Doing Media Research

Susanna Hornig Priest, Ph.D., has taught mass communication theory and research methods at the undergraduate and graduate level beginning in 1989. She holds a doctoral degree in communications from the University of Washington, a master's degree in sociology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley. Her own research is centered on the role of science in American society and culture, its expression in the mass media, public engagement in science and science policy, and public opinion formation. She is also interested in the social roles of new media technologies.

Emphasizing conceptual understanding rather thanalgebra, Doing Media Research: An Introduction provides comprehensivecoverage of both quantitative and qualitative social science methodsused in research about the media and its role in society. Using straightforwardlanguage, author Susanna Hornig Priest shows students exactly how to design andimplement meaningful small-scale research projects. This book is based on thephilosophy that students can learn methods most effectively through actuallyusing them, and it empowers beginning students to experience research forthemselves. This Second Edition features completelyrevised hands-on exercises and greatly expanded discussions of both mediacontent analysis and the application of social science to new media.Features andBenefits: ·Explores both qualitative and quantitativeapproaches to help beginning students understand both, so they can choose theright approach for a particular problemAssumes no background in statistics andintroduces most topics with a minimum of algebra, explaining all technicalconcepts in simple language in the text (and in the extensive glossary)Explains the disciplinary origins of ourvarious research methods, the nature of academic publishing, and the importanceof the academic literatureEmphasizes the process of research design asapplied to real-world problems and incorporates discussion of research ethicsthroughout the bookGives students a chance to practice as theygo along through chapter-by-chapter exercises, rather than approaching methodsas an abstract subject that must be learned by roteDescribes advanced techniques in general terms to give beginningstudents an understanding of the full range of tools available without gettingin the way of their ability to use more basic approaches right awayDoingMedia Research: An Introduction, Second Edition is intended for anintroductory course in social science research methods for students injournalism, mass communication, and media studies at either the undergraduate orbeginning graduate levels.

PART I. ROOTS: SOCIAL SCIENCE FOUNDATIONS1. A Philosophy of Social "Science" Qualitative Versus Quantitative Methods Deductive Versus Inductive Logic Applied Versus Basic Research The Limits of Social Science Research2. Foundational Disciplines Anthropology and the Range of Human Experience Psychology and the Experimental Method Sociology and the Study of Human Social Groups3. Mass Communication as a Research Field Origins of Mass Communication Research Qualitative Versus Quantitative Research Revisited Content Analysis as a Key Research Tool Mass Communication and New MediaPART II. ASKING QUESTIONS AND COLLECTING DATA: CREATING A RESEARCH PLAN4. Developing a Research Question, Reviewing the Literature, Exploring Data Sources, and Defining Variables Reviewing the Academic Literature The Nature of Academic Publishing Defining and Refining Your Research Questions More About the Role of Theory Finding Resources and Data for Your Project Defining and Measuring Variables5. Designing Quantitative Research: Surveys, Experiments, and Quantitative Content Analysis Survey Design Basics Designing Basic Experiments Content Analysis6. Designing Qualitative Studies: Participant Observation, Interviews, Focus Groups, and Qualitative Content Analysis Participant Observation Interviews Focus Groups Qualitative Content StudiesPART III. APPROACHES TO DATA ANALYSIS: BASIC TOOLS7. Describing a Numerical Data Set and Making Inferences Levels of Measurement Identifying and Summarizing Patterns Reasoning From Sample to Population8. Testing Hypotheses and Exploring Other Relationships Testing Simple Hypotheses Understanding Chi-Square Comparing Two Means Working With Complex Variables Multivariate Techniques for Statistical Analysis9. Qualitative Analysis: Identifying Themes and Writing Meaningful Summaries Working With Theory and Identifying Themes Analyzing Qualitative Data Other Forms of Analysis Writing Descriptive Summaries Relating Data to ConclusionsPART IV. RESEARCH IN BROADER CONTEXT: CONTEMPORARY TRENDS IN THE DISSEMINATION OF RESEARCH RESULTS10. Research Horizons: Opportunities and Challenges New Media Technology Research in a Global Village Ethics in Research: A Further Note11. Writing and Presenting the Research Report Constructing the Research Paper About Conference Presentations A Concluding Note