Wilfrid Laurier University
Department of Communication Studies
CS 235A
Communication Research Methods
Fall 2011
COURSE DIRECTOR: Dr. Matthew Flisfeder
EMAIL: mflisfeder@wlu.ca
OFFICE LOCATION: DAWB 2-129
OFFICE HOURS: Wednesday, 3:30-4:30pm
LECTURE: Wednesday, 12:30-2:20pm
LOCATION: SBE1220
TUTORIALS:
SECTION
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
INSTRUCTOR
Matthew Flisfeder
Julie Pong
Julie Pong
Julie Pong
Julie Pong
TIME/DAY
W 6:30-7:20pm
W 7:30-8:20pm
W 8:30-9:20pm
W 5:30-6:20pm
W 4:30-5:20pm
LOCATION
BA 306
BA 306
BA 306
BA 306
BA 210
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is designed to provide students with a broad survey of quantitative and
qualitative research methods used in the study of communication, and to expose students
to the practical application of research methods, drawing on both social science and
humanities approaches to research. Students will learn a variety of perspectives and
skills necessary to complete their own research in communication studies, including:
content analysis, survey research, discourse analysis, semiotics, rhetorical analysis, and
historical approaches.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
This course is designed for students to:



Enhance their understanding of paradigms of inquiry and how these inform
methodological choices.
Understand and reflect on the power dimensions and the ethical issues of doing
research
Learn how to search for and select scholarly sources, and carry out a research
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

literature review with appropriate citation
Gain basic knowledge of quantitative, qualitative and mixed-method research
designs, their strengths and weaknesses, and their appropriate application
Gain some practical experience with research design and data gathering
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS:
Ann Gray. Research Practice for Cultural Studies (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2003).
Clive Seale, Ed. Researching Society and Culture. 2nd Ed. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage,
2004).
*Additional readings may be posted on My Learning Space.
ASSIGNEMENTS:
Assignment
Literature Review/Annotated
Bibliography
Midterm Exam
Semiotic/Content Analysis
Final Exam
Tutorial Participation
Due Date
Week Five
Grade Weight
15%
Week Seven
Week Eleven
TBA
Cumulative
25%
20%
25%
15%
LITERATURE REVIEW/ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY – 15%
For this assignment, students will prepare an annotated bibliography of sources related to
topics distributed during Week Two of the course. Bibliographies must contain no less
than five sources from scholarly/academic journals. Sources must be cited using a
recognized scholarly/academic format (Chicago Style, APA, MLA, etc.). For each
source, students must write a short description/annotation, discussing the key ideas and
themes in the source, the author(s)’ main argument/thesis, and its relevance to the topic of
the literature review.
Students must then write a final report outlining the key themes of their topic based on
the sources in their annotated bibliography, and must present a list of research questions
arising from the literature review.
Length – 4-5 pages.
Due: Week Five.
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SEMIOTIC/CONTENT ANALYSIS – 20%
A selection of images will be posted on My Learning Space before Week Six. For this
assignment, students will choose one of the posted images. Using either semiotic
analysis or content analysis, students will develop an analysis of the image. Your
analysis must clearly indicate which method is being used in the analysis, and provide an
explanation of the method being used before proceeding onto the analysis.
Length – 5-6 pages.
Due: In Lecture, Week Eleven.
MIDTERM EXAM – 25%
The midterm exam is scheduled for Week Seven. The midterm will cover all material
from Week One to Week Six.
FINAL EXAM – 25%
The final exam will cover material from Week Eight to Week Twelve.
TUTORIAL PARTICIPATION – 15%
Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes (lectures and tutorials), having read
all of the assigned readings prior to the class for which they are assigned. Students are
expected to make informed contributions to class discussions. Tutorial participation is
not based upon attendance.
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING ASSIGNMENTS:
All writing assignments must be double-spaced, in 12pnt Times New Roman font, with
page numbers. Margins must be set at 1.25”. Please ensure that your name is on the
first page of each written assignment. Unless otherwise indicated, bibliographies or
works cited should appear on a new page at the end of your work. Use an APA style
guide for all written assignments. All written assignments must have a title (be creative).
All pages must be stapled; assignments bound by a paper clip or folder will not be
accepted.
POLICY ON LATE ASSIGNMENTS:
Late assignments will be deducted one mark per day (out of the total weighted mark
for each assignment).
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Students should submit late assignments (hard copy) to their TA’s/Instructor’s mailbox
but may send a digital copy by email for date verification only. Hard copies must be
submitted not later than the day following the submission of a digital copy. A hard
copy of your assignment is required for grading.
EMAIL:
I will only respond to emails between 10:00am – 12:00pm on regular weekdays. Emails
must be sent using a WLU account. I will only respond to emails from WLU accounts.
Please review the course outline and the course website before sending questions by
email. I will not respond to email questions if the answers can easily be found in the
course outline and on the course website. I will not respond to inquiries about
marks/grades by email.
