COMMUNICATION RESEARCH METHODS

This is needed in 120 words each. Please provide each question with its own references. Please, no plagiarized work.   

MODULE 1

Q1

Identify a communication problem or issue that you would be interested in researching, e.g., peoples addiction to texting and the problem this may cause in the workplace, communication between doctors and patients, or the type of communication used to break bad news. What kind of research design would you use to examine the research problem/issue, e.g., survey, interview, anthropological? Why is the research design you chose most appropriate for the situation?

Q2

Based on your readings and knowledge of the scientific method what is the implication of finding an absolutely certain relationship about any given topic? Why?

STUDY MATERIALS

 Read Chapters 1-2 in The Basics of Communication Research.

Read “Literature Review” by Card.

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Read “Using Primary Sources on the Web” on the RUSA website.

URL:http://www.ala.org/rusa/sections/history/resources/primarysources

MODULE 2

DQ1

Which social science paradigm do you find yourself connecting with most? How does this paradigm coincide with your worldview?

DQ2

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the positivist paradigm?

STUDY MATERIALS

 Read Chapter 3 and 5 in The Basics of Communication Research.

Read “Ethical Issues of Online Communication Research,” by Capurro & Pingel.

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View the “Stanford Prison Experiment.” URL:

MODULE 3

DQ1

What are the most significant differences between conceptualization and operationalization? Explain.

DQ2

There could be a time when your research idea is legal but not ethical, or vice versa. What are two significant legal requirements that may impact an ethical communication issue? How would you reconcile the legal with the ethical?

STUDY MATERIALS

Read Chapters 5-6 in The Basics of Communication Research.

Read: “Measurement Error.” URL:

Read: “Levels of Measurement.”

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Read: “Reliability and Validity Assessment,” by Carmines & Zeller (1979).

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Use the tutorial to help understand and set up statistic and probability problems.

URL: Read: “Ensuring Reliability and Validity,” by Reinard (2006).

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MODULE 4

DQ1

Review the Violence Against Women Survey Questionnaire (http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb-bmdi/instrument/3896_Q1_V1-eng.pdf ) developed by the Housing, Family and Social Statistics Division Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics (not the control form). Pay special attention to pages 5-48.

Discuss the role of conceptualization and operationalization within the survey. What are the most significant elements of a questionnaire? Are these elements evident in the survey reviewed?

DQ2

Internal validity looks at the truth established by the research and external validity looks at how the results can be generalized to the larger population. Identify at least one threat to each form of validity. Why is it a threat?

STUDY MATERIALS

Read Chapters 7-8 in The Basics of Communication Research.

Read “Protecting Hyperlinks and Preserving First Amendment Values on the Internet,” by Dalal, from University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law (2011).

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 Read “Follow the Connections! Finding the Big Picture of Internet Communications,” by Maireder, from GfK-Marketing Intelligence Review (2014).

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Read: “Selecting the Survey Method.” URL:

View: “10 Step Guide to Questionnaire Design,” by RCU URL:

Read: “Research into Questionnaire Design,” by Lietz. This is the article referred to in the video.

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Read: “Researching Internet-Based Populations: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Survey Research: Online Questionnaire Authoring Software Packages, and Web Survey Services,” by Wright, from Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication (2006). URL:

Read “On the Interpretation of Digital Trace Data in Communication and Social Computing Research,” by Freelon. URL: 

MODULE 5

DQ1

Explain what the strengths of each central tendency is what level of measurement is required to be able to calculate each.

DQ2

What is the most significant reason to use descriptive statistics in communication research? Why?

STUDY MATERIALS

Read Chapter 11 in The Basics of Communication Research.

Read “The Subjective Precision of Computers: A Methodological Comparison With Human Coding in Content Analysis,” by Conway, from Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly (2006).

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 Read: “Descriptive Research” in the Encyclopedia of Measurement and Statistics.

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 Read “A Study of Quantitative Content Analysis of Health Messages in U.S. Media from 1985-2005,” by Manganello & Blake, from Health Communication (2010).

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MODULE 6

DQ1

Why might a researcher choose qualitative over quantitative sampling? What qualities of the one chosen are more beneficial than the other, if at all?

DQ2

Explain the logic of inferential statistics. How does this apply to your research study?

STUDY MATERIALS

Read Chapter 12 in The Basics of Communication Research.

Read “Self-Presentations and Intellectual Disability,” by Kittelsaa, from Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research (2014).

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Read: “The Positives and Negatives of Twitter: Exploring How Student-Athletes Use Twitter and Respond to Critical Tweets,” by Browning & Sanderson, from International Journal of Sport Communication (2012).

URL: View: “Ethnography. Part 1 of 2 on Ethnography and Participant Observation.”

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View: “What to Observe in Participant Observation. Part 2 of 2 on Ethnography and Participant Observation”

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Read “Including Adults With Intellectual Disabilities Who Lack Capacity to Consent in Research” by Calveley from Nursing Ethics (2012).

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MODULE 7

DQ1

Having conducted you research and analyzed the results, how would you do it differently in a follow-up study?

DQ2

What are two of the most significant findings from your research study? Explain. If you have no significant findings explain.

STUDY MATERIALS

Read Chapter 16 in The Basics of Communication Research.

Read: “Structured Interviews.”URL:

Read: “The Use of Semi-Structured Interviews in Qualitative Research: Strengths and Weaknesses,” by Newton (2010).

Note: You will need to create a free account, use Facebook or Google account to download the paper.

URL: View “Exploring Qualitative Methods” on GCU website.

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MODULE 8

DQ1

What is the most effective approach to textual analysis? Support your response.

DQ2

Compare discourse and conversation analysis. Which is the most effective? Why?

STUDY MATERIALS

Read Chapter 15 in The Basics of Communication Research.

Read: “‘That’s What She Said’: Gender, Satire, and the American Workplace on the Sitcom The Office,” by Birthisel & Martin, from Journal of Communication Inquiry (2013).

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Read: “Qualitative Content Analysis,” by Mayring, from Qualitative Social Research, (2000).

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