ABSTRACT

A hands-on guide for applying research methods to common problems, issues, projects, and questions that communication practitioners deal with on a regular basis, this text demonstrates the relevance of research in professional roles and communication and media careers.

The second edition features updated material that covers major communication research methods including surveys, experiments, focus groups, and observation research while also providing key background information on ethics, validity, reliability, concept explication, statistical analysis, and other current topics. It continues to foster student engagement with research through its numerous features and practical activities, including:

  • Research in Depth—examples of methods as applied in scholarly research
  • Reflect & React—problems and issues that promote reflection and discussion
  • Voices from Industry—Q&As with professionals working in communication industries
  • End-of-Unit Activities—exercises that reinforce concepts and content

The text is ideally suited to both undergraduate and graduate courses in mass communication research methods.

Online resources, including sample syllabi, PowerPoint slides, and test banks are available on the companion website: www.routledge.com/cw/boyle.

chapter unit 2|28 pages

basic concepts of research

chapter unit 3|40 pages

scholarly research and the creation of knowledge

chapter unit 4|19 pages

ethical research

chapter unit 5|21 pages

concept explication and measurement

chapter unit 6|29 pages

reliability and validity

chapter unit 7|34 pages

effective measurement

chapter unit 8|35 pages

sampling

chapter unit 9|37 pages

experiments and threats to validity

chapter unit 10|26 pages

survey research

chapter unit 11|19 pages

content analysis

chapter unit 12|30 pages

qualitative research

chapter unit 13|22 pages

approaches to qualitative analysis

chapter unit 14|28 pages

descriptive statistics

chapter unit 15|40 pages

principles of inferential statistics

chapter unit 16|29 pages

multivariate inferential statistics