NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY
Media Research
Instructor's information
Name: Dr. Felisa B. Kaplan
Office location: 16 W61st St, room Room 1018
Telephone: 212-261-1776
E-mail: fkaplan@nyit.edu
Website: nyitonline.nyit.edu
Office hours:M-Th 1- 2 PM
Course information
Term and date: Fall 2014
Course number and section: COMM620-F01
Credits: 3
Meeting times: Flexible, online
Building and room number: Online
Required texts:
Mass Media Research: An Introduction, 9th Edition (or any late edition)
Roger D. Wimmer | Joseph R. Dominick
ISBN: 9781439082744
Cengage
American Psychological Association (APA) Publication Manual
ISBN 978-1-4338-0561-5
Publication date: July 2011 (or any late edition)
Edition: Soft cover
Materials and supplies:
This is an online course.
Students must log on to online.nyit.edu and change their email address to the address of their choice. Students must
check the website regularly for assignments and announcements. All assignments are submitted, corrected and
graded online.
Course description from catalog:
This course is designed to familiarize the student with the basic research techniques
(quantitative, qualitative, background research) for creative projects, professional proposals,
content analysis, opinion and audience research used in the Communication Arts, including:
Public Information, Advertising, Marketing Communications, Television, Film, Computer
Graphics and writing for the media. It introduces the students to the professional literature of
their fields of specialization, provides skills necessary to read and interpret the literature and
tools to obtain and analyze data. The culminating project is a paper based on content analysis
of a medium where these skills are demonstrated.
Course goals and introduction
The goal of this course is to introduce students to the vocabulary used in research in
the Communications and Media fields, and to promote a systematic analysis and
critique of communications media. Students will understand the differences between
academic and professional research and publications, will be able to prescribe
research methods for appropriate professional needs, and will view the media in a
more critical and systematic way.
Learning outcomes and instruments of assessment
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
· Identify qualitative and quantitative modes of inquiry.
· Prescribe a mode of inquiry for a given research problem.
· Describe and compare at least 4 professional journals in his/her area of interest.
· Present data using graphs..
· Develop a questionnaire that includes items designed to arrive at a profile of the
population including a Likert-type scale and a demographic section.
· Abstract articles from the professional literature.
· Prescribe appropriate sources of professional literature for a given research problem.
· Conduct content analysis of media.
· Present information in the prescribed format (APA).
·
Recognize the impact of the global interconnectedness of issues, processes, trends,
and systems on their academic specializations and worldviews.
·
Practice well-researched oral, written, visual, and digital communication in its diverse
cross-cultural forms.
·
Describe a complex global issue from multiple cultural perspectives and explain how
those perspectives affect the treatment of the issue.
·
Employ effective and appropriate interaction and teamwork with people of different
nationalities and cultures,demonstrating respect for social, cultural, and linguistic
diversity.
Methods of assessment will include:
1. Individual paper 1: Journal classifications.
2. Individual paper 2: Identification of research methods
3. Survey development: Team project.
4. Content analysis: Team project
5. Class participation, preparation, and submitting materials by the deadline.
Grading formula
Each individual paper counts for 25% of the final grade. Team papers count 20% each
and class participation as reflected in participation in group discussions, timely
submission of required materials, evidence of readings and participation in team
projects, an additional 10%. Any one paper can be re-submitted with instructor's
approval to have a grade changed. Unexcused late assignments will receive an "F"
grade for that assignment. Students are encouraged to use their own words, refraining
from "copy and paste" or extensive use of quotations.
Description of assignments
1.
Describe 4 journals (2 Scholarly/Academic and 2 Trade/Professional) in your
area of interest and summarize briefly 1 article out of each journal. Pay special
attention to the APA style, including cover page, abstract and alphabetical list
of references. Journals must be current - within the last 6 months. The journal
description should include: type of journal (academic/scholarly or
trade/professional), publisher and target audience.
2. Individual assignment:
Find examples and describe 4 modes of research presented in class in the
professional literature. Summarize the article, paying special attention to the
method section. Indicate what mode was used, and provide a definition of the
mode from any book or text (provide reference). Dictionaries and
encyclopedias may not be used as reference.
3. Team assignment:
Develop a questionnaire that includes demographic items to arrive at a profile
of the population as well as a Likert-type attitude or opinion scale.
Team assignment:
Conduct content analysis in any medium. Indicate criteria used (parameters
and observers matrix), present results and indicate the role of each
participant.
5. Class participation reflecting reading and application of assigned material is
important as is submitting drafts and papers on time.
