Research Methods in AD/PR

1. 2007 Fall_COMM 420_Week 2(2) @ NY Research Methods in AD/PR COMM 420 Section 8 Tuesday / Thursday 3:35 pm -5:30 pm143 Stuckeman Nan Yu

2. Correction • Hocking, J. E., Stacks, D. W., & McDermott, S. T. (2003). Communication Research, 3rd ed. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Please change the reference on your syllabus.

3. Group Topics • Five groups • 1. Mellisa Chen (hometown; perception of race) • 2. Han Ma (communication; strength of friendship) • 3. Robert Corrado (sports; music) • 4. Ashlyn Holsinger (professor-student communication, academic performance) • 5. Carli Clay (MTV, self-body image) • Each group should have 4-5 people.

4. 2007 Fall_COMM 420_Week 2(2) @ NY Obtaining Information • Why we need to start from here? • We need to review what other researchers have discovered around the topic that we are interested in. • We need to understand the procedure that other researchers have used. • We need to know whether there are potentials that we can further investigate a question or make the previous research better. • We need to justify that our research has values – advancing theories, gaining knowledge, or improving the general understanding of human behaviors.

5. 2007 Fall_COMM 420_Week 2(2) @ NY Sources of Information (p.85) Books, Periodicals, TV, Music, Movie, Web, Emails, Conversations, …... Computers and Internet have integrated all types of information and make them easier to be found.

6. Electronic Sources: A two-edged sword • Advantage • Allow us to access more information than ever before. • more efficient • Disadvantage • explosion of information • credibility?

7. Before we start… • Parameters -- decide the boundaries of the search. • Choose your “key words” (issue/theory-related). • Parameters may change. • Be critical with the sources of the information. • Books • Journals (p.88) • News (magazine, newsletter, newspaper)

8. Credibility of the Sources (p.97) • Content • Relevance • Quality • Authority: reputable sources • Publisher • Books and journals • For factual information, news or official statistical reports are helpful.

9. Library Tour • Books – Library • News -- LexisNexis • Journal Articles • Most of the journal articles can be accessed at the PSU library and its database.

10. Initiative Research • http://scholar.google.com/ • Choose your keywords. • and; or; “phrase”

11. Google Scholar—Type in keywords

12. Click “Get it @ Penn State” This function only works for computers that are logged in with your PSU id.

13. Click “Go”

14. Communication-related Database • Web of Science (citation links) • Communication & Mass Media Complete • Communication Abstracts • LexisNexis Academic http://www.libraries.psu.edu/eres/PSU_azlist.html#azlist

15. Web of Science

16. #27 looks useful

17. Click “Cited References”

18. Click “Times Cited”

19. If you know an article and you want to locate it. • Trappy III, R. J., & Woodside, A. G. (2005). Consumer responses to interactive advertising campaigns coupling short-message-service direct marketing and TV commercials . Journal of Advertising Research, 45 (4), 382-401 .

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24. 2007 Fall_COMM 420_Week 2(2) @ NY Literature Review (p.100) • Identify previous significant studies in your area of investigation. • Review related theories and results • Generate your own questions. • Provide a background of why this area is worth studying. • Two examples of journal articles on ANGEL. (Read the sections of Literature Review)

25. In-class exercise • Start looking for materials that are related to your topic. • Each group member at least find THREE articles. • Organize your sources with APA style. • Upload your findings to the Drop Box (find your group) on ANGEL. • The materials that you find during class could also be included in the Annotated Bibliography.

26. Group Project Task #1 • Annotated Bibliography • Due at the beginning of next class (9/11).