Straight Talk About Communication Research Methods

488 Pages·2017·84.563 MB·English

by  Christine S Davis, Kenneth A Lachlan

Third Edition
Straight Talk about
RESEARCH METHODS
Christine S.Davis
Kenneth A. Lachlan with
contributor Robert Westerfelhaus
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Published in the Unit ed States of America
•
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BRIEF CONTENTS
PART I-Introduction to Communication Research 1
Cl1apter 1- What Is Co11unu1ucatio11R esearcl1? 3
Cl1apter 2- Metatheoretical Considerations, Researc l1 Perspectives ,
and Research Paradig,ns 27
Cl1apter 3- Discover it1g \Nhat 's Already Known: Library R esearcl1 45
Cl1apter 4 Writing a Literature Review 65
PART 2-Preparing to Conduct Research 89
Cl1apter 5- Research Questions, Objectives, a11dH ypotheses 91
Cl1apter 6- Understa 11ding Research Ethics 107
Chapter 7- Understa11ding Variables 123
Chapter 8- Understai1ding San1pling 145
Cl1apter 9- Ensuru1g Validity, Reliability, ai1d Credibility 163
PART 3-Research Under the Quantitative Paradigm 185
Cl1apter 10- Survey Researcl1 187
Chapter 11- Quantitative A.i1aJysiso f Text a11d Words: Content and Interaction Analysis 221
Cl1apter 12- Exper.iments 239
Cl1apter 13- Writing,AnaJyzing, and Critiquu1g Qumtitative Research 255
PART 4 Research Under the Qualitative Paradigm 305
Cl1apter 14 Ii1troduction to Qualitative Connnunicatio11 Researc l1 307
Chapter 15- SociaJ Scie.nce Qualitative Approacl1es to Co1nmru1ication Research 345
Cl1apter 16- SociaJ Co11structionist a11dA rts-Based Qualitative Ap1Jroaches to
Corm11unicat io11R esearc l1 389
Cl1apter 17- RbetoricaJ Approac l1es to Communication Research 419
iii
IV CoMMUNIC/t170N R.ESEAltCH METHO DS
Appendices 435
Appendix A- Writu1g Resear ch Pr oposals 4 3 7
Appendix B- Sa111lpe Infor1ned Conse nt Forn1 439
Appendix C- How Your Obj ective, Resea rch Question, and/or Hypothesis Relates
to Your M etl1odo l.ogy 441
Appendix D- Statistics D ecisi0. 11C hart 44 3
Appendix E- Sty le Manual Sumn1ary (APA, ML A, Chicago) 445
Index 447
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CONTENTS
.
Preface
XX I
..
Acknowledgn1ents
XXVll
.
About the Authors
XXlX
PART 1: INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION RESEARCH 1
Chapter 1: What Is Communication Research? 3
Chapter Outlin e 3
Key Terms 3
Cl1apter Objectives 4
What Will You Do with the Infonnatio11 You Learn in clus Course? 4
What Is Researcl1? 5
Researcl1 5
Co1ru11unicatio1a1s Social Research 6
Co1ru11U11icatioans I-Im11anitiesR esearcl1 6
Co1ru11unicatio1a1s Crjtical or Cultural Researcl1 7
How Is Researcl1 Knowledg e Distributed? 7
Acad e1nic Publishing 7
Social Dialogue a11dP ublic Policy 7
Con11nunjcation u1 the Popttlar Press 8
·we
How Do Know What We Kno,v? 9
W11ere Do es Kl1owledge Come From? 9
Experience 10
Tenacity 10
At1thority 11
TI·aditio11sC, ustoms, and Faith 12
Magic, Superstition, a11d/orM ysticis1n 13
Inuiition or Hunche s 13
A Priori Reasoni11g 13
What's Wro11gw itl1 Everyday Ways of Knowu1g? 14
AccUI·acy 14
Overge11eralizatio11 14
V
VI T CoMMUNIC/t770N R.£IEA!tCH METffO() I
Cogrutive Conservatis1n 14
Co11u·adictoryK nowledge 14
Scie11tificR easoning 15
Wl1at Do Communication Researchers Do ? 16
Wl1at Specific Areas Do Communication Researcl1ers Study? 16
Scholarly Researcl1 16
Applied Research 17
Nothing as Pra ctical as a Good Theory 18
