Research Methods

Contrasting Approaches Inductive vs. Deductive –Inductive research comes to a general conclusion through the observation of multiple instances. Example: I have seen many white swans, but never a black swan; therefore, all swans are white. –Deductive research tests an existing conclusion through the observation of a specific instance. Example: “All mortal things die. All men are mortal things. All men die.”

Contrasting Approaches Administrative vs. Critical –Administrative research is performed to increase the efficiency of existing social structures. Example: Research on the effectiveness of magazine advertising. –Critical research investigates the fundamental inequities and injustices of the existing social structure. Example: Research on sexist imagery themes in network television programs.

Contrasting Approaches Quantitative vs. Qualitative –Quantitative research reduces all phenomena to numbers to enable management and comparison of data. Techniques: Experimentation, Field Observation, Survey, Content Analysis. Example: Men outnumber women on television by a margin of 3:1.

Contrasting Approaches Quantitative vs. Qualitative –Qualitative research attempts to uncover a deep understanding of phenomenon through the first-hand involvement and interaction of the researcher. Techniques: Ethnography and Participant Observation, Open Interview, Textual Analysis. Example: “Many people that I spoke to saw no conflict between their religious beliefs and their behavior at Mardi Gras.”

Quantitative Research Experiments –Experiments measure the effect of one or more independent variables on one or more dependent variables under controlled conditions. Components: –Independent Variable (IV): The variable that is manipulated to produce change in the Dependent Variable (DV). –Dependent Variable (DV): The variable being measured in response to the effects of the Independent Variable. –Confounding Variable: Any additional variable which might influence the DV but is not accounted for. –Participants: Volunteers who choose to participate in the experiment.

Quantitative Research Experiments –Components (cont.) Design: The grouping of participants based on exposure to the IV. (e.g. Pretest –Treatment – Posttest: Participants are tested and exposed to the treatment (IV) before being tested again to measure the effect of the treatment (IV) on the posttest results (DV). Treatment: The stimulus that is exposed to participants. Procedure: Step-by-step instructions for how to perform the experiment. Apparatus: Device used to present the treatment to the participant. Instrumentation: Device used to measure the DV.

Quantitative Research Field Observation –Field observation is the systematic counting and recording of events in a natural (uncontrolled) setting. Example: Observing the amount of time men and women spend on cellular phones while in the airport.

Quantitative Research Survey –A survey is a series of questions used to gather data from a sample that can be generalized to a population. If selected randomly (every individual in a population has an equally likely chance of being selected), survey results can be generalized to the populations from which they were taken.

Quantitative Research Survey (cont.) –Unlike experiments, surveys do not establish causality; instead, they can reveal correlations between variables. Example: A survey revealed that men who report negative relationships with their father also have higher levels of unemployment.

Quantitative Research Content Analysis –Content analysis systematically accounts for specified content within a particular text or set of texts. Components: –Coding Booklet: Contains instructions for coding. –Coding Sheet: Instrument used to record the data. –Independent Coders: People (other than the researcher) who records the data on the coding sheet.

Quantitative Research Content Analysis (cont.) –Example: To find out how many acts of violence occur during a particular television program, a researcher would define violence carefully in a coding booklet before training independent coders to view the program and record each instance of violence on a coding sheet according to the definition.

Qualitative Research Ethnography –Ethnography is a qualitative research technique in which the researcher immerses him or herself in the surroundings of the environment under investigation. Instead of reducing data to numbers, ethnographers tend to describe and interpret their experience subjectively. Example: A researcher interested in how internet chat-room users form relationships may take on a chat identity and attempt to interact with the people he is studying.

Qualitative Research Participant Observation –Participant observation uses the methods of ethnography, but less time is spent in the research setting. Open Interviews –In open interviews, the researcher asks questions, but encourages the interviewee (called an informant) to structure his or her own response without much interference.

Qualitative Research Textual Analysis –In textual analysis, researchers analyze a media text (e.g. television program, comic book series, etc.) through the identification, description, and interaction of themes. Example: /mjones/ /mjones/