ATILIM UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ADVERTISING
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND PRACTICE
Course Name
Research Methods I
Pre-requisite
Courses
Language of the
Course
Course Type
Course Level
Course Coordinator
Instructors
Assistants
Course Objective
Code
PR 207
Term
Fall
L+P Hours
3+0
Credits
3
ECTS
5
-
English
Compulsory
Undergraduate
Dr. Özgür Avcı
This course is designed to introduce the role that research can play in the field of
public relations and advertising (PRA) with a particular emphasis on qualitative
research methods. It aims to give the students an opportunity to learn how to
design a research project which includes data collection, analysis and
presentation.
Students are expected to learn about or develop an understanding of
1- the basic concepts in social science research
Learning Outcomes
of the Course
2- the basics of quantitative research
3- the tools and methods used in qualitative research
4- how to collect research data
5- to analyze and present data.
Content of the
Course
The need for research in PRA, research design and research questions, data
collection, qualitative research methodologies, quantitative research methods,
questionnaire design, data analysis and presentation.
1
WEEKLY SCHEDULE AND PRE-STUDY PAGES
Week
Topics
Pre-study Pages
Role of Public Relations in Weintraub & Pinkleton, “The Need for Strategic Public Relations
1
Strategic Planning
Management,” pp. 1-12.
Weintraub & Pinkleton, “Where the Strategic Manager Begins:
Taking Stock,” pp. 13-30.
The Need for Research in
2
Daymon & Holloway, “The Nature and Usefulness of Qualitative
PRA
Research for Public Relations and Marketing Communications,”
pp. 3-17.
The Role of Theory in
Weintraub & Pinkleton, “Elements of the Campaign Recipe” and
3
Strategic Planning
“What Theory Is and Why It Is Useful” pp. 31-52, 271-296.
Weintraub & Pinkleton, “Determining Research Needs:
Developing the Research Plan,” pp. 53-75.
4
Research Design
Daymon & Holloway, “Selecting a Topic and Relating to Your
Supervisor,” pp. 18-38.
Weintraub & Pinkleton, “Research Decisions and Data
Data Sources and
Collection,” pp. 77-96.
5
Literature Review
Daymon & Holloway, “Reviewing the Literature and Writing the
Research Proposal,” pp. 39-55.
Daymon & Holloway, “Choosing Between Different Types of
6
Case Studies
Research” and “Case Studies,” pp. 99-113, 114-129.
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Daymon & Holloway, “Grounded Theory” and “Ethnography,”
pp. 130-144, 145-164.
Daymon & Holloway, “Discourse Analysis and Critical Discourse
Discourse Analysis,
Analysis,” “Phenomenology” and “Additional Approaches:
Phenomenology,
Historical Research and Action Research,” pp. 164-179, 180-188,
Historical Research
189-206.
Weintraub & Pinkleton, “Making Research Decisions: Sampling,”
Sampling
pp. 97-124.
Daymon & Holloway, “Sampling,” pp. 209-219.
Weintraub & Pinkleton, “Making Research Decisions: Informal
Data Collection: Media
Research Methods,” pp.125-146.
Files and Interviews
Daymon & Holloway, “Interviews” and “Written, Visual and
Multi-Media Materials,” pp. 220-240, 276-297.
Weintraub & Pinkleton, “Making Research Decisions: The Focus
Data Collection: Focus
Group,” pp. 147-163.
Groups and Observation
Daymon & Holloway, “Focus Groups” and “Observation,” pp.
241-257, 258-275.
Weintraub & Pinkleton, “Making Research Decisions: Survey
Survey and Questionnaire
Research” and “Making Research Decisions: Questionnaire
Design
Design,” pp. 191-216, 217-250.
Weintraub & Pinkleton, “Collecting, Analyzing, and Reporting
Organizing, Analyzing and Quantitative Data,” pp. 251-267.
Presenting Data
Daymon & Holloway, “Analysing and Interpreting the Data” and
“Writing the Report,” pp. 301-324, 325-346.
Grounded Theory and
Ethnography
Class Presentations
2
SOURCES
Course Book
Erica Weintraub Austin and Bruce E. Pinkleton, 2008, Strategic Public Relations
Management: Planning and Managing Effective Communication Programs, Second
Edition, Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Other Sources
Christine Daymon and Immy Holloway, 2011, Qualitative Research Methods in Public
Relations and Marketing Communications, Second Edition, New York, NY: Routledge.
EVALUATION SYSTEM
QUANTITY
Assignment
Paper/Project
Presentation
Participation
Quiz
Mid-terms
Final Examination
CONTRIBUTION OF IN-TERM STUDIES TO OVERALL GRADE
CONTRIBUTION OF FINAL EXAMINATION TO OVERALL
GRADE
TOTAL
Course Category
Core Courses
Expertise/Field Courses
Supplementary Courses
Courses on Communication and Management Skills
Transferable Skills Courses
5
1
1
1
PERCENTAGE
OF GRADE
25
30
10
35
65
35
100
X
CORRELATION BETWEEN COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES AND PROGRAM
COMPETENCIES
Level of
Contribution*
No Program Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
A basic knowledge of the theoretical approaches and concepts, research
1 methods and tools relevant to the field of public relations and advertising

(PRA)
An understanding of the different ways in which the field of PRA has
2

evolved in time in different local, national and global contexts
3
4
5
An ability to follow the developments in the theory and practice of PRA
worldwide
An advanced knowledge of how to design and develop strategic goals and
objectives for a PRA program or campaign
An ability to apply appropriate theories and methodologies to collect,
analyze and interpret data in order to examine research questions and to
develop knowledge in the field of PRA



3
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
An understanding of ethical standards within the field of PRA, and of how
to develop, articulate, and critically reflect on these ethical standards

An ability to apply ethical standards in the PRA practices, and in the
treatment of participants in research studies
The skills necessary to communicate with both academic and nonacademic, and domestic and foreign individuals or groups involved in the
PRA studies and/or practices
A deep understanding of the interdependencies of culture and
communication in groups, organizations, and communities, and of the
importance of socio-cultural context for the PRA practices




The teamwork skills that are essential in the PRA studies and/or practices
A basic competence in taking individual responsibility or initiative and
generating creative solutions to problems that may arise in a PRA program
or campaign
An ability to use different types of software and other IT and computing
skills necessary for carrying out PRA programs or campaigns
A genuine understanding of the need to adapt to the rapidly changing
social and technological environments in which PRA studies and/or
practices take place
* 1: Very Low 2: Low 3: Moderate 4: High 5: Very High




TABLE OF ECTS / WORKLOAD
Activities
Course Duration (Including the exam week: 14 x total course
hours)
Hours for off-the-classroom study (Pre-study, practice)
Recitation
Assignment
Paper/Project
Presentation
Quiz
Mid-term
Final examination
Total Work Load
Total Work Load / 30
ECTS Credit of the Course
Quantity
Duration
(Hour)
Total
Workload
16
3
48
14
2
1
4
10
20
56
20
20
144
4,80
5
30 hours = 1 ECTS credit
4