\\ That Are Some Examples of Communicatio .n Research? 18
W11ere Do Commmucation Researchers Study? 18
In Busi11esses and Organi zations 19
In Media 19
In Heal th Care 20
In Interpersona l Interactio11s 21
So What? 22
Glossary 22
Refere11ces 23
Chapter 2: Metatheoretical Considerations, Research Perspectives,
and Research Paradigms 2 7
Chapter Outlit1e 27
Key Terms 27
Chapter Objectives 2 8
What Are tl1e Goals and Metl1ods of Conununication Scholars
and Everyday Observers? 28
M etatheor etical Co11sideratio11s 28
011tology 29
Epistemology 29
Axiology 30
Research Perspectives and Paradigms 30
Posi tivis1n 31
Interpretivis1n 32
Critical Perspective 33
Types of Researcl1 36
Propri etary Research 36
Scholarly Researcl1 36
Cl1a.racetristicc;o f Scholarly Researcl1 36
Two Logical Systen1s 37
L1ductive Model 3 7
D eductive Model 38
Mod el of Deduction/Indt1ctio11 39
Qualitative and Quantitative Researcl1 39
Qualitati ve Researcl1 39
Quantitative Researcl1 40
So vVhat? 42
CoNTENTI -Y VII
Glossary 42
References 43
Chapter 3: Discovering What's Already Known: Library
Research 45
Cl1apter Outlii1e 45
Key Tern1s 45
Chapter Obj ectives 45
'What Are tJ1e Purpo ses of Library Researc h? 46
Types of Researc h 46
Pri 111aryR esearch 47
Secondary Research 47
Pl1ases of Research 48
Usii1g Library Research to Corne Up \\ritl1Y our Research Questio11 49
Research Sources 50
Sd1olarJy Journal s 51
H ow Do You Access Scl1olarly Journal s? 54
Findi11g Researc h Sources Usi 11g Search Strategies 55
Evaluatit1g Research Sources 5 5
H ow to Read a) ournalArticle 58
Taki11g No tes on Researcl1 6 1
So What ? 63
G lossary 63
Refere 11ces 63
Chapter 4: Writing a Literature Review 65
Cl1apter Outlii1e 65
Key Terms 65
Cl1apter Objective s 65
What 's tl1e Purpo se of a Literatu re Review? 66
What Is a Literature Review? 67
Ai1notated Bibliograp hy versus Syi1thesis of the Literature 67
Or ganizii1g the Li terature Review 71
Citatio11s 72
Avoidu1g Plagiarisn1 72
Writing Styles 74
Amer ican Psycl1ological A<;sociatio11(A PA) Style
(6th editio11, 2nd printin g) 75
Body of the Paper 7 5
Reference List 80
In -Text Citat ions 83
Moder n Language Associatio n (MLA) Style (8tl1 editio11) 84
Chicago Style (16th edition) 85
Commo n Gra111111atilc Ea rrors 86
So What ? 87
VIII 'Y CoMMUNICA170N R.E.fEARCH METHOt>I
Glossary 88
References 88
PART 2: PREPARING TO CONDUCT RESEARCH 89
Chapter 5: Research Questions , Objectives ,
and Hypotheses 91
Chapter Outlu1e 91
Key Terms 9 1
Cl1apter Obj ectives 91
I-low Do You Desig11G ood Quality Researcl1 tl1rough Appropriate
Questio11sa nd Hypotheses? 92
W11atA re cl1eF m1ctions of'rl1eory, Researcl1 Objectives, Research
Questions, and Hypoth eses? 92
W11atA re Research Objectives? 93
How Do You Ask Researcl1 Qu estio11s? 95
Types of Research Qu estions about CoID111unication 96
Questions of Definition 96
Question-; of Fact 97
·w11at Are Researcl1 Hypocl1eses? 98
N ull Hypotheses 99
Forn1s of Relationships in Hypoth eses 100
Dir ectional a11dN ondirectionaJ Hypotheses 102
How Do You Set Up Good Researcl1 Questions? 102
Co11ceptualD efinitions 103
Operational D efmitions 103
What Are tl1e Boru1daries of Researcl1 Questio11s
a11dH ypothes es? 104
How Is Metatheory Related to Research Questions
and Hypot heses? 105
So What? 105
Glossary 10 5
Refere11ces l 06
Chapter 6: Understanding Research Ethics 107
Chapter Outlu1e 107
Key Terms l O7
