Methodology for PM CIS
4 formal assignments
1 exam 100%
Index
Lecture 2: Qualitative and quantitative research, world views, research purposes.........................................................4
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 1 Foundations: The Ideas that Shape Our Research...............................................................4
1.1 Starting with basic beliefs and perspectives..........................................................................................................4
1.2 General questions behind communication research.............................................................................................4
1.3 Web worlds, fuzzy boundaries and artificial intelligence.......................................................................................5
Video seminar 2: Worldviews and Research Purposes....................................................................................................5
Lecture 3: Theory, hypotheses, variables.........................................................................................................................6
Exercise week 3: Identifying variables from abstracts.....................................................................................................6
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 2 Getting Started: From Inspiration to Implementation.........................................................8
2.1 The relationship between theory and observations..............................................................................................8
2.2 Starting with a model or theory.............................................................................................................................8
2.3 Starting with ‘5W+H’ questions.............................................................................................................................8
2.4 Starting with a focus..............................................................................................................................................9
2.5 Operationalizing constructs...................................................................................................................................9
2.6 Starting with a purpose.........................................................................................................................................9
Video Seminar 3: Theory, Hypotheses and Variables.....................................................................................................10
Lecture 4: Experimental designs....................................................................................................................................11
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 9 Experiments: Researching Cause and Effect......................................................................11
9.1 Field experiments and ex post facto designs.......................................................................................................11
9.2 Designing for control...........................................................................................................................................11
9.3 Factorial designs..................................................................................................................................................12
9.4 Between-subjects and within-subjects design.....................................................................................................12
9.5 Time series analysis.............................................................................................................................................12
9.6 Validity and experimental design.........................................................................................................................12
9.7 Big data and online experiments.........................................................................................................................12
Video seminar 4: Experimental Designs........................................................................................................................13
Lecture 5: Literature review...........................................................................................................................................14
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 4: Resources: Reading, Recording and Reviewing Research.................................................14
4.1 Library research: why bother?.............................................................................................................................14
4.2 Finding relevance.................................................................................................................................................14
4.3 Finding quality.....................................................................................................................................................15
4.4 Search strategies and techniques........................................................................................................................16
4.5 The literature review: writing your search results...............................................................................................17
Video Seminar 5: Literature Review..............................................................................................................................17
Lecture 6: Research ethics.............................................................................................................................................18
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 3 Ethics: Our Responsibilities as Researchers.......................................................................18
, 3.1 Introduction: some ethical decisions...................................................................................................................18
3.2 Ethics issues in communication research.............................................................................................................18
3.3 Some classic ethical positions..............................................................................................................................19
3.4 Contemporary codes of ethics.............................................................................................................................19
3.5 Peer review and institutional review boards........................................................................................................19
3.6 The Internet and research ethics.........................................................................................................................19
Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (2018)..............................................................................................................20
Video Seminar 6: Research Ethics..................................................................................................................................20
Lecture 7: Surveys.........................................................................................................................................................21
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 8: Surveys: Putting Numbers on Opinions............................................................................21
8.1 Introduction: advantages and disadvantages of surveys......................................................................................21
8.2 Types of surveys...................................................................................................................................................21
8.3 Survey methods...................................................................................................................................................22
8.4 Writing, introducing and formatting survey questions........................................................................................22
8.5 Survey wording: ‘If it can be misinterpreted, it will be’.......................................................................................23
8.6 Web and mobile survey design............................................................................................................................24
8.7 Improving survey response rates.........................................................................................................................24
8.8 Using other people’s surveys...............................................................................................................................24
8.9 Big data and surveys............................................................................................................................................24
Video Seminar 7: Surveys..............................................................................................................................................25
Lecture 8: Sampling.......................................................................................................................................................26
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 6 Sampling: Who, What and How Many?.............................................................................26
6.1 Nonprobability sampling.....................................................................................................................................26
