CMNS 801: Design and Methodology in Communication Research

1-Introduction to the Course

CMNS 801: Design and Methodology in Communication Research

1-Introduction to the Course

Professor: Jan Marontate

School of Communication. Simon Fraser University

Spring 2008

TodayToday

Brief IntroductionsBrief Introductions Syllabus Syllabus (Handout #1)(Handout #1) Review of Research Interests & Methodological Review of Research Interests & Methodological

BackgroundsBackgrounds Choosing Topics (Part 2) and Scheduling Choosing Topics (Part 2) and Scheduling

PresentationsPresentations Discussion:Paradigms & Models (Historical and Discussion:Paradigms & Models (Historical and

Contemporary Approaches to Methodology)Contemporary Approaches to Methodology)

On-line ResourcesOn-line Resources

Course materials (Resources Folder)Course materials (Resources Folder) http://webdav.sfu.ca/web/cmns/courses/2008/801

Bill Trochim’s Research Methodlogy websiteBill Trochim’s Research Methodlogy website http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/

Why study methods? Why study methods? ““Knowledge is power” (to acquire skills for social Knowledge is power” (to acquire skills for social

action or change)action or change) ““Savoir, pouvoir, prSavoir, pouvoir, prévoirévoir” (” (Auguste Comte)Auguste Comte) «To know to do (have power), to do (have power) in order «To know to do (have power), to do (have power) in order

to predict the future and plan for it  »to predict the future and plan for it  »

« Knowledge is understanding »« Knowledge is understanding » ““décrire, comprendre, expliquer décrire, comprendre, expliquer ”” (Gilles Gaston Granger) (Gilles Gaston Granger) ““to describe, to understand and to explain”to describe, to understand and to explain”

Research Methodology (Scholarly Perspectives)Research Methodology (Scholarly Perspectives)

ProcessProcess involving involving methodsmethods logic of inquiry (assumptions & hypotheses)logic of inquiry (assumptions & hypotheses)

producesproduces laws, principles and theories that laws, principles and theories that can be testedcan be tested

(Karl Popper & notion of falsifiability for politically (Karl Popper & notion of falsifiability for politically engaged scholars interested in the fight against engaged scholars interested in the fight against genocide in the early 20genocide in the early 20thth century) century)

Classification of Theories to Understand Different ApproachesClassification of Theories to Understand Different Approaches Paradigms, other typologies (like Paradigms, other typologies (like

quantitative vs. qualitative)quantitative vs. qualitative) direction of reasoning (inductive, deductive)direction of reasoning (inductive, deductive) level of reality (micro, macro)level of reality (micro, macro) forms of explanationforms of explanation theoretical frameworkstheoretical frameworks degree of abstraction degree of abstraction

Identifying Styles of Research: Example of Quantitative vs. Qualitative Approaches

(common about 20-30 yrs ago but still used)Neuman (2000: 16)

Identifying Styles of Research: Example of Quantitative vs. Qualitative Approaches

(common about 20-30 yrs ago but still used)Neuman (2000: 16)

Quantitative vs. Qualitative

Objective SubjectiveVariables Processes and eventsReliability

AuthenticityValue-Free Explicitly Stated ValuesIndependent of Context Aware of ContextMany cases or subjects Few cases or subjectsStatistical Analysis Other qualitiesDetached Researcher Involved Researcher

Research ParadigmsResearch Paradigms

Sets of Sets of shared patterns in a scholarly community shared patterns in a scholarly community about what constitutes worthwhile researchabout what constitutes worthwhile research (Thomas (Thomas

Kuhn, Kuhn, The structure of scientific revolutions)The structure of scientific revolutions) What problems are worth investigating?What problems are worth investigating? What constitutes an answer?What constitutes an answer?

