METHODS OF COMMUNICATION
RESEARCH
2023 – 2024
GERT-JAN DE BRUIJN & SANDER DE RIDDER
1
, TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUANTITATIVE methods ................................................................................................................................. 4
LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION – BASICS OF COMMUNICATION RESEARCH ........................................................... 4
What is communication research?...................................................................................................................... 4
Research? ....................................................................................................................................................... 4
Scientific research is different form everyday research ................................................................................. 4
Communication research ............................................................................................................................... 5
Communication research as interdisciplinary research ................................................................................. 5
Quantitative vs. Qualitative ............................................................................................................................ 6
LESSON 1 – LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................................................................... 7
Quantitative methods ......................................................................................................................................... 7
Literature review as a communication science method................................................................................. 7
LESSON 2 - Experiments ................................................................................................................................ 12
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 12
Types of experiments ........................................................................................................................................ 12
Terminology ...................................................................................................................................................... 12
Independent variable ................................................................................................................................... 13
Dependent variable ...................................................................................................................................... 14
Experimental designs ........................................................................................................................................ 14
Pure/Classic experimental design................................................................................................................. 14
Quasi experimental design ........................................................................................................................... 15
Research designs ............................................................................................................................................... 15
Statistical terms ................................................................................................................................................ 16
Statistical power ........................................................................................................................................... 17
Experiments: Goal priming................................................................................................................................ 18
experiments: virtual reality ............................................................................................................................... 19
experiments: framing & priming ....................................................................................................................... 19
LESSON 3: Survey research ............................................................................................................................ 21
Questions (sometimes) create answers ............................................................................................................ 23
LESSON 4: PART I: QUANTATIVE content analysis .......................................................................................... 24
Guest lecture: fact-checking as a journalistic genre ....................................................................................... 28
Qualitative Methods ..................................................................................................................................... 29
Lesson 5: introduction .................................................................................................................................. 29
Doing research into the nexus media, culture and society .......................................................................... 30
Lesson 6: Researching mediated Content and Fictions .................................................................................. 38
2
,Lesson 7: critical discourse analysis ............................................................................................................... 47
LESSON 8: RESEARCHING PEOPLE’S ENGAGEMENTS with media, technology and cultures ............................ 53
AUDIENcES as active agents ............................................................................................................................. 54
Multiple Choice Exam Questions for Part 1 ................................................................................................... 58
Open Exam Questions for Part 1 ................................................................................................................... 60
Open Exam Questions for Part 2 ................................................................................................................... 61
Tips .................................................................................................................................................................... 61
Excirsise 1 .......................................................................................................................................................... 62
Paper ............................................................................................................................................................ 62
Solution ........................................................................................................................................................ 62
Excirsise 1 .......................................................................................................................................................... 63
Paper ............................................................................................................................................................ 63
Solution ........................................................................................................................................................ 63
Excirsise 3 .......................................................................................................................................................... 64
Paper ............................................................................................................................................................ 64
Solution ........................................................................................................................................................ 64
Excirsise 4 .......................................................................................................................................................... 65
Paper ............................................................................................................................................................ 65
Solution ........................................................................................................................................................ 65
Excirsise 5 .......................................................................................................................................................... 66
Paper ............................................................................................................................................................ 66
Solution ........................................................................................................................................................ 66
Excirsise 6 .......................................................................................................................................................... 67
Paper ............................................................................................................................................................ 67
Solution ........................................................................................................................................................ 67
3
, QUANTITATIVE METHODS
LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION – BASICS OF COMMUNICATION
RESEARCH
WHAT IS COMMUNICATION RESEARCH?
RESEARCH?
A certain look comes over the faces of some of my students when they hear the word research. Their
eyes glaze over, and their faces take on a pained expression as if they had a migraine or a bad stomach
ache. They see the required course on research as some kind of an ordeal they must survive before being
allowed to take the courses they want and go on to live a normal life.
- Research (ENG) comes from the word ‘chercher’ in French, it is translated to seek, to search.
- Research means looking for information about something.
- You research every day; we look for information throughout the whole day.
