thursday                 02:30-5:30 

Suggested Readings

1. Boyle, M. P. (2015). Applied Communication Research Methods. New York; Routledge
2. Hansen, A., & Machin, D. (2013). Media and communication research methods: An introduction. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan
3. Mytton, G. (2016). Media Audience Research. New Delhi, SAGE.
4. Wimmer, R.D; & Dominick, J.R. (2015). Mass Media Research (8th ed) Belmont, California, Wadsworth.
5. Nawaz, M, (2020). Guidelines for Media and communication research: covering the courses at graduate and post graduate levels (unpublished, available online).

Assessment Criteria

Sessional:

          Presentation: 10

          Attendance: 5

          Assignment: 5 

Mid-Term: 30 (Term Paper Based)

Final exam:

          Viva Voce                   25 Marks

          MCQs based test           25

Important Dates

Start date: October 26, 2020  End date: March 5, 2020

First Assignment: 5th Week

Quiz: 6th Week

Second Assignment: 14th Week

Rules and Regulations

• 80 % class attendance is a must.
• Assignments would not be accepted after the due date.
• Originality of work would be ensured in case of assignments.
• In group presentations, group members have to divide the sub-topics in consultation with the teacher.

. Note

1. Books are mentioned with serial numbers in the table.
2. At least two assignments would be given to the students during the semester.
3. Surprise quiz would be a regular activity.