Master
2022/2023
Research Seminar
Type:
Compulsory course (Critical Media Studies)
Area of studies:
Media Communications
Delivered by:
Institute of Media
When:
1 year, 1-3 module
Mode of studies:
offline
Open to:
students of one campus
Instructors:
Yiannis Mylonas
Master’s programme:
Критические медиаисследования
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
6
Contact hours:
64
Course Syllabus
Abstract
Part 1. The module teaches the core principles and techniques of professional writing for beginning researchers (MA students), focusing on the central report sections of the academic article, preliminary steps towards rhetorical positioning of one’s “saying” in the research field, and some auxiliary genres of academic writing – the short bio, academic CV, article and application cover letter, and conference presentation. The final grade, out of 10 points, will be composed of written work (8 pts, see the distribution below) and attendance and participation (2 pts).
Part 2. This seminar is meant to introduce to students the ontological and epistemological premises of qualitative and quantitative methods in media research. The nature of qualitative and quantitative methods of research and analysis will be introduced. Then students will be required to work with tasks connected to the understanding of the development of a research strategy, preferably by working on their master thesis plans. Relevant tasks include the designing and formulation of research questions, the making of literature review, the choice of the most suitable methodology for research and analysis of media-related phenomena, and the development of sampling processes. The students will work in groups as well as individually on the different related seminar tasks. Students will be asked to develop their final thesis ideas in line to the methodological exercises developed during the module.
Part 3. This course aims at training students with the use of different qualitative methodologies, while also considering the potentialis in combining qualitative and quantitative methods of research and data sampling. In particular, the course will examine the logics and aims of qualitative research and it will focus on the training of students with qualitative interviewing and focus groups sampling strategies, as well as with the use of diaries as a sampling method to analyze media-related phenomena (e.g., connected to audience research). Students will be asked to work with specific sampling methods and for the final seminar, they will be required to develop and present a mixed methods research design, with data drawn from a variety of sources and different genres and media, that can respond to the study of complex research questions that the students should develop.
Part 4. In the current course, students will be introduced to the design and conduction of quantitative surveys and content analysis with the use of the SPSS- Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. This part includes the following topics: SPSS environment, data entry, data control and correction, data processing, statistical tests (chi-square, t-tests, ANOVA, correlation) and statistical conclusions.
Part 5. This course will introduce students to methods for carrying out research, sometimes referred to as digital methods. Students will experiment with different tools and methods for researching culture, society and the digital world.
During this course we will concentrate on key debates in the field; What is digital methods? What questions can we ask and answer by looking on online data and platforms? Which are the challenges, limitations and opportunities? How can we combine different methods for understanding the online world? What is the power of (online data), visualization and social media features?
Part 6. This course aims at training students with the use of important qualitative methodologies for research and analysis. In particular, the course will examine the logics and aims of qualitative research and will focus on the training of students in qualitative analytical methods such as qualitative content analysis, thematic analysis, narrative analysis. Furthermore, the course will also introduce the study of archives from critical qualitative perspectives. Students will engage with these analytical methods by analyzing relevant media content, while considering questions related to media genres as well.
Learning Objectives
- Part 1. Deepen the understanding of scientific communication.
- Part 1. Acquire more detailed knowledge on the functional parts of an academic article in the humanities and social sciences.
- Part 1. Practice basic elements/moves of academic writing.
- Part 1. Become more familiar with other, more technical genres of academic communication: short bio, CV, application letter, cover letter.
- Part 2. Study important and exemplary published works in both qualitative and quantitative media research.
- Part 2. Work on research-based tasks.
- Part 2. Understand the difference between qualitative and quantitative media research.
- Part 2. Master the development of a research plan and research design.
- Part 2. Master the developing of research hypothesis, and research question.
- Part 2. Engage with the conduct of literature review.
- Part 2. Learn how to do sampling and data collection for qualitative and quantitative research designs.
- Part 2. Develop and present the students’ own research ideas.
- Part 3. Study qualitative research methods in close detail.
- Part 3. Train in qualitative sampling.
- Part 3. Acquaint students with interviewing techniques.
- Part 3. Study different kinds of data combined.
- Part 3. Use the diary technique in media research.
- Part 3. Engage in multimodal and mixed methods research.
- Part 4. Study the nature and content of quantitative research, both in methods and in terms of techniques.
- Part 4. Study the design of (online) research projects about social phenomena and evaluate the research.
- Part 4. Study specific techniques to classify, present, analyze and interpret statistical data to deduce the behaviour of variables, related to the data.
- Part 4. Master the use of the statistical package SPSS for descriptive and inferential statistics.
- Part 5. Introduce students to a range of digital methods, tools and processes.
- Part 5. Provide students with introductory level skills to undertake research using online data and tools.
- Part 5. Introduce students to the ethical issues that arise in the use of online data and digital methods.
- Part 6. Study qualitative research methods in close detail.
- Part 6. Master qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis.
- Part 6. Master frame analysis.
- Part 6. Study narrative analysis techniques.
- Part 6. Practice qualitative sampling.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate a basic ability to understand the nature and content of quantitative research, both in methods and in terms of techniques.
- Implement specific quantitative methods and some specific technical tools according to the research questions posed.
- Develop critical approaches to specific types of methods: quantitative and mixed methods research, social network analysis, survey methods, visualizing social data.
- Design (online) research projects about social phenomena and evaluate the research.
- Develop analytical skills in producing, gathering, composing and interpretating data derived from a quantitative methodology in connection with the practical study of mass media.
