QUANTITATIVE METHODS OF
COMMUNICATION RESEARCH
INhoudstafel
CLASS 1: METHODOLOGICAL AND STATISTICAL VOCABULARY........................................................................4
COURSE OVERVIEW..................................................................................................................................................4
Learning outcomes............................................................................................................................................4
Topics (methods, analysis) & examination.......................................................................................................4
Two distinct assessments..................................................................................................................................4
Quantitative methods.......................................................................................................................................5
QUANTITATIVE METHODS..........................................................................................................................................7
Data & analysis.................................................................................................................................................7
METHODOLOGICAL AND STATISTICAL VOCABULARY #1...................................................................................................8
Measurement levels..........................................................................................................................................8
Descriptive data and statistics..........................................................................................................................9
Literature review...............................................................................................................................................9
Research questions and hypothesis................................................................................................................12
CLASS 2: METHODOLOGICAL AND STATISTICAL VOCABULARY #2..................................................................13
INFERENTIAL STATISTICS & IN-CLASS EXERCISES............................................................................................................13
Mean comparison analysis.............................................................................................................................14
Association analysis........................................................................................................................................15
STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND STATISTICAL POWER.....................................................................................................17
SMALLER SAMPLES..........................................................................................................................................19
LARGER SAMPLES............................................................................................................................................19
Systematic review...........................................................................................................................................19
Type 1 and type 2 error...................................................................................................................................20
RECAP OF FIRST 2 WEEKS AND NEXT 2 WEEKS.............................................................................................................21
CLASS 3 SELF STUDY SPSS............................................................................................................................. 22
ANALYZING DATA...................................................................................................................................................22
INFERENTIAL STATISTICS..........................................................................................................................................22
CLASS 4 QUANTITATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS................................................................................................24
QUANTITATIVE: DATA IN NUMBERS..........................................................................................................................25
CONTENT: ANY MEDIA AND/OR COMMUNICATION CONTENT.........................................................................................25
ANALYSIS: THROUGH QUANTITATIVE PROCEDURES.......................................................................................................25
Two key areas.................................................................................................................................................25
Three key structures........................................................................................................................................25
How to decide on what content?....................................................................................................................25
Content: how to get a dataset?......................................................................................................................25
ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE IN DUTCH NEWSPAPERS: WORK IN PROGRESS ..........................................................................27
Literature Review............................................................................................................................................27
1
, Aim..................................................................................................................................................................27
Focus on content:............................................................................................................................................27
Method 1) NexisUni........................................................................................................................................28
Method 2) Search process...............................................................................................................................28
Method 3) Bookends.......................................................................................................................................28
Method 4) Codebook.......................................................................................................................................28
OBLIGATORY LITERATURE ON BLACKBOARD !!TO KNOW BY HARD...................................................................................29
Theory; Content and sampling........................................................................................................................29
Combined coding – inductive (‘bottom-up’) & deductive (‘top down’)...........................................................29
Coding in excel................................................................................................................................................30
FULL PAPER EXAMPLE !!TO KNOW BY HARD................................................................................................................30
FIRST ASSESSEMENT...............................................................................................................................................33
CLASS 5: EXPERIMENTS 1............................................................................................................................. 34
EXPERIMENTS.......................................................................................................................................................34
What are they and why do we need them?....................................................................................................34
Different types of experiments........................................................................................................................36
Factorial designs.............................................................................................................................................37
STATISTICAL APPROACHES.......................................................................................................................................38
Analysis of variance........................................................................................................................................38
Analysis of covariance.....................................................................................................................................40
CLASS 6: EXPERIMENTS 2............................................................................................................................. 40
EXPERIMENTS #2.................................................................................................................................................. 40
Recap of Experiments #1.................................................................................................................................40
2*2 factorial designs and related statistical approaches...............................................................................40
An example research paper (De Bruijn et al., 2014).......................................................................................41
