Research Methods and Sources in Communication
Code: 105014 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2501928 Audiovisual Communication | OB | 1 | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Pedro Molina Rodríguez-Navas
- Email:
- pedro.molina@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- spanish (spa)
- Some groups entirely in English:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Catalan:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Spanish:
- No
Teachers
- Jesica Ana Florencia Menéndez Signorini
- Iliana Ferrer Rodriguez
Prerequisites
No comments
Objectives and Contextualisation
The objective of Reserach Methods and Sources in Communication is that students obtain the knowledge and skills they need to develop (or to evaluate) a reserch.
The main objective is to help students to:
a) Face up (and evaluate) a scientific research in the field of communication (know how to act)
b) Develop critical and self-critical ability to analyse communcative practices (know how)
Competences
- Demonstrate knowledge and skills to execute a practical and theoretical project with a scientific basis.
- Disseminate the area's knowledge and innovations.
- Manage time effectively.
- Research, select and arrange in hierarchical order any kind of source and useful document to develop communication products.
- Rigorously apply scientific thinking.
Learning Outcomes
- Be familiar with and apply scientific method in researching audiovisual communication.
- Build a theoretical discourse around a research subject.
- Disseminate the area's knowledge and innovations.
- Implement various research methodologies of communicative phenomena.
- Manage time effectively.
- Raise scientific questions and establish hypotheses regarding communication research.
- Research, select and arrange in hierarchical order any kind of source and useful document to develop communication products.
- Rigorously apply scientific thinking.
Content
Introduction: scientific activity and communication
- General characteristics of the scientific method (basic and applied).
- Thematic sections and communication: professional activity (production), legislation, audiovisual products (content analysis), and audiences (reception).
- Types and main lines of general research: social research and content analysis.
- Main sources in communication: academia, institutions, and the economic sector.
Stages of the scientific process
- Subject of study and context (What do we want to know? Why does it important?).
- Developing theoretical framework (What do we know about that? Theories and Background).
- Developing methodological strategies/Fieldwork Planning (How can we get to know it? Information obtained).
- Descriptive analysis of the results (what do we know after doing the fieldwork?).
- Interpretative analysis of the results (conclusions).
Basic concepts in scientific methodology
- How to elaborate theoretical framework, theories, and epistemology.
- Hypothesis and questions.
- Effects of variables (Typology).
- Univers / Sample - Corpus / Case Study.
Social Research (uses, consumption, reception, public opinion,...)
- Qualitative Methodology: Ethnographic observation, Digital ethnographic, focus group, interviewing.
- Quantitative Methodology: Survey and questionnaires.
- Triangulation: Qualitative and Quantitative Research.
Content Analysis (speeches, representations, stereotypes,...)
- Qualitative Methodology: Languages and narratives.
- Quantitative Methodology: Big Data.
- Triangulation: Qualitative and Quantitative Research.
Research Trends in Catalonia and Spain
- Main lines of research in the international context.
- Research Centers.
Methodology
The development of the subject includes three types of activities:
Directed activities
- Master Classes: basic concepts (online).
- Discussion seminars and debate: The objective is to deepen the basic concepts through individual analysis and group reflection (individual projects).
- Laboratory Practical: The objective is to deepen basic concepts through the design of an own research project (group project).
Supervised activities
- Personal interviews to check the evolution of learning and to help students
Autonomous activities
-The students will have to make the readings indicated as obligatory and all the activities planned for the correct development of seminars, laboratory practices, and written exams.
The calendar will be available on the first day of class. Students will find all information on the Virtual Campus: the description of the activities, teaching materials, and any necessary information for the proper follow-up of the subject.
In case of a change of teaching modality for health reasons, teachers will make readjustments in the schedule and methodologies.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Discussion seminars and debat | 18 | 0.72 | 8, 7, 2 |
| Laboratory practical | 15 | 0.6 | 8, 7, 2, 1, 5, 4, 6 |
| Master Classes | 15 | 0.6 | 2, 1, 3 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Custom tracking | 5 | 0.2 | |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Laboratory practical preparation | 15 | 0.6 | 8, 7, 2, 1, 5, 4, 6 |
| Reading and synthesis of scientific documents | 40 | 1.6 | 8, 7, 2, 3 |
Assessment
The subject will be evaluated from different procedures (the final grade will be the sum of all the scores):
- Written exam: 20% in the final grade. Individual - It can be repeated.
- Practice (research project design/group project: 40% in the final grade)
- Seminars (preparation and participation: 40% in the final grade). Individual - It can be repeated.
Students will be entitled to the revaluation of the subject. They should present a minimum of activities that equals two-thirds of the total grading. To have access to revaluation, the previous grades should be 3,5, at least.
The activity that is excluded from the revaluation process is the research project design.
In the case of a second enrolment, students can do a single synthesis exam/assignment that will consist of a research project. The grading of the subject will correspond to the grade of the synthesis assignment.
In the event that the student performs any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation of an evaluation act, this evaluation act will be graded with 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that could be instructed. In the event, that several irregularities occur in the evaluation acts of the same subject, the final grade for this subject will be 0.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practice (research projecte design) | 40% | 15 | 0.6 | 8, 7, 2, 3, 4 |
| Seminars (preparation and participation) | 40% | 18 | 0.72 | 8, 7, 2, 1, 5, 4, 6 |
| Written exam | 20% | 9 | 0.36 | 8, 7 |
Bibliography
- Casas, Jordi; Nin, Jordi; Julbe, Francesc (2019). Big Data. Análisis de datos en entornos masivos. Barcelona: UOC [https://cataleg.uab.cat/iii/encore/record/C__Rb2085336?lang=cat]
- Igartua, Juan José (2006). Métodos cuantitativos de investigación en comunicación. Barcelona: Bosch
- Jensen, Klaus B. i Jankowski, Nicholas V. (1993). Métodos cualitativos de investigación en comunicación de masas. Barcelona: Bosch
- Medina, Alfons i Busquet, Jordi (2019). La recerca en comunicació. Barcelona: UOC
- Soriano, Jaume (2007). L'ofici de comunicòleg: métodes per investigar la comunicació. Barcelona: Eumo
- Tardivo, Giuliano (2016). Aproximación a la sociología contemporánea. Barcelona: UOC
Further reading:
- Berger, Peter L. (2004). Invitació a la sociologia. Una perspectiva humanística. Barcelona: Herder
- Cuesta, Ubaldo (2000). Psicologia social de la comunicación. Madrid: Catedra
- Eguizabal, Raúl(2015). Metodologías I. Madrid: Fragua
- Eguizabal, Raúl (2016). Metodologías II. Madrid: Fragua
- Kellner, Douglas (2011). Cultura mediática. Estudios culturales, identidad y política entre lo moderno y lo posmoderno. Madrid: AKAL /Estudios Visuales
More information:
Observatori de la Comunicació aCatalunya (OCC InCom-UAB): [https://incom.uab.cat/occ/]
Portal de la Comunicación (InCom-UAB): [https://incom.uab.cat/portalcom/?lang=es]
Software
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