DDifferent views on how approaches are groupedifferent views on how approaches are grouped

Assumptions about nature of people & knowledge for use in classifying approaches (Burrell & Morgan)

Assumptions about nature of people & knowledge for use in classifying approaches (Burrell & Morgan)

Subjective vs.Subjective vs. Objective AssumptionsObjective Assumptions

ontology : nominalism realism epistemology : anti-positivism positivism human nature: voluntarism determinism methodology: ideographic nomethetic (laws)

(idiographic=unique, singular)

Assumptions about Order/ConflictAssumptions about Order/Conflict

Order/regulation) vs. Conflict/Radical Change)Order/regulation) vs. Conflict/Radical Change) Stability/solidarityStability/solidarity Change/emancipation Change/emancipation IntegrationIntegration ConflictConflict Functional coordination Functional coordination disintegrationdisintegration consensusconsensus coercion coercion need satisfactionneed satisfaction deprivation deprivation

Four Paradigms (Burrell & Morgan)Four Paradigms (Burrell & Morgan)

radical humanist radical structuralist

interpretive functionalist

Conflict/radical change

Order/stability/regulation

subj

ecti

ve

objective

Four Paradigms in Communications Research (proposed by Baxter & Babbie)

Four Paradigms in Communications Research (proposed by Baxter & Babbie)

PositivistPositivist Once widely taught as same as scienceOnce widely taught as same as science early religious aspectearly religious aspect association with association with quantitativequantitative research research

Systems ParadigmSystems Paradigm InterpretiveInterpretive

VerstehenVerstehen association with association with qualitativequalitative research research direct observation, context, meaningful actiondirect observation, context, meaningful action holisticholistic

CriticalCritical

**Note: other groupings & more approaches exist**Note: other groupings & more approaches exist

Questions to Ask about ResearchQuestions to Ask about Research1. reasons for research1. reasons for research2. nature of social reality2. nature of social reality3. nature of human beings3. nature of human beings4. role of common sense4. role of common sense5. Ideas about what theory looks like5. Ideas about what theory looks like6. explanation that is acceptable6. explanation that is acceptable7. good evidence7. good evidence8. place for values8. place for values

Example: PositivismExample: Positivism 1. 1. Why conduct research?Why conduct research?

instrumental orientation instrumental orientation to predict and controlto predict and control

2. Nature of Social Reality?2. Nature of Social Reality? has order has order fundamentally unchangingfundamentally unchanging can be discovered using sciencecan be discovered using science

3. Nature of Human Beings?3. Nature of Human Beings? self interest, pleasure seeking, rationalself interest, pleasure seeking, rational operate on basis of external causes, probabilityoperate on basis of external causes, probability mechanical model of manmechanical model of man

4. Science and common sense?4. Science and common sense? separateseparate

Positivism (cont’d)Positivism (cont’d) What constitutes Explanation or Theory?What constitutes Explanation or Theory?

science nomethetic (universal laws)science nomethetic (universal laws) causal relationships, universally validcausal relationships, universally valid

6. How to judge explanation6. How to judge explanation use reason : no logical contradictionsuse reason : no logical contradictions Observation, ReplicationObservation, Replication

7. Good evidence7. Good evidence?? observations , empirical knowledgeobservations , empirical knowledge can be communicatedcan be communicated

8. Social/Political Values?8. Social/Political Values? value-free sciencevalue-free science objectivityobjectivity

Concepts associated with PositivismConcepts associated with Positivism

Objective Reality that can be studied Objective Reality that can be studied scientifically (logic & empirical scientifically (logic & empirical observation)observation)

VariablesVariables Relationships between variablesRelationships between variables Quantitative ReasoningQuantitative Reasoning

Systems ParadigmSystems Paradigm

HolisticHolistic Society or group as Society or group as organismorganism InterdependenceInterdependence of parts of systemof parts of system Whole is greater than sum of partsWhole is greater than sum of parts Dynamic equilibriumDynamic equilibrium Uses “Language of variables”Uses “Language of variables”

Interpretive ApproachesInterpretive Approaches

Why conduct research?Why conduct research? to understand meaningsto understand meanings

2. Nature of Social Reality?2. Nature of Social Reality? importance of human consciousnessimportance of human consciousness socially constructedsocially constructed multiple social realities possiblemultiple social realities possible

3. Nature of Human Beings?3. Nature of Human Beings? people use meanings, have reasonspeople use meanings, have reasons laws (?)laws (?)

