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Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Chapter TwoFirst Decisions: What? Why? How?
Key Concepts Researchers differ in –•Basic assumptions about communication
(ontology and World View).
•Views on how communication should be understood (epistemology).
•Views on how theory and research relate.
•Reasons for doing research and therefore –
•Their research methods.
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Starting Points for Research ▫What? – interest area.
▫Why? – reasons for research.
▫How? – method decision.
▫World View – basic assumptions.
▫Work of others – “the literature”.
▫Research questions
▫HypothesesIntroducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Starting With a Question:Linking Theory and Observation
•Induction – reasoning from observations to a theory that explains the observations.
•Deduction – reasoning from a theory to observations that will test the theory.
•Abduction – reasoning from observation to possible causes.
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Starting with a Purpose:Why do Research?
•Exploration
•Description
•Explanation
•Prediction
•Control
•Interpretation
•Criticism
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Starting With a World ViewWorld View I• Human communication is objectively
measurable and can be summarized in rules. •“Nomothetic” approach
World View II •Human communication is subjective,
individualistic and must be described as such.
•“Idiographic” approach.
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Starting With a Method
•Surveys
•Experiments
•Observations
•Interviews
•Focus groups
•Content analysis
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Starting Without a Question
•“I don’t know what’s going on.”
•“I am making no assumptions.”
•“My methods and findings will change as my study progresses.”
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Epistemology
Questions of how communication should be understood.Tenacity – “We’ve always done it that way.”
Intuition – “It just seems right.”Authority – “Because X said so.”
Empiricism – “Because I’ve seen it.”
Scientific method – observation and testing.
Serendipity – the accidental breakthrough.
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Ontology
Questions about the nature of human communication.
•What really is it?
▫What is an attitude?
▫Do we ever make real choices?
▫Is human experience individual or social?
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Sources of Inspiration
•Mental experiments (“what if?).
•Other researchers.
•Personal interest.
•Books, journals, databases.
•Conferences and meetings.
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Hypotheses
Statements about relationships. •Two-tailed (non-directional)
“There is a relationship between A and B.”
•One-tailed (directional)
“As A increases; B decreases.”
•Null
“There is no relationship.”
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Research Questions
Open-ended (non-directional) –
“Is there a relationship between video gaming and academic performance?”
Closed-ended (directional) –
“Does academic performance decline as involvement in video gaming increases?”
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Operationalizing Constructs
Constructs
Involvement in Gaming Academic Performance
Operationalizing the Constructs
Time spent on gaming Class rank
Money spent on gaming Number of academic awards
Number of online “personas” or avatars
Grade point average
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Chapter SummaryResearch begins with –
•“What?” “Why?” “How?”•Epistemological and ontological
assumptions.•A research purpose.•World view or basic assumptions.•Reasoning between observations and
theory.•The work of others.•Research questions and hypotheses.
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Vocabulary Review
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Web Resources• Communication Research - http://crx.sagepub.com/
• The Visual Communication Concept Explorer & Idea Monkey - www.cios.org
• International Communication Association - http://www.icahdq.org
• National Communication Association - www.natcom.org
• Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication -
www.aejmc.org
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications