Research Methods For Media And Communication

A comprehensive guide to qualitative research methods in user experience (UX), the interaction between humans and digital products, designed for media and communication students. Angela M. Cirucci and Urszula M. Pruchniewska provide an accessible introduction to the field (including the history of UX and common UX design terminology). Readers are taken through the entire research design process, with an outline for preparing a study (including a planning template), a discussion of recruitment techniques, an exploration of ethics considerations, and a detailed breakdown of 12 essential UX research methods. The 12 methods covered include emotional journeys, screenshot diaries, walkthroughs, contextual inquiry, card sorting, and usability testing, with the chapter for each method including a step-by-step breakdown, discussions of in-person versus virtual procedures, and a "What You Need" section. Throughout the book, useful parallels are drawn between traditional academic research methods and UX methods, and special attention is paid to diversity and inclusivity. This is an essential text for media and communications students wishing to become familiar with UX research methods, a rapidly growing field that will open numerous exciting career paths for graduates.

Research Methods in Media and Communication, second edition, is a comprehensive and user-friendly introduction to media and communications research. The book explores the various aspects and processes related to carrying out research, and introduces the quantitative and qualitative data collection methods as applied to media studies, journalism and public relations. It guides students through the entire process of carrying out an original research project, from the idea generation stage to the submission of research findings as a report or journal article.NEW TO THIS EDITIONNew chapter 'Experiments' explores the area of experimental research and how it can be effectively applied in media and communication researchOnline research now included in discussing the application of each data collection method in journalism, media and communication and public relationsUpdated case studies and examples throughoutA glossary with key research terms

This collection reflects the need for suitable methods to answer emerging questions that result from the ever-changing media environment. As media technologies and infrastructures become inseparably interwoven with social constellations, scholars from varying disciplines increasingly investigate their characteristics, functioning, relevance and impact – facing new methodological challenges as well as opportunities. Innovative Methods in Media and Communication Research engages with the substantial need to rethink established methods to research acute changes in the media environment. The book gathers chapters dedicated to the multifacetedness and liveliness of emerging methods – from lifelogging and ethnography to digital methods and visualization – while embedding them in the rich history of interdisciplinary empirical research. Innovation here is a call for widening and rethinking research methods to stimulate a sophisticated debate on and exploration of contemporary methodological approaches for scholars at various levels of academic life. Accompanied by introductory sections of prominent scholars, the majority of empirical studies gathered in this volume are accomplished through early-career scholars who strive to advance cutting-edge and in parts even provocative approaches for the study of media and communication. The book's four sections on Materiality, Technology, Experience and Visualization are introduced by Saskia Sassen, Noortje Marres, Sarah Pink and Lev Manovich.

Comprehensive, innovative, and focused on the undergraduate student, this textbook prepares students to read and conduct research. Using an engaging how-to approach that draws from scholarship, real-life, and popular culture, the book offers students practical reasons why they should care about research methods and a guide to actually conduct research themselves. Examining quantitative, qualitative, and critical research methods, the textbook helps undergraduate students better grasp the theoretical and practical uses of method by clearly illustrating practical applications. The book defines all the main research traditions, illustrates key methods used in communication research, and provides level-appropriate applications of the methods through theoretical and practical examples and exercises, including sample student papers that demonstrate research methods in action.

This essential textbook provides a clear and authoritative introduction to qualitative and quantitative methods for studying media and communication. Written by two highly experienced researchers, the book draws on a wide range of media and communication research to introduce students to the relative strengths of the different research approaches. Beginning with an overview of the changing contexts and trends in media and communication research approaches, the book demystifies 'research' and the 'research process' by offering practical and accessible guidance on how to design, plan and carry out successful research projects in media and communication. This is an indispensable text for all students of media and communication studies, particularly those undertaking their own research projects or taking modules in research methods.

Assessing the relative strengths and weaknesses of qualitative and quantitative methods, this book examines the methodological perspectives adopted by media researchers in their attempts to understand the nature of media in society.

This book introduces the essential qualitative methods used in media research, with an emphasis on integrating theory with practice. Each method is introduced through step-by-step instruction on conducting research and interpreting research findings, alongside in-depth discussions of the historical, cultural, and theoretical context of the particular method and case studies drawn from published scholarship. This text is a comprehensive and accessible introduction to qualitative methods, ideal for media and mass communication research courses.

This essential set brings together leading articles on the three major domains of the communication process: 1) Institutions/Organisations/Production; 2) Content/Representation; and 3) Audiences/Consumption.