6.2 Probability sampling............................................................................................................................................26
6.3 How big does my sample have to be?..................................................................................................................27
6.4 Selecting a sampling frame..................................................................................................................................27
6.5 Special population sampling................................................................................................................................27
6.6 The future of sampling.........................................................................................................................................28
Video Seminar 8: Sampling............................................................................................................................................28
Lecture 9: Reliability, validity.........................................................................................................................................29
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 5 Measurement: Research Using Numbers..........................................................................29
5.1 Research NOIR.....................................................................................................................................................29
5.2 NOIR is not enough: reliability and validity..........................................................................................................29
Video Seminar 9: Reliability and Validity.......................................................................................................................29
Lecture 10: Interviews, focus groups.............................................................................................................................30
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 12 Observation: Qualitative Understandings of Behaviors and Attitudes.............................30
12.1 Advantages and disadvantages of qualitative methods.....................................................................................30
12.2 Qualitative and quantitative: similarities and differences..................................................................................31
12.3 Researcher-participant relationships.................................................................................................................31
12.4 Watching and listening methods.......................................................................................................................31
2
, 12.5 Making sense of qualitative data.......................................................................................................................33
Video Seminar 10 Interviews and Focus Groups............................................................................................................33
Lecture 11: Contextual inquiry, diary studies.................................................................................................................34
Jensen et al. (2018) ‘I just scroll through my stuff until I find it or give up’: A Contextual Inquiry of PIM on Private
Handheld Devices..........................................................................................................................................................34
Rigby et al. (2018) ‘I can watch what I want’: A Diary Study of On-Demand and Cross-Device Viewing........................34
Video Seminar 11 Contextual Inquiry and Diary Studies...............................................................................................35
Lecture 12: Case studies, observational studies............................................................................................................36
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 12 Observation: Qualitative Understandings of Behaviors and Attitudes.............................36
12.1 Advantages and disadvantages of qualitative methods.....................................................................................36
12.2 Qualitative and quantitative: similarities and differences..................................................................................37
12.3 Researcher-participant relationships.................................................................................................................37
12.4 Watching and listening methods.......................................................................................................................37
12.5 Making sense of qualitative data.......................................................................................................................39
Video Seminar 12 Case studies and observational studies............................................................................................39
Lecture 13: Content analysis, big data analysis..............................................................................................................40
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 10 Content Analysis I: Quantitative Understanding of Words and Images...........................40
10.1 A basic content analysis.....................................................................................................................................40
10.2 Content analysis of human interaction..............................................................................................................40
10.3 Coding and latent content.................................................................................................................................40
10.4 Content analysis as quantitative and qualitative................................................................................................40
10.5 Computer analysis of content............................................................................................................................41
Video Seminar 13 Content analysis and big data...........................................................................................................41
Lecture 14: The future of science..................................................................................................................................42
Munafò et al. (2017) A manifesto for reproducible science...........................................................................................42
Video Seminar 14 Reproducible research and open science.........................................................................................43
3
, Lecture 2: Qualitative and quantitative
research, world views, research purposes
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 1 Foundations: The Ideas
that Shape Our Research
1.1 Starting with basic beliefs and perspectives
Worldviews = assumptions about human behavior as sets of fundamental beliefs.
Nomothetic approach Idiographic approach
Human behavior is seen as predictable, objectively Human behavior is seen as individualistic, unpredictable
measurable and generalizable. and subjective.
Emphasis on generalization and measurement. Emphasis on subjectivity and individuality of human
communication.
Creswell and Creswell (2018) define 4 worldviews:
1. Postpositive = emphasizes cause and effect and the idea that the world is governed by laws or theories that
can be tested or verified quantitative.
2. Constructivist = individuals seek understanding of the world in which they live and construct their own views
of it qualitative.
3. Transformative = change oriented and argues for mixing research with politics to confront social oppression
and change lives for the better.
4. Pragmatism = focuses on solutions to problems and using all possible approaches to understand a problem.
Craig’s (1999) communication metatheory = a family of concepts embracing several different traditions of
communication research.
Rhetorical = the practical art of discourse, debate and discussion that emphasizes the use and power of
words.
Semiotic = the use and interpretations of signs and symbols which emphasize the study of how meanings are
constructed and the relationships between words and symbols, and thought.
Phenomenological = the experience of others which emphasizes the study of objects and events as they are
perceived.
Cybernetic = the flow of information; emphasizes communication as a system of information processing and
feedback.
Sociopsychological = the interaction of individuals.
Sociocultural = the production and reproduction of social order.
Critical = the process of challenging assumptions.
Craig and Xiong (2022) suggest other perspectives that might be considered: eg. feminist, aesthetic, economic or
spiritual perspectives such as Buddhist.
The research method you select should follow logically from your basic assumptions about human behavior and
communication. Foundational beliefs and arguments about human behavior are issues of ontology.
Ontology = the nature of what we study.
1.2 General questions behind communication research
Do observations capture an underlying reality?
One assumption is that what we choose to study, eg. language, tells us something about an underlying reality we
cannot see but assume to exist. For example, ‘power’ or ‘attitude’ are not things you can directly see but are rather
behaviors.
