Prof. Susan Moeller

Office:  Journalism Bldg 4109

301-405-2419

smoeller@jmail.umd.edu

 

JOUR 470:  Journalism & Public Communication Research

Tuesday/Thursday 12:30-1:45pm

 

 

Course Description:  This course is designed both to introduce students to research methods used by journalists and media analysts and to teach students how to prepare their own research reports and evaluate research reports prepared by others.  Methods investigated and employed will include interviewing, surveys/polling and focus groups as well as content and data analysis. 

 

Required Reading:

Arthur Asa Berger, Media and Communication Research Methods (NB:  there’s a useful glossary in the back of the book)

Susan Moeller, “Media Coverage of Weapons of Mass Destruction,”  CISSM, 2004.

http://www.cissm.umd.edu/documents/WMDstudy_full.pdf

and other reading online or via email attachments or handouts.

 

Course Requirements:

Class participation:  10% of grade
Midterm:  20% of grade (no final exam)
Homework:  20% of grade
In-class group presentation of project:  20% of grade 
Research paper:  30% of grade

 

Remember, whether you use primary or secondary source material, including internet web sites, classroom lectures or material from other students, that the difference between plagiarism and valid research is a citation or attribution.

 

Aug. 31:                Introduction

 

Sept. 5:                  Research from the “Inside”

Research Methods, chapts. 1, 15.

The role of ombudsmen:  Read:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/03/25/LI2005032500838.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/14/AR2006011400859.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/21/AR2006012100907.html

http://www.nytimes.com/top/opinion/thepubliceditor/index.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/27/opinion/27pubed.html

 

Sept. 7:                  Textual Analysis

Research Methods, chapts. 3, 4, 9.

 

Bring in “today’s” copies of both the New York Times and the Washington Post

 

Sept. 12:                Ideological Criticism/Analysis

Research Methods, chapt. 5.

The role of media watchdog organizations, including:

                                http://www.fair.org/index.php

                                http://www.aim.org/

http://www.camera.org/

 

Sept. 14:                Psychoanalytic Criticism/Analysis

Research Methods, chapt. 6.

Take these tests:

http://implicit.harvard.edu

                                http://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/faq.html

Read these articles:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27067-2005Jan21.html

                                http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27050-2005Jan21.html

                                Now, take this quiz:  http://typology.people-press.org/

 

Sept. 19:                Research Methods:  Interviewing

Research Methods, chapt. 7.

 

Sept. 21:                Interviews

 

Sept. 26:                Research Methods:  Surveys and Polling

Research Methods, chapt. 12.

Understanding Polls and Surveys:

Skim the three “How We Poll” links:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/polls/polls.htm

Read all the “Evaluating Polls” page: (you will have to answer 2 questions before you are directed to the page)

http://www.edsource.org/pub_edfct_polls.cfm

 

Look at the polls mentioned on the home page:

http://www.galluppoll.com/

Skim the latest studies:

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/opinion/polls/main500160.shtml

 

Evaluate this article…and this study:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14546994/print/1/displaymode/1098/

 

Sept. 28:                Surveys:  split class

 

Oct. 3:                    Research Methods:  Focus Groups

Research Methods, chapt. 10.

Read these articles:

http://www.soc.surrey.ac.uk/sru/SRU19.html

http://www.managementhelp.org/evaluatn/focusgrp.htm

http://www.pollingreport.com/focus.htm

http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/arp/focus.html

 

Oct. 5:                    Focus Group:  split class

 

Oct. 10:                 Research Methods:  Content Analysis

Research Methods, chapt. 11.

Read this study, with especial attention to the section with charts:

http://www.cissm.umd.edu/documents/WMDstudy_full.pdf

Read these articles:

http://www.journalism.org/node/445

http://academic.csuohio.edu/kneuendorf/content/resources/flowc.htm

http://maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu/socio/kuechler/341/f95/caho.html

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/mmethods/research/software/caqdas_primer.html

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/mmethods/research/case_studies/hohmann/Frames_and_CAQDAS.pdf

 

Sample studies:

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/mmethods/research/case_studies/blix/index.html

http://excellent.com.utk.edu/~mmmiller/genome.txt

http://www.kff.org/entmedia/20030204a-index.cfm

 

Oct. 12:                 Content Analysis

 

Oct. 17:                 Data Analysis/Quantitative Methods

Research Methods, chapts. 13, 14.

Read this article:

http://my.execpc.com/~helberg/pitfalls/

 

And a recommended site to access valuable online tools:

http://www.ssdan.net/kidscount/index.shtml

 

Oct. 19:                 In-class Midterm

 

Oct. 24:                  Formulation of Research Questions

Research Methods, chapts. 8, 16.

 

Oct. 26:                 Creation of Research Proposal

 

Oct. 31:                 Class research projects—in-class study

Nov. 2:                    Class research projects—in-class study

Nov. 7:                    Class research projects—in-class study

Nov. 9:                    Class research projects—in-class study

Nov. 14:                 Class research projects—in-class study

Nov. 16:                 Class research projects—in-class study

Nov. 21:                 Class research projects—in-class study

Nov. 28:                 Class research projects—in-class study

 

Nov. 30:                 Group Presentations (2 groups)

Dec. 5:                   Group Presentations (2 groups)

 

Dec. 7:                   Class Summary

 

Dec. 12:                 Class Summary

Research/analytical Paper Due