4.
Policy for make-up exams and missed or late assignments
Assignments have advance notice and are submitted via the Blackboard drop box or in
some cases via email. Assignments submitted late without prior approval will result in
lower class participation grade.
Attendance policy:
This is an online class. The Blackboard website records log ins and
you must log in at least 3 times a week. All course-related
communication between students and with the instructor must
occur through the Blackboard website in order to receive
attendance and class participation credit.
Withdrawal policy
A student may withdraw from a course without penalty through the end of the 8th week of class during a 14- or 15week semester and through the 8th meeting during an 8week course cycle. After this, the student must be doing
passing work in order to receive a W grade. Students who are not passing after the 8th week or equivalent will be
assigned the grade of WF.
It is the student's responsibility to inform the instructor of his/her intention to withdraw from a course. If a student
has stopped attending class without completing all assignments and/or examinations, failing grades for the missing
work may be factored into the final grade calculation and the instructor for the course may assign the grade of WF.
The grade of F is used for students who have completed the course but whose quality of work is below the standard
for passing.
Withdrawal forms are available in departmental offices and once completed must be filed
with the registrar. Students should be reminded that a W notation could negatively impact
their eligibility for financial aid and/or V.A. benefits, as it may change the student's
enrollment status (full-time, part-time, less than part-time). International students may
also jeopardize their visa status if they fail to maintain full-time status.
Academic integrity and plagiarism policies
Each student enrolled in a course at NYIT agrees that, by taking such course, he or
she consents to the submission of all required papers for textual similarity review to
any commercial service engaged by NYIT to detect plagiarism. Each student also
agrees that all papers submitted to any such service may be included as source
documents in the service's database, solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of
such papers.
Plagiarism is the appropriation of all or part of someone else's works (such as but not
limited to writing, coding, programs, images, etc.) and offering it as one's own.
Cheating is using false pretenses, tricks, devices, artifices or deception to obtain
credit on an examination or in a college course. If a faculty member determines that
a student has committed academic dishonesty by plagiarism, cheating or in any other
manner, the faculty has the academic right to 1) fail the student for the paper,
assignment, project and/or exam, and/or 2) fail the student for the course and/or 3)
bring the student up on disciplinary charges, pursuant to Article VI, Academic Conduct
Proceedings, of the Student Code of Conduct.
Library Resources
All students can access the NYIT virtual library from both on and off campus
at www.nyit.edu/library. The same login you use to access NYIT e-mail and NYITConnect will
also give you access to the library's resources from off campus.
On the left side of the library's home page, you will find the " Library Catalog" and the "Find
Journals" sections. In the middle of the home page you will find " Research Guides;" select
"Video Tutorials" to find information on using the library's resources and doing research.
Should you have any questions, please look under "Library Services" to submit a web-based
"Ask-A-Librarian" form.
Support for students with disabilities
NYIT adheres to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and
the rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504. The Office of Disability Services actively
supports students in the pursuit of their academic and career goals. Identification of
oneself as an individual with disability is voluntary and confidential. Students wishing
to receive accommodations, referrals and other services are encouraged to contact
the Office of Disability Services as early in the semester as possible although requests
can be made throughout the academic year.
Media Research Schedule:
Week 1: Chapter 1, 2, post in documents section
of Blackboard. Discussion board: Orientation
and introductions.
Week 2: Chapters 3 and 5. Discussion board:
classifying journals.
Week 3: APA style manual. Discussion board:
Identify trade/professional journals
Week 4: Identify academic/scholarly journals.
Consult librarian online. Discussion board.
Week 5: First assignment is due. Discussion
board: Identify research methods.
Week 6: Discussion board: Research methods
assignment. Chapters 5, 6, 7
Week 7: Second assignment is due. Discussion
board: Survey topic by groups
Week 8: Group discussion boards, course
discussion board: Questionnaire development
section.
Submit: Goal
10 sub goals
Review of the literature (one paragraph with 2
or 3 citations relevant to your topic)
Description of the population (who will answer)
Data gathering (how the questionnaire will be
distributed).
Week 9: Discussion boards: Attitude statements,
cover goal.
Week 10: Assignment 3 due. Discussion boards:
Content analysis example, topic due.
Week 11: Discussion board: Review of the
literature.
Week 12: Discussion board: Content analysis
first draft.
Week 13: Discussion board: Second draft.
Week 14: Discussion board individual
conclusions, discussion board critiquing
research results.
Week 15: Content analysis paper due.