Introduction to Research
Code: 42437 ECTS Credits: 9| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Audiovisual Communication and Advertising Contents | OT | 0 |
Contact
- Name:
- Matilde Delgado Reina
- Email:
- matilde.delgado@uab.cat
Teachers
- Ana Belen Monclus Blanco
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
...
Objectives and Contextualisation
This module attends to provide the particular tools for the approach of a scientific research project, to define its aims, to identify the appropriate methods and resources to cover them and to establish a work plan.
The general objective is to know, learn and practice the concepts and necessary procedures for the design of a scientific investigation.
Competences
- Analyse research results to obtain new products or processes, assessing their industrial and commercial viability with a view to transferring them to society.
- Choose, design and apply methodological strategies for scientific research in audiovisual communication and product development.
- Conceive, plan, and lead academic and/or professional research projects in audiovisual and advertising communication, applying criteria of quality, equality and ethical and social responsibility.
- Demonstrate an attitude awake, innovative and analytical in relation to the research questions
- Develop the ability to assess sex and gender inequalities in order to design solutions.
- Integrate knowledge and use it to make judgements in complex situations, with incomplete information, while keeping in mind social and ethical responsibilities.
- Plan tasks in accordance with the human resources, tools and time available so as to optimise performance.
- Seek out information in the scientific and technological context and learn practical ICT skills.
- Solve problems in new or little-known situations within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to the field of study.
- Take decisions and accept responsibility for their consequences.
- Use acquired knowledge as a basis for originality in the application of ideas, often in a research context.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyse research results to obtain new products or processes, assessing their industrial and commercial viability with a view to transferring them to society.
- Define and mark out the limits of an object of study.
- Demonstrate an attitude awake, innovative and analytical in relation to the research questions
- Design model research projects.
- Integrate knowledge and use it to make judgements in complex situations, with incomplete information, while keeping in mind social and ethical responsibilities.
- Keep the phases of the research project within the set time limits.
- Know how to compile, systematise, conserve and disseminate information on women, works written by women, documents referring to equality policies and laws and those generated by research in gender studies, assessing the gender biases that may be included in existing search engines and descriptors.
- Learn to make visible the contributions made by women in all areas of society and to consider their experience as a documentary source of primary importance.
- Plan tasks in accordance with the human resources, tools and time available so as to optimise performance.
- Present and defend the projects created.
- Produce, collect and interpret empirical data in a gender-sensitive way.
- Seek out information in the scientific and technological context and learn practical ICT skills.
- Select the appropriate methodological techniques to a standard project
- Set the methodological stages of a research project.
- Take decisions and accept responsibility for their consequences.
- Use acquired knowledge as a basis for originality in the application of ideas, often in a research context.
Content
In this module, we examine the key factors involved in developing a scientific research project, along with the research process itself.
Topics covered include the purpose of research, types of research, epistemological approaches, methodology, phases of the research process (conceptualization, planning, research, and dissemination), project feasibility, funding, and ethical considerations.
These elements are explored both theoretically and in relation to students' own Master's Thesis projects. Additionally, the module's faculty introduces various approaches to enrich debate and knowledge acquisition, inspired by proposals for new study projects and corresponding new methodological approaches.
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Seminars | 44 | 1.76 | 6, 1, 12, 2, 3, 4, 14, 9, 10, 5, 13, 16 |
| Theoric Sessions | 12 | 0.48 | 2, 3, 4, 14, 5, 13, 16 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Development of projects and presentation and debating them | 55 | 2.2 | 1, 3, 4, 14, 15, 10, 5, 13, 16 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Readings, development of projects, preparation of the presentations | 110 | 4.4 | 6, 1, 12, 2, 4, 14, 9, 15, 5, 13, 16 |
The curriculum of this module (9 ECTS credits) involves a total of 225 hours of work for the students, distributed as follows: 113 hours of autonomous work, 56 directed hours and 56 supervised hours. The teaching methodologies include master classes, case studies, seminars, readings of bibliography material, tutorships, executing and presenting written and oral papers, and the student's active work of analysis and debate.
A detailed schedule outlining the content of each session will be presented on the first day of the course and will be available on the course's Virtual Campus, where students will find all teaching materials and necessary information for effective course monitoring. Should the teaching modality change for reasons of force majeure according to the competent authorities, the teaching staff will inform students of any modifications to the course schedule and teaching methodologies.
