Introduction to Communication Research

1. Introduction to Communication Research Research: Process of asking questions and finding answers Application of scientific and systematic procedures Assumes that patterns can be uncovered Empirically based methods

2. Your Relationship with Research • Scholarly research • You in the role of researcher • You in the role of research consumer • Proprietary research • Commissioned for private use

3. Scholarly Research • Formal and systematic method • Publicly available • Scientific outcomes • Describes behavior • Determines causes of behavior • Predicts behavior • Explains behavior

4. Research and Theory • Theory: • Set of concepts, definitions, and propositions that presents a systematic view of the phenomena • Developed and tested over time • Attempts to explain and predict phenomena • Research should be theoretically driven or aid in the creation of theory

5. Communication as a Social Science • Social science methods • Look for patterns of communication behavior • Empirical • verify through observations or experiences • Focus on messages; effects of messages & their meanings • Quantitative methods • Relies on numerical measurement • Qualitative methods • Researcher is the primary observer

6. The Scientific Approach • Research follows traditions & procedures • Start with an interesting question • Formulate a hypothesis or research question • Use reason and experience to refine the hypothesis or research question • Conduct the observation, measurement, or experiment • Analyze and interpret the data

7. Characteristics of Science Based on evidence Testable Explores all possibilities Replicable Public record Self-correcting Measurement and observation Control error Objectivity Skepticism Generalizability Heuristic

8. Methodological Extremes Methodological tools for different purposes Content of research question or hypothesis drives selection of the methodological tool A method is only useful if it helps answer the research question or hypothesis

9. Questions Communication Scholars Ask • Wide variety of questions can be asked about many communication phenomena • Determine the significance of the question • Personal interest • Social importance • Theoretical significance • So what?

10. The Nature of the Questions • Questions of fact • Provide definitions • Questions of variable relations • Examine if, how, and to what degree phenomena are related • Questions of value • Ask for subjective evaluations • Questions of policy • Recommend a course of action