Summary: Methodology

Read the summary and the most important questions on methodology

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• What are the key steps of scientific research?

  - Starts with an interest in or question about phenomena, situations, or behavior
  - Finds out what’s already known about the topic through a literature review
  - Provides its own attempt to describe or explain the phenomenon/situation/behavior
  - May use various types of data

• How can research questions take different forms in scientific research?

  - Research questions can be of all kinds, depending on the focus and goals of the study
  - They can vary in complexity and specificity
  - They serve as a guide for the research process

• What factors influence the choice of research methods in scientific research?

  - The choice of research methods is usually tied to the researcher’s worldview or epistemology
  - Different worldviews offer multiple ways of approaching description/explanation
  - Various types of data can be used based on the chosen worldview/epistemology

• When should we believe an explanation or description in scientific research?

  - Only if the research is reliable
  - Only if the research is valid
  - Always provisionally (a better explanation might emerge)

• What do scientists aim to achieve by having strict rules in place for academic research?

  • Guarantee the quality of academic research
  • Ensure credibility and trustworthiness of their work
  • Maintain high standards and integrity in their research

• What is the purpose of the course that serves as an introduction to the rules of academic research for scientists?

  • Familiarize students with the rules of academic research
  • Provide an introduction to quality control in research
  • Equip students with the necessary skills for rigorous scientific investigation

• How do scientists utilize theoretical insights in their research?

  • Interpret observations through theoretical insights
  • Apply theoretical frameworks to analyze data
  • Connect empirical findings to established theories

• What are the components of the Model of Human Communication by Shannon & Weaver, 1949?

  - Source: the initiator of content.
  - Message: the communication content.
  - Channel or medium: the vehicle of content.
  - Receiver(s): the recipient(s) of information.
  - Noise: disturbances in interaction.
  - Context: relationships, situation, cultural norms.

• What are some examples of angles from which to study media content?

  - Rhetoric:
  - Focuses on appeals used in advertisements to persuade consumers.
  - Includes Logos (logic), Ethos (character), and Pathos (emotion).
  - Dramatism:
  - Analyzes human communication as drama (Kenneth Burke).
  - Describes domestic setting, people, and minidrama.
  - Content analysis:
  - Quantitative method assessing media content based on counting.
  - Involves setting up categories of content and looking for explicit and observable elements.
  - Critical analysis:
  - Focuses on relationship between message source and recipient.
  - Emphasizes implicit or unsaid aspects in communication.

• How does **Critical analysis** approach studying media content?

  - Critical analysis assumes communication upholds power structures in society.
  - It emphasizes the relationship between message source and recipient, looking for implicit or unsaid elements in the communication process.