The content of the subject will be sensitive to aspects related to the gender perspective and the use of inclusive language.
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.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance and participation | 10% | 0 | 0 | 1, 5, 16 |
| Development of the project | 50 % | 0 | 0 | 6, 1, 8, 12, 2, 3, 4, 14, 9, 15, 10, 11, 5, 7, 13, 16 |
| Oral presentation of a project | 20% | 4 | 0.16 | 6, 1, 12, 2, 3, 4, 14, 9, 15, 10, 13 |
| Reading and assessment of another student's paper | 20% | 0 | 0 | 1, 12, 3, 15, 5 |
The evaluation system comprises the completion of a module project, its oral defense, the review and assessment of another student's work, and active attendance and participation in classes.
The project topic is flexible, within the confines of the master's syllabus, and will align with the theme selected for the Master's Thesis.
CONTINUOUS EVALUATION This method mandates attendance at theoretical sessions and the completion of the following assessment activities:
1. Preparation of a research project and gradual incorporation of improvement suggestions from analysis sessions (50%)
2. Review and assessment of another student's project (20%)
3. Oral defense of the project (20%)
4. Active participation in sessions (10%)
In the case of continuous assessment, only Activity 1 (Deveopment of a research project) may be retaken, and only if the final document does not reach the minimum grade of 5, despite being continuously assessed.
SINGLE EVALUATION Students can choose the single evaluation option. This method requires attendance at the first two sessions and the completion of the following assessment activities:
1. Preparation of a research project (30%)
2. Critical and reasoned evaluation of the research options of the project itself (20%)
3. Review and assessment of another student's project (30%)
4. Oral defense of the project (20%)
Activities 1, 2, and 3 must be submitted on the same day as activity 4, which will be conducted in person. The date for this evaluation will be announced at the beginning of the module.
In the case of a single evaluation, activities 1, 2, and 3 may be retaken if they don’t reach the minimum grade of 5.
PLAGIARISM
Suppose a student engages in any form of misconduct that could significantly affect the outcome of an assessment. In that case, they will receive a grade of zero for that particular assessment, regardless of any disciplinary actions that may follow. If multiple instances of misconduct are detected across different assessment components of the same course, the student will receive a final grade of zero for the entire subject.
AI
For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks, such as bibliographic or information searches, text correction, or translations. Students must clearly identify any parts generated with these technologies, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how AI has influenced the process and final outcome of the assignment. Failure to disclose the use of AI in this assessed activity will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in a partial or total penalty to the assignment grade, or more serious sanctions in severe cases.
Non-Assessable
Following point 9 of Article 266 of the UAB Academic Regulations, if it is determined that the student has not provided sufficient evidence to be evaluated, the subject will be classified as non-assessable.
Bibliography
Al llarg del curs, es podrán proporcionar altres materials bibliogràfics, referències o links.
Denscombe, Martyn (2010) Ground Rules for Social Research. Guidelines for good practice. New York: McGraw Hill,
Deroncele, Angel I altres (2024), “Qualitative Research From Grounded Theory to Build a Scientific Framework on the Researcher’s Epistemic Competence”, International Journal of Qualitative Methods Vol.23 https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406924128
Hackley, Chris (2003) Doing Research Projects in Marketing, Management and Consumer Research. London: Routledge.
Herrera, Francisco (2019), Epistemología y metodología de la ciencia: la investigación científica, Granada: Universidad de Granada.
Lynch, Patrick (2004), "Choosing the Appropriate Methodology: Understanting Research Philosophy", The Marketing Review, 4. pp. 397-409.
Murray, Neil & Hughes, Geraldine (2008) Writing up your University Assignments and Research Projects. New York: McGraw Hill.
Nogueira, Ana Thereza (2018), “Epistemology, methods and theories of communication in the Big Data Era: a critical panorama of social media research”, Comunicaçao e Sociedades, nu. 33, http://journals.openedition.org/cs/330
Punch, Keith (2014), Introduction to Social Reseach. Quantitave and Qualitative Approaches, Melbourne: Sage.
Treadwell, Donald (2013) Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry . Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE.
Vilches, Lorenzo (coord..)(2024), La investigación en comunicación: métodos y técnicas en la era digital, Barcelona: Gedisa
Software
None.
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TEm) Theory (master) | 10 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |