Week 1 (highlight in purple → content covered only in book)
Basic Assumptions Behind Communication Research
1. Observation capture/ do not capture an underlying reality
2. Theories about human behaviour can/cannot be generalised
3. Researchers should/ should not distance themselves from their research participants
4. Research should/ should not be done for a specific purpose
5. There is/ is not one best position from which to observe human behaviour
Triangulation.
● The use of two or more research methods to address the same research question
● If results from different methods agree → greater confidence in their findings.
Knowledge often based on (non-scientific methods)
● Intuition/belief
● Consensus
● Tenacity (holding on ideas & belief because they have been accepted as facts for a
long time or because of superstition, based on habits)
● Authority
● Casual observation
● Informal logical reasoning
Scientific Methods
● Systematic observation
● Formal logical thinking → consistently applied
Scientific Research
● Systematically process of gathering theoretical knowledge through observation
● Observation = empiricism (based on social reality)
Communication Research
● The systematic process of asking and answering question about human
communication
● Typically specialise in one aspect of communication
● May use quantitative methods, qualitative methods, or both
Systematic & cumulative
● Builds on previous research
● In search for patterns and associations
Research is a systematic process of
● Posing question
● Answering questions
● Demonstrating that your results are valid
● Sharing your research results
,Hypothesis
● Scientific claim
● Testable statement about reality → the world around us
● Test by observing (social) reality = empiricism (scientific method)
● Empirically testable /Objective /Falsifiable
6 principles of scientific research
Empirically testable ● Observation/ data
Replicable ● Can consistently repeat
Objective ● Allows others to repeat the study
● Clear assumptions/ concepts/ procedures
● Everybody is able to get the same result
● No room for subjective interpretation
Transparent ● Publicly shared assumption
● Recipe
● Replicated by others
Falsifiable ● Contradiction possible
● Capacity of some proposition/ statement/ theory to be
proven wrong
Logically consistent ● No contradiction within study
● Internally consistent
● E.g. change interpretation of data after the hypothesis (no)
Scientific Claims – Building Blocks
Observation ● Accurate / inaccurate
● Does not describe/ explain general relation
● Building block of science
● Confirm/ contrite hypothesis → useful
Hypothesis ● Never proven to be true
● Describes/ explains pattern or general relation
● Can be unsupported → uncertain
● Can be strongly supported
● Law: precise prediction → not explaining relationship
● Not too specific and too general
Theory ● Overreaching explanation of many related phenomenon
, Worldview I Worldview II
● Human communication is ● Human communication is
objectively measurable, predictable subjective/ individualistic and must
and can summarised in rules be described as such
● Privileges the researcher’s ● X universal law
perspective ● Privileges participants perspectives
● “Nomothetic” approach (involves ● “Idiographic” approach →
rules and pattern) uniqueness of subjects/ objects/
phenomena
● Interpret (perception) → cannot
capture everything as object
Philosophy of Science
Ontology ● The social world around us
(how to define ● What is real
communication) ● What ‘things’ really exist
● Does an attitude really exist
1. Objectivism
● Capture/ measure attitude
● Quantitative
2. Constructionism
● Based on perception/ opinion
● Qualitative
Epistemology ● Questions of how communication should be understand
(how best to ● What is knowledge
understand ● How should we acquire knowledge about the social world
communication) 1. Positivism
● Application of methods of natural science for the
study of social reality
● Knowledge is what can be perceived by the
sense
● Theory should lead to hypothesis
● Knowledge is arrived at through the gathering of
facts that provide the basis for rules and laws
2. Interpretivism
● Difference between people and the objects of the
natural sciences
● Should focus on the subjective meaning of social
action
Scientific Approach
Basic Assumptions Behind Communication Research
1. Observation capture/ do not capture an underlying reality
2. Theories about human behaviour can/cannot be generalised
3. Researchers should/ should not distance themselves from their research participants
4. Research should/ should not be done for a specific purpose
5. There is/ is not one best position from which to observe human behaviour
Triangulation.
● The use of two or more research methods to address the same research question
● If results from different methods agree → greater confidence in their findings.
Knowledge often based on (non-scientific methods)
● Intuition/belief
● Consensus
● Tenacity (holding on ideas & belief because they have been accepted as facts for a
long time or because of superstition, based on habits)
● Authority
● Casual observation
● Informal logical reasoning
Scientific Methods
● Systematic observation
● Formal logical thinking → consistently applied
Scientific Research
● Systematically process of gathering theoretical knowledge through observation
● Observation = empiricism (based on social reality)
Communication Research
● The systematic process of asking and answering question about human
communication
● Typically specialise in one aspect of communication
● May use quantitative methods, qualitative methods, or both
Systematic & cumulative
● Builds on previous research
● In search for patterns and associations
Research is a systematic process of
● Posing question
● Answering questions
● Demonstrating that your results are valid
● Sharing your research results
,Hypothesis
● Scientific claim
● Testable statement about reality → the world around us
● Test by observing (social) reality = empiricism (scientific method)
● Empirically testable /Objective /Falsifiable
6 principles of scientific research
Empirically testable ● Observation/ data
Replicable ● Can consistently repeat
Objective ● Allows others to repeat the study
● Clear assumptions/ concepts/ procedures
● Everybody is able to get the same result
● No room for subjective interpretation
Transparent ● Publicly shared assumption
● Recipe
● Replicated by others
Falsifiable ● Contradiction possible
● Capacity of some proposition/ statement/ theory to be
proven wrong
Logically consistent ● No contradiction within study
● Internally consistent
● E.g. change interpretation of data after the hypothesis (no)
Scientific Claims – Building Blocks
Observation ● Accurate / inaccurate
● Does not describe/ explain general relation
● Building block of science
● Confirm/ contrite hypothesis → useful
Hypothesis ● Never proven to be true
● Describes/ explains pattern or general relation
● Can be unsupported → uncertain
● Can be strongly supported
● Law: precise prediction → not explaining relationship
● Not too specific and too general
Theory ● Overreaching explanation of many related phenomenon
, Worldview I Worldview II
● Human communication is ● Human communication is
objectively measurable, predictable subjective/ individualistic and must
and can summarised in rules be described as such
● Privileges the researcher’s ● X universal law
perspective ● Privileges participants perspectives
● “Nomothetic” approach (involves ● “Idiographic” approach →
rules and pattern) uniqueness of subjects/ objects/
phenomena
● Interpret (perception) → cannot
capture everything as object
Philosophy of Science
Ontology ● The social world around us
(how to define ● What is real
communication) ● What ‘things’ really exist
● Does an attitude really exist
1. Objectivism
● Capture/ measure attitude
● Quantitative
2. Constructionism
● Based on perception/ opinion
● Qualitative
Epistemology ● Questions of how communication should be understand
(how best to ● What is knowledge
understand ● How should we acquire knowledge about the social world
communication) 1. Positivism
● Application of methods of natural science for the
study of social reality
● Knowledge is what can be perceived by the
sense
● Theory should lead to hypothesis
● Knowledge is arrived at through the gathering of
facts that provide the basis for rules and laws
2. Interpretivism
● Difference between people and the objects of the
natural sciences
● Should focus on the subjective meaning of social
action
Scientific Approach
