Understanding Research Methods for Communication Studies

Quantitative Research Methods in Communications Research

Why Is It Important To Be Familiar With Research About Communication And The Methods Used To Perform This Research?  Need At Least 125 Words

Name And Briefly Characterize Two Quantitative Research Methods Used In Communications Research. Include In Your Characterization Two Advantages And Two Disadvantages For Each. Need At Least 125 Words

Name And Briefly Characterize Two Qualitative Research Methods Used In Communications Research. Include In Your Characterization Two Advantages And Two Disadvantages For Each.

What Are Two Practical Applications For Communications Research? Need At Least 125 Words

What Part Do Ethics Play In Communication Research? Need At Least 125 Words

Define And Discuss Informed Consent, Confidentiality, And Anonymity In Communication Research. Need At Least 125 Words

Communication research is an important field of study that deals with human communication and behavior and tries to find patterns of communication in social and interpersonal interactions. Communication studies were a natural extension of studying human behavior on a large scale as communication between social groups and even interpersonal communications reveals interesting insights about the social reality of a place and time. The methodologies employed to study a hypothesis can be divided into qualitative methods or quantitative methods. Both the methods are technical and have evolved gradually after trial and error to have a sound footing to be finally employed in research. Hence it is important to know the details of the well planned methodologies to have a successful research.

Name and briefly characterize two quantitative research methods used in communications research. Include in your characterization two advantages and two disadvantages for each.

Survey Research designs are quantitative research methods where researchers administer a survey to a sample or the entire population to describe the opinions, attitudes, behaviors or any other important characteristics of the population. Data is collected using questionnaires or interviews and it is analyzed using statistical techniques to test research questions about the hypothesis.

Experimental research design on the other hand is mainly concerned with creating a research that shows causal validity i.e the examination of the effect of independent variable on the dependent variable is manipulated through treatment or interventions and effect of the intervention is then studied on the dependent variable.

1. Their use of verbal measures of observable which may be inaccurate.
2. Their dependence on correlation which does not imply causality.

1. Their use of non-representative samples
2. The difficulty for controlling fully for external measures.

Name and briefly characterize two qualitative research methods used in communications research. Include in your characterization two advantages and two disadvantages for each

Interviewing is one of the qualitative methodology where the researcher goes out to meet his subject who would then communicate to the researcher what they feel about a topic.

1. Direct communication and therefore better adaptability with the research objectives.
2. This process allows for depth in the interviews as questions can be crafted after much thought

1. They can be very time consuming and depend on the whims of the subjects
2. The interviews done may be subject to different interpretation later in the research

Qualitative Research Methods in Communications Research

This method is the process where the researcher collects the traces left by human activity to study a phenomenon. The study of graffiti in an university to understand the campus culture is one examples of this methodology.

1. Less costly, and direct
2. Not influenced by the participation of the researcher

1. Limitations of data availability
2. Difficulty to understand the social context

Communications research is a very old discipline even though the field has gotten institutional validity only after the Second World War. The branch combines knowledge from disciplines such as Political Science, Sociology and Psychology.

During war the radio broadcasts of adversaries were studied for news and music programs. This was done to study the morale of the enemy and therefore take the next strategic moves in war.

Communications research is used by many companies to find out how to communicate with the people of the country through TV, radio or social media. In fact even in ancient times philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle studied the Greek orators to understand the art of statecraft.

Ethics is key to conducting a successful study in communication research. As many research questions can be controversial to the society or individual concerned, things should be dealt with extreme tact, so that it is ensured that no damage is caused to a society or an individual in the process. One example might be doing an interview based data collection for research regarding alcoholism in a social group. While conducting research surveys for marginalized social groups the researched should be well aware of the place in society where she comes from and the social relations of the group with her own and others. Often trust has to be gained from a subject in order to conduct research and any breach of that trust can create tensions in the process and hamper further research in the area.

Informed Consent is a voluntary agreement to participate in research. It is more than a form that can be signed but is a through process where the subject has full knowledge of the research and its risks.

Confidentiality in research is the condition where the researcher knows the identity of the subject but takes the necessary steps to ensure that the identity of the subject is not available to others. In research, confidentiality is regarded as a right for the subject and an obligation for the researcher.

Anonymity is the research design where the identity of the individual subjects in a sample for study is not known to the researchers. This is required to protect the subjects from possible harm from the results of the research. For example, a survey to assess your teacher or your supervisor.

References

Hansen, A., Cottle, S., Negrine, R., & Newbold, C. (2018). Mass communication research methods. NYU Press.

Jensen, K. B. (Ed.). (2014). A handbook of media and communication research: Qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Routledge.

Keyton, J. (2006). Communication research: Asking questions, finding answers.

Poole, M. S., & McPhee, R. D. (2015). Methodology in interpersonal communication research. Handbook of interpersonal communication, 100-170.