Research Methods and Tools
Code: 43403 ECTS Credits: 9| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Strategic Planning in Advertising and Public Relations | OB | 0 |
Contact
- Name:
- Patricia Lazaro Pernias
- Email:
- patricia.lazaro@uab.cat
Teachers
- Alfonso Gonzalez Quesada
- Albert Vinyals Ros
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for taking the course.
Objectives and Contextualisation
- To provide students with the conceptual and methodological instruments essential to develop scientific research, both from the perspective of commercial and applied research as well as basic research.
- To familiarize students with the three major methodological perspectives (qualitative, quantitative and experimental) of the social sciences.
- To support students in the theoretical and methodological approach to their end-of-master projects.
Competences
- Be able to evaluate inequalities for reasons of sex or gender to design solutions.
- Demonstrate systemic, scientific thought, oriented to results.
- Design and carry out market research.
- Display familiarity with the literature and adapt available results in order to address new or little-known problems, making innovative proposals.
- Identify research problems and apply the most suitable qualitative and quantitative methodologies and tools in studies on communicative phenomena in advertising and PR.
- Use acquired knowledge as a basis for originality in the application of ideas, often in a research context.
Learning Outcomes
- Apply creative solutions to research problems in advertising and PR.
- Between the different techniques to measure consumer behaviour chose the most appropriate for the research in question.
- Decide on the best research methodology for each case according to the research objectives set out.
- Decide whether to try out new approaches and methods of analysis on the basis of the literature on the discipline of strategic communication.
- Identify and classify the new specific techniques for market research.
- Identify the contributions of gender study to the research topic.
- Know and use the contributions of women and gender studies in the discipline.
- Know how to collect, systematise, conserve and disseminate information about women, works written by women, documents referring to the laws and policies of equality and those generated by research into gender studies, evaluating gender bias which may be included in existing searches and descriptors.
- Know how to create and use qualitative and quantitative indicators including statistics to gain a better understanding of gender inequalities and differences in the needs, conditions, values and aspirations of women and men.
- Know how to distinguish in theoretical and empirical analyses the effects of sex and gender variables.
- Know how to identify the intersection of gender inequality with other inequalities (age, class, race, sexuality and identity/gender expression, functional diversity etc.).
- Know how to undertake research with a gender perspective.
- Know how to use inclusive and non-sexist language.
- Learn to make visible the contributions made by women in all areas of society and consider their experience as a documentary source of primary importance.
- Relate different perspectives and methodological approaches in the course of a research project.
- Subject theories and research findings to methods of verification or comparison.
- Successfully carry out a research project.
Content
1. The scientific method in advertising and public relations research (Prof. Josep Maria Blanco)
1.1. Basic characteristics of the scientific method.
1.2. From the knowledge problem to the sample.
1.3. Definition as a scientific tool.
1.4. The paradigm as an instrument of scientific organisation.
1.5. Hypothesis and contrastability.
1.6. Research designs: qualitative, quantitative and experimental.
1.7. The variables.
1.8. Analysis and measurement instruments.
2. Applications of neuromarketing in strategic planning (Prof. Albert Vinyals)
2.1 Eye tracking software.
2.2. Sensory marketing: smell, hearing, taste, touch and sight.
2.3. Biometric methods for measuring the consumer's emotional response. EEG and fMRI.
2.4. Contributions of market research companies in the study of consumer behavior.
3. Bibliographic and information resources for strategic planning research. (Prof. Alfons González)
3.1 The process of searching for information within the framework of scientific and applied research.
3.2 Bibliographic resources.
3.3 Tools to know the quality and impact of scientific production.
The content of the course will be sensitive to aspects related to the gender perspective.
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Theoretical sessions and case studies | 45 | 1.8 | 1, 14, 7, 4, 17, 5, 3, 6, 15, 12, 10, 13, 11, 8, 9, 16, 2 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Tutorials | 10 | 0.4 | 1, 4, 17, 5, 15, 16 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Drafting and reviewing the work | 70 | 2.8 | 1, 14, 7, 4, 17, 5, 3, 6, 15, 12, 10, 13, 11, 8, 9, 16, 2 |
| Reading and exercise development | 60 | 2.4 | 1, 7, 4, 17, 5, 3, 6, 15, 12, 10, 8, 16, 2 |
A detailed schedule outlining the content of each session will be presented on the first dayof the course and will be available on the course’s Virtual Campus, where students willfind all teaching materials and necessary information for efective course monitoring.Should the teaching modality change for reasons of force majeure according to thecompetent authorities, the teaching staft will inform students of any modifications to thecourse schedule and teaching 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.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bibliographic search work (Theme 3) | 25% | 10 | 0.4 | 14, 7, 4, 17, 6, 15, 8, 16 |
| Exam (Item 2) | 25% | 10 | 0.4 | 7, 17, 5, 15, 10, 11, 2 |
| Research project: theoretical and methodological approach (class exercises and final work) | 50% | 20 | 0.8 | 1, 7, 4, 17, 5, 3, 15, 12, 10, 13, 11, 9, 16, 2 |
Assessment
Each part of the course will be assessed by the specialist lecturer responsible for teaching it.