- Use specific techniques to classify, present, analyze and interpret statistical data to deduce the behaviour of variables, related to the data.
- Use the statistical package SPSS for descriptive and inferential statistics.
- Demonstrate understanding of digital methods, online data and visualization techniques.
- Be able to evaluate digital methods, tools as well as limitations and opportunities
- Demonstrate understanding of ethical debates around data and digital methods
- Develop skills in working both individually and in groups for developing research projects.
- Understand the structure of academic article.
- Analyze academic communication in terms of rhetorical moves.
- Master specific communicative moves in writing.
- Analyze and understand the rhetorical structure of short academic bio, CV, application letter, cover letter.
- Situate and sharpen one’s own research purpose and contribution as against the existing publications.
- Communicate the innovation and importance of one’s study effectively.
- Use paragraphing, structuring, connectives, signal words and phrases appropriately and effectively.
- Develop research questions and research designs for different media contexts and media formats and genres.
- Κnow how to distinguish and combine quantitative and qualitative research methods.
- Conduct literature review and engage with theoretical concepts for the organization of research in the media.
- Do data sampling.
- Study quantitative and qualitative, critical media research.
- Present and defend their research plans and strategies among their academic peers.
- Work individually and in group as a research.
- Be able to develop and to write clear and coherent research designs and research proposals.
- Organize realistic research plans.
- Develop a methodologically coherent research design and structure for the final master thesis project.
- Understand the logics of qualitative research.
- Engage in qualitative analysis methods.
- Understand the kind of data required to be analyzed qualitatively.
- Organize qualitative interview designs and questions.
- Conduct interviews.
- Use diary as a data sampling method.
- Perform mixed methods of sampling.
- Develop research questions to be studied through the use of a variety of sources.
- Do sampling.
- Conduct qualitative content analysis.
- Conduct frame analysis.
- Perform narrative analysis.
Course Contents
- Part 1. Session 1
- Part 1. Session 2
- Part 1. Session 3
- Part 1. Session 4
- Part 1. Session 5
- Part 1. Session 6
- Part 1. Session 7
- Part 1. Session 8
- Part 2. Introduction: studying society, culture and politics in/through the media
- Part 2.Developing the master thesis: creating research hypothesis and research question
- Part 2. Doing literature review
- Part 2. Developing the master thesis: sampling
- Part 3. Qualitative methods to study complex phenomena; the benefits of multimodality
- Part 3. Organizing interview designs
- Part 3. Diaries and other sources of data
- Part 3. Develop a multimodal research design
- Part 4. Introduction to the scope and structure of the course- Quantitative research Design for the social sciences
- Part 4. Introduction to SPSS (variable view, data view, questionnaire/coding frame input)
- Part 4. Data elaboration through the SPSS (select cases, recode, count, compute)
- Part 4. Data analysis through the SPSS (frequencies, means, charts)
- Part 4. Data analysis through the SPSS (crosstabs, t-test)
- Part 4. Data analysis through the SPSS (ANOVA/ANOVA post-hoc tests, correlation)
- Part 5. Introduction – Methods: Digital and more
- Part 5. Identity, Communities, and networks
- Part 5. Digital Methods: Tools, Analysis and Visualizations (1)
- Part 5. Digital Methods: Tools, Analysis and Visualizations (2)
- Part 5. Digital Methods: Tools, Analysis and Visualizations (3)
- Part 5. Researching Platforms and the online world: Limitations, opportunities and ethics
- Part 6. Qualitative methods of research and analysis
- Part 6. Qualitative content analysis
- Part 6. Coding and thematic analysis
- Part 6. Doing frame analysis
- Part 6. Narrative analysis
- Part 6. Narrative analysis 2.
Interim Assessment
- 2022/2023 2nd module0.5 * PART 1 + 0.5 * PART 2
- 2022/2023 3rd modulePlease see the assignments and the scoring formula in Part 3.
- 2023/2024 1st module1 * PART 4
- 2023/2024 2nd module1 * PART 5
- 2023/2024 3rd modulePlease see the assignments and the scoring formula in Part 6.
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Alan Bryman, & The Programme Aims. (2001). Social research methods. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.151A861A
- Glasman-Deal, H. Science Research Writing for Non-Native Speakers of English / Hilary Glasman-Deal. – London: Imperial College Press, 2009. – 272 p. – ISBN 9781848163119. - Текст: электронный // DB ProQuest Ebook Central (ebrary) [сайт]. – URL: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/hselibrary-ebooks/reader.action?docID=1681704&query=Writing%2Ban%2Babstract
- Hesse-Biber, S. N., & Johnson, B. (2015). The Oxford Handbook of Multimethod and Mixed Methods Research Inquiry. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=989215
- Robert M. Entman. (1993). Framing: Toward clarification of a fractured paradigm. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.28A41BC
- Sahagún Padilla, M. A. (2011). SALDAÑA, Johnny. The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers.
- Sloan, L., & Quan-Haase, A. (2017). The SAGE Handbook of Social Media Research Methods. SAGE Publications Ltd.
- Totawar, A., & Prasad, M. (2016). Research Methodology: A Step-by-step Guide for Beginners. South Asian Journal of Management, 23(3), 210–213.
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Saldaña, J. (2011). Fundamentals of Qualitative Research. New York: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=355780
- Schoonenboom, J. (Department of E. F. of P. and E. U. of V., Johnson, R. B. (Department of P. S. U. of S. A., & R. Burke Johnson. (2017). How to Construct a Mixed Methods Research Design. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11577-017-0454-1