QUALITATIVE METHODS OF
COMMUNICATION RESEARCH
Inhoudsopgave
CLASS 1 WHAT IS COMMUNICATION RESEARCH? + GENERAL INTRODUCTION................................................4
COMMUNICATION RESEARCH.....................................................................................................................................4
COMMUNICATION RESEARCH AS INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH.........................................................................................5
Humanities-oriented study of media and communication...............................................................................5
Social science-oriented study of media and communication............................................................................5
Quantitative vs. Qualitative?............................................................................................................................5
Research needs strategic choices......................................................................................................................6
Questions of interest in evaluating these strategic choices made by researchers...........................................6
PRACTICAL............................................................................................................................................................. 6
Learning outcomes............................................................................................................................................6
Grading.............................................................................................................................................................7
Course expectations..........................................................................................................................................7
CLASS 2 INTRODUCTION TO QUALITATIVE COMMUNICATION RESEARCH INTO THE NEXUS MEDIA, CULTURE
AND SOCIETY................................................................................................................................................. 8
KEY LESSONS..........................................................................................................................................................8
Readings............................................................................................................................................................8
Communication research as interdisciplinary research....................................................................................9
DOING RESEARCH INTO THE NEXUS MEDIA, CULTURE, AND SOCIETY................................................................................9
Society.............................................................................................................................................................10
Media..............................................................................................................................................................10
Culture.............................................................................................................................................................12
QUALITATIVE COMMUNICATION RESEARCH AS A RESPONSE TO MEDIA EFFECTS STUDIES.......................................................14
THE FOUNDATIONS OF DOING QUALITATIVE COMMUNICATION RESEARCH.......................................................................15
Foundations....................................................................................................................................................15
Ontology of qualitative communication research..........................................................................................16
The epistemology of qualitative communication research.............................................................................16
Summary: foundations of qualitative communication research....................................................................17
Formatting your Research Field in Qualitative Communication Research.....................................................18
EXCERCISES..........................................................................................................................................................19
CLASS 3 RESEARCHING MEDIATED CONTENT AND FICTIONS.........................................................................21
LAST WEEK...........................................................................................................................................................21
OBJECTIVIST FORMS OF CONTENT ANALYSIS................................................................................................................22
Why qualitative content analysis?..................................................................................................................22
Quantitative content analysis.........................................................................................................................22
CONSTRUCTIVIST FORMS OF CONTENT ANALYSIS IN MEDIA AND CULTURAL STUDIES............................................................26
CLASS 4 (CRITICAL) DISCOURSE ANALYSIS PART 1......................................................................................... 32
1
, CONSTRUCTIVIST FORM OF CONTENT ANALYSIS...........................................................................................................32
KEY LESSONS........................................................................................................................................................33
WHAT IS (CRITICAL) DISCOURSE ANALYSIS?.................................................................................................................34
Example: ‘Terrorist’ or ‘freedom fighter’........................................................................................................35
CDA..................................................................................................................................................................35
CLASS 5 (CRITICAL) DISCOURSE ANALYSIS PART TWO...................................................................................37
RECAP LAST WEEK................................................................................................................................................. 37
KEY CONCEPTS IN CDA...........................................................................................................................................38
Power..............................................................................................................................................................38
Ideology...........................................................................................................................................................40
Articulation......................................................................................................................................................40
CLASS 6 RESEARCHING PEOPLE’S ENGAGEMENTS WITH MEDIA, TECHNOLOGY, AND CULTURES...................43
APPROACHES TO STUDYING MEDIA ENGAGEMENT........................................................................................................44
Approaches to media audiences in research..................................................................................................44
CLASS 7 EXPLORING TEXTS AND PEOPLE: A PRACTICAL VIEW ON THEMATIC ANALYSIS AND
(RECONSTRUCTION) INTERVIEWS................................................................................................................. 48
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................................49
THEMATIC ANALYSIS...............................................................................................................................................49
Science valorization.........................................................................................................................................49
Press release...................................................................................................................................................50
Hybrid medium................................................................................................................................................50
How is valorization of scientific research constructed in university press releases?......................................50