4. Science and common sense?4. Science and common sense? must study common sense, pragmaticmust study common sense, pragmatic

Interpretive ApproachesInterpretive Approaches 1. Why conduct research?1. Why conduct research?

to understand meaningsto understand meanings 2. Nature of Social Reality?2. Nature of Social Reality?

importance of human consciousnessimportance of human consciousness socially constructedsocially constructed multiple social realities possiblemultiple social realities possible

3. Nature of Human Beings?3. Nature of Human Beings? people use people use meaningsmeanings, have reasons, have reasons laws (?)laws (?)

4. Science and common sense?4. Science and common sense? must study common sense, pragmaticmust study common sense, pragmatic

Interpretive Approaches (cont’d)Interpretive Approaches (cont’d)5.. What constitutes Explanation or Theory5.. What constitutes Explanation or Theory

ideographic ideographic ““thick” descriptions), semantic relationshipsthick” descriptions), semantic relationships Rules in interpretive traditions= shared beliefsRules in interpretive traditions= shared beliefs

6. How to judge explanation– as 6. How to judge explanation– as understandingunderstanding makes sense to othersmakes sense to others Heuristic frameworkHeuristic framework

7. Good evidence7. Good evidence?? in context, has meaning for social actors (in context, has meaning for social actors (evocativeevocative))

8. Social/Political Values?8. Social/Political Values? does not try to be value free, state biasesdoes not try to be value free, state biases

Critical Theory as a ParadigmCritical Theory as a Paradigm

Why conduct research?Why conduct research? discover structures discover structures change world, action orientedchange world, action oriented knowledge is power (from below)knowledge is power (from below)

2. Nature of Social Reality?2. Nature of Social Reality? changingchanging conflict (not always visible-myths, false consciousness)conflict (not always visible-myths, false consciousness)

3. Nature of Human Beings?3. Nature of Human Beings? have potential but can be misleadhave potential but can be mislead potential realized through collective actionpotential realized through collective action

4. Science and common sense?4. Science and common sense? idea of objective reality , underlying truths but science can be idea of objective reality , underlying truths but science can be

instrument of oppressioninstrument of oppression

Critical Theoretical Approaches (cont’d)Critical Theoretical Approaches (cont’d)

5. What constitutes Explanation or Theory5. What constitutes Explanation or Theory combination of determinism and voluntarismcombination of determinism and voluntarism

6. How to judge explanation6. How to judge explanation capacity to describe social conditions and promote capacity to describe social conditions and promote

changechange 7. Good evidence7. Good evidence??

material conditions separate from subjectivity but material conditions separate from subjectivity but facts not neutralfacts not neutral

8. Social/Political Values?8. Social/Political Values? everpresent, promotes activismeverpresent, promotes activism

Typology of “Women’s Ways of Knowing” (p. 63)Typology of “Women’s Ways of Knowing” (p. 63) Silence (determined by external factors)Silence (determined by external factors) Received knowledgeReceived knowledge Subjective knovledgeSubjective knovledge Procedural knowledgeProcedural knowledge Constructed knowledgeConstructed knowledge

““Dimensions” of ResearchDimensions” of Research ““Dimensions” of ResearchDimensions” of Research

Neuman (2000: 37)

Purpose ofPurpose of

StudyStudy

Intended Use Intended Use of Studyof Study

Treatment of Time Treatment of Time in Studyin Study

Space Unit of Space Unit of

Analysis Analysis

ExploratoryExploratory

DescriptiveDescriptive

ExplanatoryExplanatory

BasicBasic

AppliedApplied

-Action-Action

-Impact-Impact

--EvaluationEvaluation

Cross-sectionalCross-sectional

LongitudinalLongitudinal

-Panel-Panel

-Time series-Time series

-Cohort analysis -Cohort analysis

-Case Study-Case Study

--Trend studyTrend study

-dependent individual-dependent individual

-independent family-independent family

householdhousehold

artifactartifact

(media, (media,

technology)technology)