Transcript ALC 208: Researching Media: Texts, Audiences

ALC 208: Researching Media:
Texts, Audiences and Industries
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WELCOME
Week 1- Introduction
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Introduction
 Qualitative &
 Quantitative Research Methods
 How they are applied in the everyday professional
practices of journalism, public relations, media
production and media and communication.
 Basic statistics only
 Unit prepares you to work as a research assistant.
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Common Applications of Research Methods
 Content analysis- Google searches
 Focus groups- Advertising, marketing, political
campaign research
 Participant Observation/Field Studies‘Mystery shoppers’, regular journalism, ‘New’ or
‘Gonzo’ journalism.
 Depth interviews /Archival researchBiographies, TV/Film scripts
 Surveys- Polls, SETUs.
Online Resources and the Library
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Searching for journal articles and databases for the necessary information
 See details on pages 2-3 in unit’s Study Guide
 Work on SmartSearcher Tutorial
Look up
 Communication Abstracts &
 Communication & Mass Media Complete
On DSO search via
 Useful Deakin Links- Deakin Library
Why study Research Methods?
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 Science Fiction Writer-Issac Asimov
 Compared everyone learning science to a sport fan
knowing and understanding the rules of a sport to
follow and enjoy it.
 Helps members of public, policy makers,
professional practitioners, students in the field to
understand how research is done, what is researched
and reported and the implications of findings.
Types of Research
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1. Basic (pure/public/academic) research
- For ‘Discovering Knowledge’ eg. ARC Discovery Grants
- Carried out for academic purposes as universities and
research institutes- eg. CSIRO
- Cheaper to conduct as organisations bear cost of
overheads and salaries
- Findings made public
Types of Research (Contd.)
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2. Applied (private/Sponsored) Research
- Seeks practical applications and solve specific
problems. Eg. ARC Linkage Grants
- Funded by industry
- More expensive as done by commercial research
companies and independent consultants
- Findings not always made public- may only publish
positive results
Types of Research (Contd.)
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Overlap between Basic and Applied research
For functions and purposes
e.g. Neilson / OZTAM/Arbitron ratings for TV/radio
 Both academic and industry use findings of each
other
 So avoid stereotypes of:
- ‘unrealistic’, ‘Ivory tower’ or ‘pedantic’ (Basic
research) &
- ‘limited in scope’ or ‘self serving’ (Applied research)
A Theory
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 Way of explaining and understanding a phenomenon
 Maps that guide us from where we are to where we
want to go in an organised and efficient manner
 Describes, explains and predicts a phenomenon
and sometimes suggests how it may be controlled
(in the natural world but not the social world as
people are complex and the social world is not easily
controlled).
Types of Theories
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1. Personal theories- personal, subjective and used in
everyday communication. Hard to change even with
contradictory evidence. e.g. Superstitions, prejudices.
2. Scholarly theories- Social scientific, resulting from
scholarly research, systematic inquiry and analysis,
generalisations and predictions. e.g. Boyle’s Law.
3. Common Sense theories- based on what wee know
as true from experience. Can be scientifically proven as
correct. e.g. Adding salt to reduce acidity of a fruit or
vegetable.
Video ViewingCan TV Kill? – 1995 Documentary
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 Exercise: Examine the research article provided (See DSO).
 Stern, S R 2005, ‘Self-absorbed, dangerous and disengaged:
What popular films tell us about teenagers’, Mass
Communication & Society, vol 8, no. 1, pp. 23-38.
 Is this academic or applied research or both?
 Why do you think so?
 What is the rationale for this study (reason or importance of
this research) provided by the author?
Please retain this article for the entire semester, especially to
help you work on Assignment 1.