Media Research Methods Quiz

Mass Media Research Syllabus

• Objectives include introducing research approaches, equipping students with research tools, understanding the scope and techniques of media research, and recognizing its utility and limitations.

Mass Media Research Relevance and Scope

• Research is an attempt to discover something, formally or informally. It is used in media for decision-making, evaluating media issues, describing media, and analyzing audience effects.

• Media Research's Importance: Media has widespread global impact across print, television, film, and the internet. Research is vital for understanding audiences, their behaviours, and media's influence on communities.

• Media Research Focus: Researchers need to use objective scientific methods to evaluate media data. Reliability (reproductability) and validity (accuracy) of findings are essential in media research.

Research Process Steps

• The research process involves multiple steps, often overlapping:
• Problem Formulation: Understanding the research problem, using literature to familiarize oneself with related problem areas and then clearly defining the problem.
• Literature Review: Studying existing relevant work, including journals, books, and other materials related to the problem.
• Hypothesis Development: Formulating tentative statements or educated guesses about the relationships between variables in the research area.
• Research Design: Choosing the most appropriate research method to test the hypothesis. Factors such as sample design, data gathering methods, and finances are key considerations.
• Data Collection: Obtaining the data needed for the study using appropriate methods suited for the purpose (e.g., interviews, surveys, observations).
• Data Analysis: Evaluating and interpreting data to understand the relationships between variables and to support or refute the hypotheses developed.
• Hypothesis Testing: Evaluating data to verify or reject hypotheses.
• Report Preparation: Presenting results, conclusions, and implications in a clear and organized report.

Qualitative and Quantitative Research

• Qualitative research: This explores phenomena relating to qualities and kinds as well as motives and desires. Methods include focus groups, case studies. Often uses interviews and observations.
• Quantitative research: Uses measurements to quantify attitudes, opinions, and behaviour. Methods include surveys, telephone, post and online questionnaires and quantitative statistical analysis.

Qualitative Research Approaches, Methods

• Case studies: In-depth analysis and understanding of a particular phenomenon within a real-life context. Examples could be of an individual, organization, or event.
• Focus groups: Group discussions involving a small number of people to get in-depth views and perceptions on issues.
• In-depth interviews: One-on-one conversations or discussions between an interviewer and a participant to get in-depth information on a topic.
• Field observation: Observing behaviour and actions in a natural setting to understand behaviours and actions.
• Other methods: The above are not exhaustive; there are other methods such as textual analysis, content analysis, discourse analysis etc.

Quantitative Research Approaches

• Quantitative research methods: Research involves using specific pre-designed questionnaires or techniques to measure variables.
• Quantitative research tools: Internet surveys, mail surveys, and telephone surveys are commonly used to collect numerical data. This approach is helpful to quantify a broader range of issues.

Data Collection Methods

• Primary data collection: Data collected directly from the subject through various methods like interviews, focus groups and observations.
• Secondary data: This type of data has already been collected by someone else, and is made readily available through other sources for current research projects (e.g. journals, statistics or census data).

Different Types of Research Designs

• Exploratory: Exploring and understanding a topic further.
• Descriptive: Describing attitudes, behaviors, and variables and their relations.
• Casual: Determines cause and effect relationships between variables.

Types of Questionnaires and Research Techniques

• Standardised questionnaires: Rigorous structure and high degree of standardization.
• Unstandardized questionnaires: Less structured.
• Semi-standardised questionnaires: Combine structured and unstructured questions.
• Questionnaire Administration Methods: Mailed questionnaires, Phone questionnaires, Schedule or face-to-face, and Online questionnaires.
• Projective techniques: Tools that encourage respondents to express their thoughts and feelings freely (e.g., word association tests, thematic apperception test, and picture arrangement).
• Attitude measurement scales: Methods to measure attitudes (e.g., Likert scales, and differential scales).

Sampling Process

• Sampling: Selecting a portion of a larger population for study to represent the population.
• Probability sampling: Every member has a known chance of being selected.
• Non-probability sampling: Selection of members in a less controlled manner.

Data Tabulation and Research Report Formats

• Data Tabulation: Organized presentation of numerical data to highlight connections and make comparisons.
• Research Report Format: Steps in writing and formatting the report, including sections like introduction, statement of findings, results, summary, and conclusion.

Application of Research in Mass Media

• Media Research Focus Areas: Antisocial and prosocial effects of media, uses and gratifications, agenda-setting, cultivation of perceptions of social reality, the social impact of Internet.
• Types of Media Research: Print media, television, Internet research and online media.

Introduction to Semiology

• Semiology/Semiotics: The study of signs and symbols.
• Signifier: The physical form of the sign.
• Signified: The concept or idea associated with the sign.
• Sign: The combination of signifier and signified.
• Semiotic analysis: The process of analyzing how media messages create meaning through the use of signs.
• Denotation: The literal meaning of a sign.
• Connotation: The cultural meaning of a sign.

Content Analysis

• Content analysis: A systematic method for describing the content of a communication in an objective and replicable way.
• Uses of content analysis: Identifying trends over time, studying societal change, testing and confirming hypotheses, understanding how media portray groups or issues.
• Steps in content analysis: Defining the topic and hypothesis, determining the population or universe of materials to be studied, selecting a representative sample of those materials, establishing appropriate categories for analysis, coding content, analyzing data, interpreting and presenting results.

Test your knowledge on key concepts and methodologies in media research. This quiz covers various aspects including data collection methods, research designs, and distinctions between qualitative and quantitative research. Perfect for students and professionals in the field of media studies!