Time for some thematic analysis....................................................................................................................51
Some findings..................................................................................................................................................52
RECONSTRUCTION INTERVIEWS................................................................................................................................54
Exercise...........................................................................................................................................................54
Reconstruction interviews...............................................................................................................................55
When to use reconstruction interviews?.........................................................................................................55
Short theory....................................................................................................................................................55
CLASS 8: INTRODUCING THE ASSIGNMENT................................................................................................... 56
CLASS 9: GUEST LECTURE (T. VAN WICHELEN) : DOING RESEARCH ON GENDER AND SEXUALITY....................56
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................................56
GENDER EN SEXUAL DIVERSITY IN CHILDREN’S MEDIA..................................................................................56
AUDIENCE STUDIES.........................................................................................................................................57
WHAT ARE QUALITATIVE AUDIENCE STUDIES?..............................................................................................................57
INTERVIEWS VS. FOCUSGROUP......................................................................................................................57
WHICH ON TO CHOOSE?.................................................................................................................................58
GUIDELINE FOR QUALITATIVE AUDIENCE RESEARCH.......................................................................................................58
1) WHAT IS A TOPIC LIST?...............................................................................................................................58
2) SELECT PARTICIPANTS.................................................................................................................................59
3) Collecting data............................................................................................................................................60
4) Transcribing data........................................................................................................................................60
5) HOW TO ANALYZE?.....................................................................................................................................61
WRITing OUT...................................................................................................................................................61
EMPIRICAL RESEARCH.............................................................................................................................................61
Media workers................................................................................................................................................62
2
, How to include LGBTQ characters?.................................................................................................................62
EXPERT INTERVIEWS.......................................................................................................................................63
Teachers..........................................................................................................................................................63
Emerging adults..............................................................................................................................................64
CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................................................68
CLASS 10: DOING DIGITAL ETHNOGRAPHY IN PLATFORM AND CREATOR STUDIES........................................69
THINKING AS A DIGITAL ETHNOGRAPHER....................................................................................................................69
WHEN DO WE NEED DIGITAL ETHNOGRAPHY?.............................................................................................................69
E3 Internet.......................................................................................................................................................69
1) MOTIVATION....................................................................................................................................................70
An interesting phenomenon............................................................................................................................70
An academic debate.......................................................................................................................................71
Fieldwork-triggered question..........................................................................................................................71
2) STARTING POINT...............................................................................................................................................71
A digital ethnography of vloggers on Bilibili in the context of China..............................................................71
3) RESEARCH QUESTION.........................................................................................................................................71
4) DATA COLLECTION.............................................................................................................................................72
Phase 1 ethnographic observation.................................................................................................................72
Phase 2 In-depth interviews............................................................................................................................72
5) DATA ANALYSIS.................................................................................................................................................73
People-isation,’ not technology......................................................................................................................74
6) ARGUMENTATION.............................................................................................................................................74
Methodogical challenges................................................................................................................................74
KEY TAKE AWAYS...................................................................................................................................................74
EXAM INFO..........................................................................................................................................................74
3
, CLASS 1 WHAT IS COMMUNICATION RESEARCH? + GENERAL INTRODUCTION
Is everyone a researcher?
- Research (ENG) /chercher (Fr) to search, to seek
- Research means looking for information about something.
You research everyday:
- What phone do I buy?
- What is healthy to eat?
- Is this Netflix series for me?
- What is this conflict about?
Scientific research is different from everyday research
- More systematic
- Based more on facts than feelings
- More cautious
- More focus on accuracy and veracity
- Data, numbers and statistics as part of scientific research?
- Not necessarily (cf. historical research within literary studies vs. econometrics)
COMMUNICATION RESEARCH
- Young discipline - °50 years ago
- An interdisciplinary field
- Responded to the increasing important role of print and broadcast mass communication media in
everyday life, drawing on concepts and methods from both the social sciences, the humanities, and
even the natural sciences (cf. use of psychophysiological metrics in the social lab)
- With the development of digital media, the field is more central than ever to the political, economic
and cultural developments in societies and the world
Objective is not the same as selective. Selective is about choosing statitistics to prove your statement, while
objective is neutral.