COURSE SCHEDULE:
WEEK ONE: Course Introduction
Tutorials Will Run This Week
WEEK TWO: Theory, Methods and Methodologies
Clive Seal. “Introduction” in Seale, Researching Society and Culture.
David Lazar, “Selected issues in the philosophy of social science” in Seale, Researching
Society and Culture.
WEEK THREE: Defining the Field of Research Inquiry
Moira Kelly, “Research Design and Proposals” in Seale, Researching Society and
Culture.
Duncan Branley, “Doing a Literature Review” in Seale, Researching Society and Culture.
Ben Gidley, “Doing Historical and Archival Research” in Seale, Researching Society and
Culture.
WEEK FOUR: Social Facts and Social Constructivism: On ‘Truth’ in Research
Practice
David Silverman, “Research and Social Theory” in Seale, Researching Society and
Culture.
Clive Seal, “Validity, Reliability and the Quality of Research” in Researching Society
and Culture.
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WEEK FIVE: Quantitative Methods of Measuring the Social, Part I
*LITERATURE REVIEW/ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHIES DUE IN
LECTURE
Fran Tonkiss, “History of Social Statistics and the Social Survey” in Seale, Researching
Society and Culture.
Alice Bloch, “Doing Social Surveys” in Seale, Researching Society and Culture.
Clive Seale, “Using Data Archives for Secondary Analysis” in Seale, Researching
Society and Culture.
WEEK SIX: Quantitative Methods of Measuring the Social, Part II
Clive Seale, “Coding and Analyzing Data” in Seale, Researching Society and Culture.
Alice Bloch, “Statistical Reasoning: From One to Two Variables” in Seale, Researching
Society and Culture.
Clive Seale, “Statistical Reasoning: Causal Arguments and Multivariate Analysis” in
Seale, Researching Society and Culture.
WEEK SEVEN:
*MIDTERM EXAM
* Literature Reviews/Annotated Bibliographies will be returned and discussed in tutorial.
WEEK EIGHT: Introduction to Qualitative Methods
Clive Seal, “History of Qualitative Methods” in Seale, Researching Society.
Ann Gray, Research Practice for Cultural Studies. Pp. 11-56 and 79-93
WEEK NINE: Semiotics and Discourse Analysis
Fran Tonkiss, “Analyzing text and speech: content and discourse analysis” in Seale,
Researching Society and Culture.
Suki Ali, “Using visual materials” in Seale, Researching Society and Culture.
Ann Gray, Research Practice for Cultural Studies. Pp. 128-145
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WEEK TEN: Interviews and Focus Groups
Bridget Byrne, “Qualitative Interviewing” in Seale, Researching Society and Culture.
Fran Tonkiss, “Using Focus Groups” in Seale, Researching Society and Culture.
Ann Gray, Research Practice for Cultural Studies. Pp. 93-106.
WEEK ELEVEN: Rhetorical Analysis
*SEMIOTIC/CONTENT ANALYSIS DUE IN LECTURE
Les Back, “Reading and writing research” in Seale, Researching Society and Culture.
Ann Gray, Research Practice for Cultural Studies. Pp. 169-179.
WEEK TWELVE: Storying the Social – Story Telling and Poetics
David Walsh, “Doing Ethnography” in Seale, Researching Society and Culture.
Ann Gray, Research Practice for Cultural Studies. Pp. 107-125.
*FINAL EXAM TBA
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NOTES:
1. Students with disabilities or special needs are advised to contact Laurier's Accessible
Learning Office for information regarding its services and resources. Students are
encouraged to review the Calendar for information regarding all services available on
campus.
2. Students are expected to be aware of and abide by University regulations and policies,
as outlined in the current Undergraduate and Graduate Calendar.
3. Students must reserve the examination period as stated in the Undergraduate Calendar
under Academic Dates. If you are considering registering for a special examination or
event, you should select a time outside the examination period. Consult with the
Undergraduate Calendar for special circumstances for examination deferral. (Applicable
to Undergraduate students only.)
4. The penalties for plagiarism or any form of academic misconduct are severe and
enforced at all times. The Student Code of Conduct and Discipline, and the procedures
for investigating and determining appropriate disciplinary measures for breaches of the
Code are given in the current Undergraduate and Graduate Calendar. Wilfrid Laurier
University uses software that can check for plagiarism. Students may be required to
submit their written work in electronic form and have it checked for plagiarism.
5. Students are to adhere to the Principles in the Use of Information Technology. These
Principles and resulting actions for breaches are stated in the current Undergraduate and
Graduate Calendar.
6. Students' names may be divulged in the classroom, both orally and in written form, to
other members of the class. Students who are concerned about such disclosures should
contact the course instructor to identify whether there are any possible alternatives to
such disclosures. Additional information on the Freedom of Information and Protection
of Privacy Act at Laurier is available at the Privacy Coordinator Office.
7. "After class call 886-FOOT for a walk or drive home - No Walk is Too Short or Too
Long!!!"
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