Resit
Students will be entitled to a resit if they have been assessed in a set of activities that represent at least two-thirds (2/3) of the total course grade.
The exam, the bibliographic research assignment, and the research project can be resat.
Single assessment
Students who choose the single assessment option must complete the following activities:
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Development of a research project: theoretical and methodological approach (50%)
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Written theory exam (25%)
-
Bibliographic search exercise (25%)
Students who choose this option will be informed in advance of the locations, dates and deadlines for submitting the project, taking the theory exam and completing the bibliographic exercise.
Plagiarism
If a student engages in any irregularity that may result in a significant change in the grade of anassessment activity, that activity will be graded with a 0, regardless of any disciplinary proceedings that may be initiated. If multiple irregularities occur in assessment activities within the same course, the final grade for that course will be 0.Students who have not completed at least 45% of the scheduled assessment activities will be considered NOT ASSESSED, and this will be reflected in the final grade.
Use of artificial intelligence
In this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks, such as bibliographic or information search, text correction or translation, assistance in applying certain research methodologies, and other uses that may arise during the course, as indicated by the teaching staff. Students must clearly identify which parts have been generated using AI, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these tools have influenced both the process and the final outcome of the task. Lack of transparency in the use of AI in any assessed activity will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in a partial or total penalty in the grade for the activity, or in more serious disciplinary actions in severe cases.
Bibliography
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- Ariely, Dan (2008): Las Trampas del deseo: cómo controlar los impulsos irracionales que nos llevan a error. Ariel.
- Berganza Conde, María Rosa y Ruiz San Román, José A. (2005): Investigar en comunicación. Mc Graw Hill. Madrid.
- Bunge, Mario (1989): La investigación científica, Ariel, Barcelona.
- Cacioppo, John T., Berntson, Gary G., Larsen, J. T., Poehlmann, K. M., & Ito, T. A. (2000). «The psychophysiology of emotion.» Handbook of emotions, 2, 173-191.
- Damasio, Antonio R. (1994). El error de Descartes: la razón de las emociones. Andrés Bello.
- Dooley, Roger: Brainfluence (2015): 100 formas de convencer y persuadir a través del neuromarketing. Empresa Activa.
- García Roldán, José Luis (1995): Cómo elaborar un proyecto de investigación, Universidad de Alicante, Secretaría de publicaciones.
- Hernandez Sampieri, Roberto Fernandez Collado, Carlos y Baptista Lucio, Pilar (2003): Metodología de la Investigación. McGraw-Hill Interamericana. (3ª edición). México DF.
- Igartua, Juan José y Humanes, María Luisa (2004): Teoría e investigación en comunicación social. Editorial Síntesis. Madrid.
- Igartua, Juan José (2006): Métodos cuantitativos de investigación en comunicación. Ed Bosch SA.
- Kahneman, Daniel (2012). Pensar rápido, pensar despacio. Debate.
- Laramée, Alain et Valée, Bernard (1991): La recherche en communication. Élements de méthodologie. Presses de l’Universite du Quebeq.
- Lindström, Martin (2010): Buyology : verdades y mentiras de por qué compramos.Gestión 2000.
- Lipovetsky, Gilles (2008) La felicidad paradójica: Ensayo sobre la sociedad de hiperconsumo, Ed. Anagrama: Barcelona.
- Martínez, José Luis, Garrido, Eugenio y Valdunquillo, María Isabel (2012). Análisis de la emoción en el discurso político a partir de un nuevo sistema de registro psicofisiológico y su aplicación a las ciencias políticas. Universidad de Salamanca, Departamento de psicología evolutiva, http://gredos.usal.es/jspui/bitstream/10366/22533/1/DPEE_analisisdelaatencion.pdf
- Reeve, Johnmarsahall (2001). Understanding motivation and emotion. New York: Wiley.
- Santesmases, Miguel (2012): Marketing. Conceptos y estrategias. Madrid, Ediciones Pirámide.
- Sierra Bravo, Restituto (1991): Técnicas de investigación social. Teoría y ejercicios. Madrid, Editorial Paraninfo S.A.
- Spence, Charles & Gallace, Alberto (2011) Multisensory Design: Reaching Out to Touch the Consumer. Psychology & Marketing, Vol. 28(3): 267–308.
- Thaler, Richard H. (2016). Todo lo que he aprendido con la psicología económica. Barcelona, Deusto.
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Software
No specific software is used.
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) | 30 | Spanish | first semester | afternoon |