(in Polish) Metody i narzędzia badawcze w komunikacji społecznej i mediach 1600-SZD-N-MNB-KM
This course is dedicated to both theoretical and practical issues related to research methodology in the discipline of media and communication studies. Doctoral students will become acquainted with the foundational epistemological assumptions of media studies, along with its principal research paradigms — including the empirical-functional, critical, and cultural-interpretative frameworks. The course encompasses an in-depth examination of the methodological foundations and conceptual underpinnings of key research approaches in the field, such as content analysis, discourse analysis, narrative and semiotic analysis, as well as survey research, in-depth interviews (individual and group), and ethnographic methods.
Additionally, the course includes an introduction to research metrics and scientometrics. This section covers the functions of scholarly and scientific communication. It also explores author-level and journal-level metrics, databases and indexing services, as well as current challenges in research assessment. Particular attention is paid to ethical considerations, including publishing transparency and risks.
Students will also gain insight into industry-standard audience measurement practices, including readership research, radio & television audience measurement. Upon completion, participants will have developed competencies enabling them to independently design and conduct media research projects and, to a certain extent, critically interpret their outcomes. The course also introduces the essential ethical guidelines for preparing research proposals involving human participants, in accordance with institutional research ethics boards.
Course objectives:
a) to understand the interdisciplinary nature of media research and the increasing role of methodological triangulation;
b) to explore and critically evaluate the major theoretical and methodological approaches within media and communication studies;
c) to identify and apply key research methods and techniques relevant to the study of both traditional media and emerging media forms and environments
Type of course
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Knowledge: The student:
• demonstrates comprehensive understanding of the global body of scholarship within the discipline of media and communication studies;
• understands the theoretical foundations and dominant research traditions and approaches employed in media and communication research;
• has sound knowledge of core principles of research methodology in the social sciences;
• is familiar with the ethical standards and frameworks guiding scholarly inquiry in the field of media and communication.
Skills - The student is able to:
• define the purpose and scope of a research project, formulate relevant research questions and hypotheses;
• select and apply appropriate research methods and techniques relevant to contemporary studies of media and media audiences;
• draw evidence-based conclusions from empirical research;
• critically analyze and evaluate the outcomes of scholarly research, expert assessments, and other creative intellectual outputs, and assess their contribution to the advancement of knowledge.
Social Competences - The student is ready to:
• critically assess the scholarly contributions within their academic discipline;
• reflectively evaluate their own research efforts and intellectual input into the development of the field;
• acknowledge the importance of knowledge in addressing both theoretical and practical challenges.
Assessment criteria
Description of requirements related to participation in classes, including the
permitted number of explained absences:
A maximum of two absences is permitted — one in the module taught by Dr M. Paul, and one in the module taught by Dr K. Brylska
Principles for passing the classes and the subject (including resit session); Written assignment:
Assessment is based on active participation in class, combined with demonstrated familiarity with the assigned readings. Students are expected to defend their own theses and positions effectively during in-class discussions.
Methods for the verification of learning outcomes:
Learning outcomes will be assessed through the accuracy, relevance, and intellectual quality of students’ contributions during class, as well as their engagement in scholarly debate.
Evaluation criteria:
Final evaluation will be based on the student’s level of in-class participation, and the formal and substantive quality of their oral contributions.
Bibliography
Core reading:
• Earl Babbie, The Basics of Social Research, Thomson Wadsworth, 2005, 2008.
• Roger D. Wimmer, Joseph R. Dominick, Mass Media Research: An Introduction, Wadsworth Publishing Co Inc, 2009.
• Gillian Rose, Visual Methodologies: An Introduction to Researching with Visual Materials, SAGE Publications, 2001.
• Janet Buttolph Johnson, H.T. Reynolds, Jason D. Mycoff, Political Science Research Methods, SAGE Publications, 2019.
• Denis McQuail, McQuail's Media and Mass Communication Theory, SAGE, 2005.
• Bornmann, L., & Daniel, H. D. (2008). What do citation counts measure? A review of studies on citing behavior. Journal of Documentation, 64(1), 45–80.
• Kulczycki, E., et al. (2018). Publication patterns in the social sciences and humanities: evidence from eight European countries. Scientometrics, 116(1), 463–486.
• Moed, H. F. (2005). Citation Analysis in Research Evaluation. Springer.
• Waltman, L. (2016). A review of the literature on citation impact indicators. Journal of Informetrics, 10(2), 365–391.
Supplementary reading:
• David Silverman, Doing Qualitative Research, SAGE, 2022.
• John W. Creswell, Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, SAGE, 2009.
• Tony Schirato, Angi Buettner, Thierry Jutel, Geoff Stahl (red.), Understanding Media Studies, Oxford University Press, 2010.
• Richard Campbell, Christopher Martin, Bettina Fabos, Ron Becker, Media and Culture: Mass Communication in a Digital Age, Palgrave Macmillan, 2022.
• Graham Gibbs, Analyzing Qualitative Data, SAGE, 2007.
• Uwe Flick, Designing Qualitative Research, SAGE, 2018.
• Steinar Kvale, Doing Interviews, SAGE, 2007.
• Michael Angrosino, Doing Ethnographic and Observational Research, SAGE, 2007.
• Marcus Banks, Using Visual Data in Qualitative Research, SAGE, 2007.
• Rosaline Barbour, Doing Focus Groups, SAGE, 2018.
• Tim Rapley, Doing Conversation, Discourse and Document Analysis, SAGE, 2007.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: