Discussion class 1,
Semester 2
Presenter: Prof EJ Terblanché
TL 101 refers you to feedback in TL 102.
ONLY applicable to students who were
registered in 2010
In 2011 TL 102 contains FAQs and
TL 103 contains feedback on
assignment 01
Both TL 102 and 103 for 2011 will be
posted on myUnisa once they become
available
Minimum criteria for evaluation of assignment 01
How does your research issue meet the criteria of
relevance
researchability
feasibility
ethical acceptability?
Explain how in a maximum of four sentences
See section 2.2.2 in prescribed book
MAIN ISSUE criteria
N
Nature of research (qualitative/quantitative)
T
Time dimension (cross-sectional/ longitudinal)
A
Action (Explore and describe)
I
Issue (Tasks 5.10; 5.13)
M
Method (Content analysis/survey)
ONE main issue formulated in ONE sentence
containing all 5 criteria. See study guide page
53
EXTENT of the issue
What is the prevalence of the issue? What is the
background? (briefly). Determine the boundaries of
your research (geographical area) –where will your
research be done?
Time dimension: when will research be done and
why this specific time? Nature of research: crosssectional or longitudinal? In other words, motivate
time dimension
EXAMPLES of extent
Many differing magazines are readily available
world-wide and different creative concepts are used
in advertisements + Popular magazines in SA
(background)
Only the January 2010 edition of magazine X and Y
available in SA will be used/advertisements analysed
Cross-sectional study; January 2010 issue of
magazines X and Y to be used because they have
the biggest variety of advertisements that can be
analysed
Community newspaper is distributed free of charge in
many communities also here in Soshanguve and is
read by different people of all ages for differing
reasons
Research will be done in Soshanguve, a suburb of
Pretoria, Gauteng where the researcher lives
Research is cross-sectional and will be done in
January 2010. Reason being because it is still
school holiday and more people from varying ages
can be involved and accessed
POPULATION
Distinguish between target
and accessible population
Determine population
parameters (characteristics) which are
applicable to your research
Make sure you know what each population is – see
prescribed book for definitions/clarification of each
What/who are your units of analysis? Who/what will
provide answers to the research questions?
FOUR population characteristics have to be
provided
Your population characteristics have to relate to
your own research
Applicable to Task 5.13
If gender is a population characteristic, you
HAVE TO have an equal distribution of genders
in your sample
EXAMPLES of population:
Target versus accessible
5.10
T: all magazines and all advertisements in SA.
A: January 2010 edition of Magazine X and Y and all the
advertisements in these magazines
5.13
T:
all the people in SA who read a community newspaper
PLUS community newspapers.
A: People living in Phosa street, Section 4 in Soshanguve
who read the specific community newspaper, PLUS
specific edition of the community newspaper
EXAMPLES of
characteristics
Task 5.10
Different creative concepts; language
used/not used; pictures; text
Task 5.13
Different educational levels; ages; gender;
content categories
EXAMPLES
Units
of
analysis
Task 5.10: Creative concepts
Creative concepts AND
advertisements. What will you
analyse? NO people or opinions OR
gender
Task 5.13
PEOPLE
Because people will provide answers to your research
▬ questionnaires
WHY?
For purpose of this module
An assumption is an unproven belief that is neither
true nor false. You have to formulate four
assumptions related to your own research issue
(see prescribed book, sections 1.3 and 2.2.2)
A sub-issue is a questions on the formulated
assumption. You have to formulate four sub-issues
related to your four assumptions (see prescribed book,
section 2.2.2)
A research question is a question of which the
answer will help you solve the main issue that you
have formulated. You have to formulate four
research questions logically linked to your
formulated four assumptions and four sub-issues
(see prescribed book, section 2.4)
In other words, the four assumptions, four subissues and four research questions have to relate to
one another (be logically linked) and be applicable
to the research that you will be doing
EXAMPLES of four assumptions
and four sub-problems
A: Different advertisements use different creative concepts
S: Do different advertisements use different creative concepts?