4
4 formal assignments
1 exam 100%
Index
Lecture 2: Qualitative and quantitative research, world views, research purposes.........................................................4
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 1 Foundations: The Ideas that Shape Our Research...............................................................4
1.1 Starting with basic beliefs and perspectives..........................................................................................................4
1.2 General questions behind communication research.............................................................................................4
1.3 Web worlds, fuzzy boundaries and artificial intelligence.......................................................................................5
Video seminar 2: Worldviews and Research Purposes....................................................................................................5
Lecture 3: Theory, hypotheses, variables.........................................................................................................................6
Exercise week 3: Identifying variables from abstracts.....................................................................................................6
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 2 Getting Started: From Inspiration to Implementation.........................................................8
2.1 The relationship between theory and observations..............................................................................................8
2.2 Starting with a model or theory.............................................................................................................................8
2.3 Starting with ‘5W+H’ questions.............................................................................................................................8
2.4 Starting with a focus..............................................................................................................................................9
2.5 Operationalizing constructs...................................................................................................................................9
2.6 Starting with a purpose.........................................................................................................................................9
Video Seminar 3: Theory, Hypotheses and Variables.....................................................................................................10
Lecture 4: Experimental designs....................................................................................................................................11
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 9 Experiments: Researching Cause and Effect......................................................................11
9.1 Field experiments and ex post facto designs.......................................................................................................11
9.2 Designing for control...........................................................................................................................................11
9.3 Factorial designs..................................................................................................................................................12
9.4 Between-subjects and within-subjects design.....................................................................................................12
9.5 Time series analysis.............................................................................................................................................12
9.6 Validity and experimental design.........................................................................................................................12
9.7 Big data and online experiments.........................................................................................................................12
Video seminar 4: Experimental Designs........................................................................................................................13
Lecture 5: Literature review...........................................................................................................................................14
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 4: Resources: Reading, Recording and Reviewing Research.................................................14
4.1 Library research: why bother?.............................................................................................................................14
4.2 Finding relevance.................................................................................................................................................14
4.3 Finding quality.....................................................................................................................................................15
4.4 Search strategies and techniques........................................................................................................................16
4.5 The literature review: writing your search results...............................................................................................17
Video Seminar 5: Literature Review..............................................................................................................................17
Lecture 6: Research ethics.............................................................................................................................................18
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 3 Ethics: Our Responsibilities as Researchers.......................................................................18
, 3.1 Introduction: some ethical decisions...................................................................................................................18
3.2 Ethics issues in communication research.............................................................................................................18
3.3 Some classic ethical positions..............................................................................................................................19
3.4 Contemporary codes of ethics.............................................................................................................................19
3.5 Peer review and institutional review boards........................................................................................................19
3.6 The Internet and research ethics.........................................................................................................................19
Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (2018)..............................................................................................................20
Video Seminar 6: Research Ethics..................................................................................................................................20
Lecture 7: Surveys.........................................................................................................................................................21
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 8: Surveys: Putting Numbers on Opinions............................................................................21
8.1 Introduction: advantages and disadvantages of surveys......................................................................................21
8.2 Types of surveys...................................................................................................................................................21
8.3 Survey methods...................................................................................................................................................22
8.4 Writing, introducing and formatting survey questions........................................................................................22
8.5 Survey wording: ‘If it can be misinterpreted, it will be’.......................................................................................23
8.6 Web and mobile survey design............................................................................................................................24
8.7 Improving survey response rates.........................................................................................................................24
8.8 Using other people’s surveys...............................................................................................................................24
8.9 Big data and surveys............................................................................................................................................24
Video Seminar 7: Surveys..............................................................................................................................................25
Lecture 8: Sampling.......................................................................................................................................................26
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 6 Sampling: Who, What and How Many?.............................................................................26
6.1 Nonprobability sampling.....................................................................................................................................26