4
COMMUNICATION RESEARCH
Inhoudsopgave
CLASS 1 WHAT IS COMMUNICATION RESEARCH? + GENERAL INTRODUCTION................................................4
COMMUNICATION RESEARCH.....................................................................................................................................4
COMMUNICATION RESEARCH AS INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH.........................................................................................5
Humanities-oriented study of media and communication...............................................................................5
Social science-oriented study of media and communication............................................................................5
Quantitative vs. Qualitative?............................................................................................................................5
Research needs strategic choices......................................................................................................................6
Questions of interest in evaluating these strategic choices made by researchers...........................................6
PRACTICAL............................................................................................................................................................. 6
Learning outcomes............................................................................................................................................6
Grading.............................................................................................................................................................7
Course expectations..........................................................................................................................................7
CLASS 2 INTRODUCTION TO QUALITATIVE COMMUNICATION RESEARCH INTO THE NEXUS MEDIA, CULTURE
AND SOCIETY................................................................................................................................................. 8
KEY LESSONS..........................................................................................................................................................8
Readings............................................................................................................................................................8
Communication research as interdisciplinary research....................................................................................9
DOING RESEARCH INTO THE NEXUS MEDIA, CULTURE, AND SOCIETY................................................................................9
Society.............................................................................................................................................................10
Media..............................................................................................................................................................10
Culture.............................................................................................................................................................12
QUALITATIVE COMMUNICATION RESEARCH AS A RESPONSE TO MEDIA EFFECTS STUDIES.......................................................14
THE FOUNDATIONS OF DOING QUALITATIVE COMMUNICATION RESEARCH.......................................................................15
Foundations....................................................................................................................................................15
Ontology of qualitative communication research..........................................................................................16
The epistemology of qualitative communication research.............................................................................16
Summary: foundations of qualitative communication research....................................................................17
Formatting your Research Field in Qualitative Communication Research.....................................................18
EXCERCISES..........................................................................................................................................................19
CLASS 3 RESEARCHING MEDIATED CONTENT AND FICTIONS.........................................................................21
LAST WEEK...........................................................................................................................................................21
OBJECTIVIST FORMS OF CONTENT ANALYSIS................................................................................................................22
Why qualitative content analysis?..................................................................................................................22
Quantitative content analysis.........................................................................................................................22
CONSTRUCTIVIST FORMS OF CONTENT ANALYSIS IN MEDIA AND CULTURAL STUDIES............................................................26
CLASS 4 (CRITICAL) DISCOURSE ANALYSIS PART 1......................................................................................... 32
1
, CONSTRUCTIVIST FORM OF CONTENT ANALYSIS...........................................................................................................32
KEY LESSONS........................................................................................................................................................33
WHAT IS (CRITICAL) DISCOURSE ANALYSIS?.................................................................................................................34
Example: ‘Terrorist’ or ‘freedom fighter’........................................................................................................35
CDA..................................................................................................................................................................35
CLASS 5 (CRITICAL) DISCOURSE ANALYSIS PART TWO...................................................................................37
RECAP LAST WEEK................................................................................................................................................. 37
KEY CONCEPTS IN CDA...........................................................................................................................................38
Power..............................................................................................................................................................38
Ideology...........................................................................................................................................................40
Articulation......................................................................................................................................................40
CLASS 6 RESEARCHING PEOPLE’S ENGAGEMENTS WITH MEDIA, TECHNOLOGY, AND CULTURES...................43
APPROACHES TO STUDYING MEDIA ENGAGEMENT........................................................................................................44
Approaches to media audiences in research..................................................................................................44
CLASS 7 EXPLORING TEXTS AND PEOPLE: A PRACTICAL VIEW ON THEMATIC ANALYSIS AND
(RECONSTRUCTION) INTERVIEWS................................................................................................................. 48
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................................49
THEMATIC ANALYSIS...............................................................................................................................................49
Science valorization.........................................................................................................................................49
Press release...................................................................................................................................................50
Hybrid medium................................................................................................................................................50
How is valorization of scientific research constructed in university press releases?......................................50
Time for some thematic analysis....................................................................................................................51
