ALC208- Researching ALC208- Researching Media: Texts, Audiences Media: Texts, Audiences & Industries & Industries

Week 2- TOPIC 1 The Research Process

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Criteria of a Good TheoryCriteria of a Good TheoryTheoretical scope- generalisabilityPower- higher in scope or more

situations coveredAppropriatenessHeuristic Value- extends our

knowledgeParsimony- ‘short & sweet’Internal consistencyFalsificationEthical and morally responsible

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Theory, Research & Theory, Research & PracticePracticeTheory in research

Theory on practice

e.g. Research during the 1992 US Presidential campaign

Some theories and research challenge or contradict each other e.g. Evolution vs Creationism or Intelligent design

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The Research ProcessThe Research Process  (Research) inquiry starts with

curiosity, an idea or with the questions:

What is? Why? If then, what? and What if?AnomalyAlternative explanations

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Alternative Explanations to Alternative Explanations to Gen Y Violence Gen Y Violence Reading 1.1: McCrindle (2010) Reading 1.1: McCrindle (2010) Population increasesNew technologies and increased media

reporting; easy and fast to gather as groupsChanges in rules of the streetCulture of binge drinking/by women & knife

culturePermissive parenting (‘peerents’)Lack of boundaries: choices without

understanding consequencesFreedom too early and ‘safety net

syndrome’5

The Research Process The Research Process (Contd.)(Contd.)The Research question – idea for

research Methods - techniques of collecting

dataMethodology - Strategy, plan,

designTheoretical perspectives -

Philosophy guiding the methodologyEpistemologies - Theory of

knowledge6

Types of EpistemologiesTypes of EpistemologiesObjectivism- ‘Truth is out there’;

An objective/absolute truth /reality/meaning exists even if we do not know of its existence;

Researcher must find it.

Most often used in the natural sciences

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ConstructionismConstructionismNo objective truth/meaning waiting

to be discoveredMeaning not discovered but

‘constructed’ as the same thing means different things to different people. e.g. A car.

The subject (a person) and object (the thing made meaning of) join together to create meaning

Often used in qualitative research8

SubjectivismSubjectivismSees meaning as imposed on the

object by the subject.

Meaning based on what society has placed on the object e.g. A Ferrari

Object as passive

Subject as active9

The ‘Great Divide’ between The ‘Great Divide’ between Qualitative & Quantitative Qualitative & Quantitative ResearchResearchNot seen as polar opposites anymoreJust different- no hierarchySome projects combine both methodsMethods considered quantitative and

positivist in the past, today considered qualitative and constructionist. e.g Ethnography.

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Quantitative ResearchQuantitative ResearchInvolves ‘counting’ and provides

numerical data e.g. Surveys, content analysis

Data seen as objective as the researcher stays away from data during collection

Uses standard procedures and instruments to collect data. e.g. questionnaires for surveys

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Qualitative ResearchQualitative ResearchData non-numerical and

embedded in their context. e.g. Texts, opinions expressed during interviews

Data are subjective and carry values of the researcher

Researcher is the data collection instrument. e.g. Interviewer, participant observer

Not conducted under strict conditions as with quantitative

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Qualitative vs Qualitative vs QuantitativeQuantitativeDiffer at the methods level - not

epistemological or theoretical perspective levels

Quantitative is generally objectivist/ positivist and qualitative is constructionist/ subjectivist

But sometimes quantitative is used in non-positivist research

Use whatever is best suited to the projectBe conversant with both quantitative and

qualitative methods13

Word of CautionWord of CautionNot practical to be both objectivist

and constructionist/subjectivist as they are contradictory

One says there is an objective meaning and the others say there is not.

Therefore, needs to be consistent when using them together.

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Any Questions?

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