Learning outcomes

At the conclusion of this course, students will have achieved the following learning outcomes:
• Learn about research design and the steps required to conduct a scientific study from developing an idea to writing the results
• Understand the causes of error, especially types of validity and threats to validity
• Learn what to consider when choosing the case or cases to investigate, and understanding the concept of “the unit of analysis”
• Understand types of sampling, the strengths and weaknesses of each type, issues related to sample size, and learn how to draw a sample.
• Learn how to construct an instrument, including what to avoid (characteristic problems like double-barrelled and loaded questions), the importance of how the items are ordered, types of scales for measurement, and kinds of items, and the importance of pre-testing the instrument

Contents

Course description
The course offers insights to planning a research design from quantitative and qualitative perspectives. Different frameworks for a study are covered including, for example, types of investigation and analysis. Moreover, issues on validity are discussed.

(Offered in period III or IV in the first year of studies; required of all students in the Media Education and the Media Management programmes within the School of Communication, Media & Theatre)

This course introduces master’s degree students to principles of essential importance for designing a research project. This is obviously of crucial importance in doing the M.A. thesis. The course is part one of a two-part package that continues with a stronger emphasis on practice. In this first part students will learn the basic knowledge and requirements to plan and manage the thesis project in four aspects of universal importance and need: 1) the process and general design considerations, 2) how to avoid errors that would invalidate the study, how to choose cases and samples for collecting data, and how to construct the instrument that is used for collection.

Teaching methods

Teaching method	Contact	Online
Lectures	15 h	0 h
Independent work	120 h	0 h

Evaluation and evaluation criteria

Numeric 1-5.
Class attendance is required. Students will be required to report on the assigned readings and must produce a methodological essay to conclude the course. The essay is evaluated by the student’s own supervisor (i.e. Prof. Lowe for students in the Media Management programme and Prof. Kotilainen for students in the Media Education programme). The essay will require analysing an example or examples of research to assess the design elements.

Study materials

Study materials

Students will be assigned at least one book, perhaps two, that will serve as the basis for much of the lecture material. They will also be assigned select journal articles to see how the principles matter in research projects and results. The book or books will be of general research value in the social sciences, while the articles will be focused on research about media.

Further information

More detailed information will be provided in winter 2015 / 2016 before the course begins, and will be circulated among students in both programmes.

Belongs to following study modules