Some findings..................................................................................................................................................52
RECONSTRUCTION INTERVIEWS................................................................................................................................54
Exercise...........................................................................................................................................................54
Reconstruction interviews...............................................................................................................................55
When to use reconstruction interviews?.........................................................................................................55
Short theory....................................................................................................................................................55
CLASS 8: INTRODUCING THE ASSIGNMENT................................................................................................... 56
CLASS 9: GUEST LECTURE (T. VAN WICHELEN) : DOING RESEARCH ON GENDER AND SEXUALITY....................56
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................................56
GENDER EN SEXUAL DIVERSITY IN CHILDREN’S MEDIA..................................................................................56
AUDIENCE STUDIES.........................................................................................................................................57
WHAT ARE QUALITATIVE AUDIENCE STUDIES?..............................................................................................................57
INTERVIEWS VS. FOCUSGROUP......................................................................................................................57
WHICH ON TO CHOOSE?.................................................................................................................................58
GUIDELINE FOR QUALITATIVE AUDIENCE RESEARCH.......................................................................................................58
1) WHAT IS A TOPIC LIST?...............................................................................................................................58
2) SELECT PARTICIPANTS.................................................................................................................................59
3) Collecting data............................................................................................................................................60
4) Transcribing data........................................................................................................................................60
5) HOW TO ANALYZE?.....................................................................................................................................61
WRITing OUT...................................................................................................................................................61
EMPIRICAL RESEARCH.............................................................................................................................................61
Media workers................................................................................................................................................62
2
, How to include LGBTQ characters?.................................................................................................................62
EXPERT INTERVIEWS.......................................................................................................................................63
Teachers..........................................................................................................................................................63
Emerging adults..............................................................................................................................................64
CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................................................68
CLASS 10: DOING DIGITAL ETHNOGRAPHY IN PLATFORM AND CREATOR STUDIES........................................69
THINKING AS A DIGITAL ETHNOGRAPHER....................................................................................................................69
WHEN DO WE NEED DIGITAL ETHNOGRAPHY?.............................................................................................................69
E3 Internet.......................................................................................................................................................69
1) MOTIVATION....................................................................................................................................................70
An interesting phenomenon............................................................................................................................70
An academic debate.......................................................................................................................................71
Fieldwork-triggered question..........................................................................................................................71
2) STARTING POINT...............................................................................................................................................71
A digital ethnography of vloggers on Bilibili in the context of China..............................................................71
3) RESEARCH QUESTION.........................................................................................................................................71
4) DATA COLLECTION.............................................................................................................................................72
Phase 1 ethnographic observation.................................................................................................................72
Phase 2 In-depth interviews............................................................................................................................72
5) DATA ANALYSIS.................................................................................................................................................73
People-isation,’ not technology......................................................................................................................74
6) ARGUMENTATION.............................................................................................................................................74
Methodogical challenges................................................................................................................................74
KEY TAKE AWAYS...................................................................................................................................................74
EXAM INFO..........................................................................................................................................................74
3
, CLASS 1 WHAT IS COMMUNICATION RESEARCH? + GENERAL INTRODUCTION
Is everyone a researcher?
- Research (ENG) /chercher (Fr) to search, to seek
- Research means looking for information about something.
You research everyday:
- What phone do I buy?
- What is healthy to eat?
- Is this Netflix series for me?
- What is this conflict about?
Scientific research is different from everyday research
- More systematic
- Based more on facts than feelings
- More cautious
- More focus on accuracy and veracity
- Data, numbers and statistics as part of scientific research?
- Not necessarily (cf. historical research within literary studies vs. econometrics)
COMMUNICATION RESEARCH
- Young discipline - °50 years ago
- An interdisciplinary field
- Responded to the increasing important role of print and broadcast mass communication media in
everyday life, drawing on concepts and methods from both the social sciences, the humanities, and
even the natural sciences (cf. use of psychophysiological metrics in the social lab)
- With the development of digital media, the field is more central than ever to the political, economic
and cultural developments in societies and the world
Objective is not the same as selective. Selective is about choosing statitistics to prove your statement, while
objective is neutral.
4