Chapter Objectives 107
W11yD o vVe Care about Human Subjects Pr otectio 11? 108
How Do We Follow Researcl1 Etliics ai1dE tlucal Guidelines? 110
Respect for Perso11s and Inforn1ed Consent 110
No11IDalefice11caen d Benefice11ec 113
Justice 115
Ii1cluding Participants ii1 Co-Constructed Researcl1 116
Ethjcs in Reportin g Fi11dings 117
W110 Oversees Reseai·ch Ethics? I11stitut ional Review Boards (IRBs) 118
Ho "v Do We Maintain Ethics tlirough all Researcl1 Pha ses? 118
So What ? 119
UJHTENTI 'f' IX
Glossary 120
References 121
Chapter 7: Understanding Variables 123
Chapter Outlit1e 12 3
Key Terms 124
Cl1apter Obj ectives 124
What Is tl1e Functio11o fVariables in Co1nmuni:cation Research? 124
·What Is a Variable? 124
Revisiting Co11ceptuala nd Operatio11alD efinitio11s 125
Co11ceptual Definitions 125
Operational Definitions 125
Measured Operational D efinitions 12 5
Experiin ental Operationa l Defii1itio11s 126
Operatio 11alizi11g: Matclling Your Variables to Your Study 126
Conceptua l Fit 126
Measl1ring Variables 127
Self-Report 27
Social Desirability Bias in Self-Report data 127
Other Report 128
Lin1itatio1s1 u1 Otl1er Report s 128
Observing Bel1avior 128
Hawtl1orne Effect Bias in Observing Behaviors 128
Triangulation 129
Measurement 129
No 1ninal Level Measurement 129
Ordii1al Level Measurement 130
I11terval L evel Measw·eme11t 130
Likert Scale 132
Se1nantic Differe11tialS cale 133
Ratio Level i\1easuren1e11t 134
Types ofVariables 134
Indepe ndent Variables 135
Depe11dent Variables 135
Examples of h1dependent and Depe11dentV ariables 13 5
Extra11eous Variables 136
Confoundii1g Variables 136
Mediatin g Variables 138
Moderating Variables 138
Th e Different Types of Relatio11ships between ·variables 139
Reversible and Irr eversible Relatio11hsips 139
D eter 1n inistic and Stochastic Relatio11ships 139
Sequential and Coextensive Relationslups 140
Sufficie11ta nd Contii1gent Relationship s 140
Necessary and Substitutable Relation ships 140
Tl1e Dm1ensions ofVariab les 140
U 11-idinen1sional Co11cepts 141
Multidi:n1ensional Concepts 141
X 'Y CoMMUNICATION R..£.rEAR.CHM ETHODS
So What? 141
Glossary 141
Refere11ces 142
Chapter 8: Understanding Sampling 145
Cl1apter Outlii1e 145
Key Terms 145
Chapt er Objectives 146
How Lnportant Is Sampling? 146
San1pfu1gTheory 146
Ge11eralizability and Representation 146
Sampling Frame 148
Unit of A.i1alysiso r Sampling Units 148
Sa1nplit1gi i1 Qua11titative Research 149
Sampling Methods 149
Rand o1n Sa1npli11g 149
Sin1ple Randotn Sa1nple 149
Systen1atic Rando1n Sai11ple 149
Stratified Sample 150
Proportional Stratified Sample 150
Cluster Samplmg 151
Nonrai1dom Sampling 151
Co11venience Samp le 151
Volunteer Sample l 52
S11owball Sainpli11g 152
Network Srunplir1g 152
Adva11tagesa nd Disadvantages 153
Response Rate and Refusal Rate 153
Sainple Size and Power 154
Sampli1ig m Qualitative Researcl1 157
San1pling Methods 157
Pl1rposiv e Sa 1npling 15 8
Quota Sa1n1)lmg 158
Maximum Variation Samplmg 159
Tl1eoretical Construct Sampli11g 159
Typical ai1d Extreme Lista11ceS amplmg 159
Sa111lpe Size and Data Saturation 160
So vVha t? 160
Glossary 160
References 161
Chapter 9: Ensuring Validity, Reliability, and Credibility 163
Cl1apter Outlii1e 163
Key Terms 16 3
Cl1apter Objectives 164
Tl1mking about the Quality of Your Observatio .ns 164
W11at Is Reliable? What Is Valid? What Is Credible? 164
Reliability 165