Between-subject designs versus within-subject designs.................................................................................41
An example research paper (De Bruijn et al., 2019).......................................................................................41
Multiple dependent variables.........................................................................................................................42
STATISTICAL APPROACHES.......................................................................................................................................42
Repeated Measures of Analysis of variance and Multivariate Analysis of (co)variance................................42
CLASS 7: SURVEY RESEARCH 1)..................................................................................................................... 42
STATISTICAL APPROACHES RECAP..............................................................................................................................43
Analysis of variance........................................................................................................................................43
SURVEYS..............................................................................................................................................................43
What are they and why do we need them?....................................................................................................43
Different types of surveys................................................................................................................................44
Correlations.....................................................................................................................................................46
EXAMPLES AND EXERCISES.......................................................................................................................................47
Own research..................................................................................................................................................47
Multiple regression.........................................................................................................................................52
Masterstudent thesis from 24/25...................................................................................................................54
CLASS 8: SURVEY RESEARCH #2.................................................................................................................... 54
SURVEY RECAP......................................................................................................................................................54
EXAMPLES AND EXERCISES.......................................................................................................................................56
Masterstudent thesis from 24/25: correlation and regression analysis.........................................................57
MEDIATION ANALYSIS.............................................................................................................................................58
2
, What is it and why do we need / use it?.........................................................................................................58
Example mediation analysis paper (Liu et al, 2021).......................................................................................59
EXAM INFORMATION AND PLANNING FINAL WEEKS......................................................................................................60
3
, CLASS 1: METHODOLOGICAL AND STATISTICAL VOCABULARY
COURSE OVERVIEW
LEARNING OUTCOMES
• You possess knowledge and expertise in quantitative research methods within the field of
communication science.
• You have the knowledge and expertise to design, implement, and interpret quantitative research in
communication science, such as (quasi)-experimental research, survey-based studies, quantitative
content analysis, and literature reviews.
• You have the knowledge and expertise to formulate research questions, develop research designs that
are appropriate for research questions, conduct and interpret appropriate research methods and
analysis techniques, and report research findings in a clear and consistent academic manner.
Look at the powerpoint for the images.
TOPICS (METHODS, ANALYSIS) & EXAMINATION
TWO DISTINCT ASSESSMENTS
• During first examination period: written examination: 11/20
• During the course: three case assignments: 3/20 * 3 = 9/20
• One case assignment per method (content; experiment; survey)
4
COMMUNICATION RESEARCH
INhoudstafel
CLASS 1: METHODOLOGICAL AND STATISTICAL VOCABULARY........................................................................4
COURSE OVERVIEW..................................................................................................................................................4
Learning outcomes............................................................................................................................................4
Topics (methods, analysis) & examination.......................................................................................................4
Two distinct assessments..................................................................................................................................4
Quantitative methods.......................................................................................................................................5
QUANTITATIVE METHODS..........................................................................................................................................7
Data & analysis.................................................................................................................................................7
METHODOLOGICAL AND STATISTICAL VOCABULARY #1...................................................................................................8
Measurement levels..........................................................................................................................................8
Descriptive data and statistics..........................................................................................................................9
Literature review...............................................................................................................................................9
Research questions and hypothesis................................................................................................................12
CLASS 2: METHODOLOGICAL AND STATISTICAL VOCABULARY #2..................................................................13
INFERENTIAL STATISTICS & IN-CLASS EXERCISES............................................................................................................13
Mean comparison analysis.............................................................................................................................14
Association analysis........................................................................................................................................15
STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND STATISTICAL POWER.....................................................................................................17
SMALLER SAMPLES..........................................................................................................................................19
LARGER SAMPLES............................................................................................................................................19
Systematic review...........................................................................................................................................19
Type 1 and type 2 error...................................................................................................................................20
RECAP OF FIRST 2 WEEKS AND NEXT 2 WEEKS.............................................................................................................21
CLASS 3 SELF STUDY SPSS............................................................................................................................. 22
ANALYZING DATA...................................................................................................................................................22
INFERENTIAL STATISTICS..........................................................................................................................................22
CLASS 4 QUANTITATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS................................................................................................24
QUANTITATIVE: DATA IN NUMBERS..........................................................................................................................25
CONTENT: ANY MEDIA AND/OR COMMUNICATION CONTENT.........................................................................................25
ANALYSIS: THROUGH QUANTITATIVE PROCEDURES.......................................................................................................25