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IS DIFFERENT FORM EVERYDAY RESEARCH
- More systematic
- Based more on facts than feelings
- More cautious (=careful)
- More focus on accuracy and veracity
Data, numbers, and statistics are not necessarily needed for scientific research. (cf. historical research)
4
RESEARCH
2023 – 2024
GERT-JAN DE BRUIJN & SANDER DE RIDDER
1
, TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUANTITATIVE methods ................................................................................................................................. 4
LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION – BASICS OF COMMUNICATION RESEARCH ........................................................... 4
What is communication research?...................................................................................................................... 4
Research? ....................................................................................................................................................... 4
Scientific research is different form everyday research ................................................................................. 4
Communication research ............................................................................................................................... 5
Communication research as interdisciplinary research ................................................................................. 5
Quantitative vs. Qualitative ............................................................................................................................ 6
LESSON 1 – LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................................................................... 7
Quantitative methods ......................................................................................................................................... 7
Literature review as a communication science method................................................................................. 7
LESSON 2 - Experiments ................................................................................................................................ 12
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 12
Types of experiments ........................................................................................................................................ 12
Terminology ...................................................................................................................................................... 12
Independent variable ................................................................................................................................... 13
Dependent variable ...................................................................................................................................... 14
Experimental designs ........................................................................................................................................ 14
Pure/Classic experimental design................................................................................................................. 14
Quasi experimental design ........................................................................................................................... 15
Research designs ............................................................................................................................................... 15
Statistical terms ................................................................................................................................................ 16
Statistical power ........................................................................................................................................... 17
Experiments: Goal priming................................................................................................................................ 18
experiments: virtual reality ............................................................................................................................... 19
experiments: framing & priming ....................................................................................................................... 19
LESSON 3: Survey research ............................................................................................................................ 21
Questions (sometimes) create answers ............................................................................................................ 23
LESSON 4: PART I: QUANTATIVE content analysis .......................................................................................... 24
Guest lecture: fact-checking as a journalistic genre ....................................................................................... 28
Qualitative Methods ..................................................................................................................................... 29
Lesson 5: introduction .................................................................................................................................. 29
Doing research into the nexus media, culture and society .......................................................................... 30
Lesson 6: Researching mediated Content and Fictions .................................................................................. 38
2
,Lesson 7: critical discourse analysis ............................................................................................................... 47
LESSON 8: RESEARCHING PEOPLE’S ENGAGEMENTS with media, technology and cultures ............................ 53
AUDIENcES as active agents ............................................................................................................................. 54
Multiple Choice Exam Questions for Part 1 ................................................................................................... 58
Open Exam Questions for Part 1 ................................................................................................................... 60
Open Exam Questions for Part 2 ................................................................................................................... 61
Tips .................................................................................................................................................................... 61
Excirsise 1 .......................................................................................................................................................... 62
Paper ............................................................................................................................................................ 62
Solution ........................................................................................................................................................ 62
Excirsise 1 .......................................................................................................................................................... 63
Paper ............................................................................................................................................................ 63
Solution ........................................................................................................................................................ 63
Excirsise 3 .......................................................................................................................................................... 64
Paper ............................................................................................................................................................ 64
Solution ........................................................................................................................................................ 64
Excirsise 4 .......................................................................................................................................................... 65
Paper ............................................................................................................................................................ 65
Solution ........................................................................................................................................................ 65
Excirsise 5 .......................................................................................................................................................... 66
Paper ............................................................................................................................................................ 66
Solution ........................................................................................................................................................ 66
Excirsise 6 .......................................................................................................................................................... 67
Paper ............................................................................................................................................................ 67
Solution ........................................................................................................................................................ 67
3
, QUANTITATIVE METHODS
LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION – BASICS OF COMMUNICATION
RESEARCH
WHAT IS COMMUNICATION RESEARCH?
RESEARCH?
A certain look comes over the faces of some of my students when they hear the word research. Their
eyes glaze over, and their faces take on a pained expression as if they had a migraine or a bad stomach
ache. They see the required course on research as some kind of an ordeal they must survive before being
allowed to take the courses they want and go on to live a normal life.
- Research (ENG) comes from the word ‘chercher’ in French, it is translated to seek, to search.
- Research means looking for information about something.
- You research every day; we look for information throughout the whole day.
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IS DIFFERENT FORM EVERYDAY RESEARCH
- More systematic
- Based more on facts than feelings
- More cautious (=careful)
- More focus on accuracy and veracity
Data, numbers, and statistics are not necessarily needed for scientific research. (cf. historical research)
4