A: Cell phone advertisements use more than one creative
concept per advertisement
S: Do cell phone advertisements use more than one creative
concept per advertisement?
A: Branding is the creative concept found in all advertisements
S: Is branding found in all of the advertisements?
A: Each advertisement applies more than one creative concept
S: Does each advertisement apply more than one creative
concept?
There is no such thing as a
common
obvious
prominent or regular
creative concept APPEARING MOST
OFTEN OR LESS OFTEN in any
advertisement. You may not make any such
claim in your research
EXAMPLES of four assumptions and four
sub-problems – Task 5.13
A: Men and women read the community newspaper for differing
reasons (Sample must be 50% men and 50% women)
S: Do men and women read the community newspaper for differing
reasons? (Sample must be 50% men and 50% women)
A: Some people only read specific categories of the newspaper
S: Do some people only read specific categories of the newspaper?
A: Community newspapers are read because the content
satisfies the need for surveillance, diversion, personal identity
and relationships
S: Does the content of the community newspaper satisfy the
need of readers for surveillance, diversion, personal identity
and relationships?
EXAMPLES of research questions: Task 5.10
• Which creative concepts are used in selected
advertisements?
• Is more than one creative concept used in all
advertisements?
• If more than one creative concept is used in
some advertisements, which advertisements are
they used in?
• Is there any particular creative concept which is
found in all advertisements?
EXAMPLES
of research questions
• Why do people read the community newspaper?
• Which content categories of the newspaper do
some people prefer to read?
• Which specific needs of readers are satisfied by
reading the community newspaper?
At least four research questions are required in
each task. Which other one would you add to this
task?
ANY information in this presentation that you use
has to relate to and be applicable to your own
research
A goal is basic (when theory is developed) or applied
(when practical issues are investigated). Which is
applicable to your research and why? See prescribed
book, section 2.2.1
Study section 2.2.1 in the prescribed book to familiarise
yourself with the four different objectives. Your
objectives will be to explore and describe — you have
to indicate what will be explored and described
NOTE: Population parameters, assumptions,
sub-issues, goal and objectives should all relate
to the main issue and have to be logically linked
Theoretical approach
Task 5.10
Content analysis and creative
concepts
EXPLAIN in your OWN words:
• What is a content analysis?
• Explain what each creative concept means
• Substantiate explanations with reference to an appropriate
advertisements (not those to be analysed in the portfolio)
• Do NOT quote from advertisements, interpret and represent
in your own words
NB: How does the theory (and concepts) you describe or
discuss relate to your own research?
Task 5.13
Uses and gratifications theory
and concepts
EXPLAIN in your OWN words:
• What are the four uses and gratifications?
• Explain what each of the gratifications
mean (interpret and represent text in your
own words)
• Substantiate each explanation with
reference to an appropriate example
NB: How does the theory (or concepts) you describe or
discuss relate to your own research?
Research design
Your research design will be both qualitative
(describe) and quantitative (tally sheet)
How are the characteristics in the prescribed book,
sections 2.5.2 and 2.5.3 applicable to your own
research?
— Method of reasoning is inductive because
You will analyse advertisements, creative concepts and
the responses of respondents to confirm theoretical
assumptions in order to draw general conclusions
— Method of reasoning is deductive because
You will formulate operational definitions and/or
discuss the theoretical approach to your task
— You have to explain what the objectives of your
research are AND indicate what you will describe
— You have to explain which methods and techniques
you will use to collect AND analyse your qualitative
AND quantitative data
— You have to explain how your design is flexible. What
will you adjust, replace or make changes to (if
necessary)?
You have to indicate what numerical
data will you be collecting AND which
quantities will you count
Which methods/techniques were used to
collect AND analyse your quantitative
data?
Please pay attention to technical presentation.
See TL CMNALLE/301 for assistance and
guidance
Please send us an email if you have any
questions before you struggle and give up, OK?