6.2 Probability sampling............................................................................................................................................26
6.3 How big does my sample have to be?..................................................................................................................27
6.4 Selecting a sampling frame..................................................................................................................................27
6.5 Special population sampling................................................................................................................................27
6.6 The future of sampling.........................................................................................................................................28
Video Seminar 8: Sampling............................................................................................................................................28
Lecture 9: Reliability, validity.........................................................................................................................................29
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 5 Measurement: Research Using Numbers..........................................................................29
5.1 Research NOIR.....................................................................................................................................................29
5.2 NOIR is not enough: reliability and validity..........................................................................................................29
Video Seminar 9: Reliability and Validity.......................................................................................................................29
Lecture 10: Interviews, focus groups.............................................................................................................................30
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 12 Observation: Qualitative Understandings of Behaviors and Attitudes.............................30
12.1 Advantages and disadvantages of qualitative methods.....................................................................................30
12.2 Qualitative and quantitative: similarities and differences..................................................................................31
12.3 Researcher-participant relationships.................................................................................................................31
12.4 Watching and listening methods.......................................................................................................................31
2
, 12.5 Making sense of qualitative data.......................................................................................................................33
Video Seminar 10 Interviews and Focus Groups............................................................................................................33
Lecture 11: Contextual inquiry, diary studies.................................................................................................................34
Jensen et al. (2018) ‘I just scroll through my stuff until I find it or give up’: A Contextual Inquiry of PIM on Private
Handheld Devices..........................................................................................................................................................34
Rigby et al. (2018) ‘I can watch what I want’: A Diary Study of On-Demand and Cross-Device Viewing........................34
Video Seminar 11 Contextual Inquiry and Diary Studies...............................................................................................35
Lecture 12: Case studies, observational studies............................................................................................................36
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 12 Observation: Qualitative Understandings of Behaviors and Attitudes.............................36
12.1 Advantages and disadvantages of qualitative methods.....................................................................................36
12.2 Qualitative and quantitative: similarities and differences..................................................................................37
12.3 Researcher-participant relationships.................................................................................................................37
12.4 Watching and listening methods.......................................................................................................................37
12.5 Making sense of qualitative data.......................................................................................................................39
Video Seminar 12 Case studies and observational studies............................................................................................39
Lecture 13: Content analysis, big data analysis..............................................................................................................40
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 10 Content Analysis I: Quantitative Understanding of Words and Images...........................40
10.1 A basic content analysis.....................................................................................................................................40
10.2 Content analysis of human interaction..............................................................................................................40
10.3 Coding and latent content.................................................................................................................................40
10.4 Content analysis as quantitative and qualitative................................................................................................40
10.5 Computer analysis of content............................................................................................................................41
Video Seminar 13 Content analysis and big data...........................................................................................................41
Lecture 14: The future of science..................................................................................................................................42
Munafò et al. (2017) A manifesto for reproducible science...........................................................................................42
Video Seminar 14 Reproducible research and open science.........................................................................................43
3
, Lecture 2: Qualitative and quantitative
research, world views, research purposes
Treadwell (2024) Chapter 1 Foundations: The Ideas
that Shape Our Research
1.1 Starting with basic beliefs and perspectives
Worldviews = assumptions about human behavior as sets of fundamental beliefs.
Nomothetic approach Idiographic approach
Human behavior is seen as predictable, objectively Human behavior is seen as individualistic, unpredictable
measurable and generalizable. and subjective.
Emphasis on generalization and measurement. Emphasis on subjectivity and individuality of human
communication.
Creswell and Creswell (2018) define 4 worldviews:
1. Postpositive = emphasizes cause and effect and the idea that the world is governed by laws or theories that
can be tested or verified quantitative.
2. Constructivist = individuals seek understanding of the world in which they live and construct their own views
of it qualitative.
3. Transformative = change oriented and argues for mixing research with politics to confront social oppression
and change lives for the better.
4. Pragmatism = focuses on solutions to problems and using all possible approaches to understand a problem.
Craig’s (1999) communication metatheory = a family of concepts embracing several different traditions of
communication research.
Rhetorical = the practical art of discourse, debate and discussion that emphasizes the use and power of
words.
Semiotic = the use and interpretations of signs and symbols which emphasize the study of how meanings are
constructed and the relationships between words and symbols, and thought.
Phenomenological = the experience of others which emphasizes the study of objects and events as they are
perceived.
Cybernetic = the flow of information; emphasizes communication as a system of information processing and
feedback.
Sociopsychological = the interaction of individuals.
Sociocultural = the production and reproduction of social order.
Critical = the process of challenging assumptions.
Craig and Xiong (2022) suggest other perspectives that might be considered: eg. feminist, aesthetic, economic or
spiritual perspectives such as Buddhist.
The research method you select should follow logically from your basic assumptions about human behavior and
communication. Foundational beliefs and arguments about human behavior are issues of ontology.
Ontology = the nature of what we study.
1.2 General questions behind communication research
Do observations capture an underlying reality?
One assumption is that what we choose to study, eg. language, tells us something about an underlying reality we
cannot see but assume to exist. For example, ‘power’ or ‘attitude’ are not things you can directly see but are rather
behaviors.
4