Two key areas.................................................................................................................................................25
Three key structures........................................................................................................................................25
How to decide on what content?....................................................................................................................25
Content: how to get a dataset?......................................................................................................................25
ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE IN DUTCH NEWSPAPERS: WORK IN PROGRESS ..........................................................................27
Literature Review............................................................................................................................................27
1
, Aim..................................................................................................................................................................27
Focus on content:............................................................................................................................................27
Method 1) NexisUni........................................................................................................................................28
Method 2) Search process...............................................................................................................................28
Method 3) Bookends.......................................................................................................................................28
Method 4) Codebook.......................................................................................................................................28
OBLIGATORY LITERATURE ON BLACKBOARD !!TO KNOW BY HARD...................................................................................29
Theory; Content and sampling........................................................................................................................29
Combined coding – inductive (‘bottom-up’) & deductive (‘top down’)...........................................................29
Coding in excel................................................................................................................................................30
FULL PAPER EXAMPLE !!TO KNOW BY HARD................................................................................................................30
FIRST ASSESSEMENT...............................................................................................................................................33
CLASS 5: EXPERIMENTS 1............................................................................................................................. 34
EXPERIMENTS.......................................................................................................................................................34
What are they and why do we need them?....................................................................................................34
Different types of experiments........................................................................................................................36
Factorial designs.............................................................................................................................................37
STATISTICAL APPROACHES.......................................................................................................................................38
Analysis of variance........................................................................................................................................38
Analysis of covariance.....................................................................................................................................40
CLASS 6: EXPERIMENTS 2............................................................................................................................. 40
EXPERIMENTS #2.................................................................................................................................................. 40
Recap of Experiments #1.................................................................................................................................40
2*2 factorial designs and related statistical approaches...............................................................................40
An example research paper (De Bruijn et al., 2014).......................................................................................41
Between-subject designs versus within-subject designs.................................................................................41
An example research paper (De Bruijn et al., 2019).......................................................................................41
Multiple dependent variables.........................................................................................................................42
STATISTICAL APPROACHES.......................................................................................................................................42
Repeated Measures of Analysis of variance and Multivariate Analysis of (co)variance................................42
CLASS 7: SURVEY RESEARCH 1)..................................................................................................................... 42
STATISTICAL APPROACHES RECAP..............................................................................................................................43
Analysis of variance........................................................................................................................................43
SURVEYS..............................................................................................................................................................43
What are they and why do we need them?....................................................................................................43
Different types of surveys................................................................................................................................44
Correlations.....................................................................................................................................................46
EXAMPLES AND EXERCISES.......................................................................................................................................47
Own research..................................................................................................................................................47
Multiple regression.........................................................................................................................................52
Masterstudent thesis from 24/25...................................................................................................................54
CLASS 8: SURVEY RESEARCH #2.................................................................................................................... 54
SURVEY RECAP......................................................................................................................................................54
EXAMPLES AND EXERCISES.......................................................................................................................................56
Masterstudent thesis from 24/25: correlation and regression analysis.........................................................57
MEDIATION ANALYSIS.............................................................................................................................................58
2
, What is it and why do we need / use it?.........................................................................................................58
Example mediation analysis paper (Liu et al, 2021).......................................................................................59
EXAM INFORMATION AND PLANNING FINAL WEEKS......................................................................................................60
3
, CLASS 1: METHODOLOGICAL AND STATISTICAL VOCABULARY
COURSE OVERVIEW
LEARNING OUTCOMES
• You possess knowledge and expertise in quantitative research methods within the field of
communication science.
• You have the knowledge and expertise to design, implement, and interpret quantitative research in
communication science, such as (quasi)-experimental research, survey-based studies, quantitative
content analysis, and literature reviews.
• You have the knowledge and expertise to formulate research questions, develop research designs that
are appropriate for research questions, conduct and interpret appropriate research methods and
analysis techniques, and report research findings in a clear and consistent academic manner.
Look at the powerpoint for the images.
TOPICS (METHODS, ANALYSIS) & EXAMINATION
TWO DISTINCT ASSESSMENTS
• During first examination period: written examination: 11/20
• During the course: three case assignments: 3/20 * 3 = 9/20
• One case assignment per method (content; experiment; survey)
4
