Dr. Lynne Kelly
Harry Gray Center E216
Office Hours: T 10:00-11:30, R 1:30-3 & by appt.
768-4647 or 4633
Email: kelly@mail.hartford.edu
How often do you pick up the newspaper or turn
on the TV and learn about some new study that links eating a high-fiber
diet to reduced risk of cancer, or having a drink of alcohol each day to
lower cholesterol? How many times have you seen a survey in a popular
magazine about dating habits or sexual practices or friendships?
As a student or as an employee of a company, have you ever been asked to
complete a questionnaire or participate in an experiment? Every day
of the year, people are conducting research, some of which you hear about
in the popular media. Some of this research affects your life in
direct ways, such as when the FDA allows a pharmaceutical company to release
a new drug or pulls frozen spinach off the supermarket shelves because
samples contained maggots (I didn't make this up!). Sometimes you
make life choices--to use condoms, to stop smoking, to take vitamin C,
to use some sure-fire "pick up" line--because you were influenced by some
new study you heard about.
Do you know what's behind the findings that appear in the news?
How carefully were these studies designed and conducted? Were the
samples large enough to have confidence in the conclusions? In CMM
311 you'll learn enough about the research process to be able to ask critical
questions about studies and to be able to conduct your own research.
Specifically, this course is designed to familiarize you with various research
methods useful for the study of human communication and with the process
of designing and conducting research. Also we will examine issues
and problems that confront the communication researcher.
The course will be conducted through lecture,
discussion, and participation in research activities. Your participation
in class is expected. In order for you to participate effectively
in class, it is important that you do the readings. You also need to bring
your workbook to class every day. I will distribute these in a few
days. You will be assigned to a "learning group" which will meet regularly
to assist you in learning course material.
OBJECTIVES:
1. To familiarize you with various research methodologies and the assumptions,
advantages, and limitations of each.
2. To familiarize you with the steps in conducting research.
3. To stimulate your thinking about philosophical and ethical issues
and problems that confront communication researchers.
4. To teach you the process of research report writing.
5. To help you become a more critical reader of research.
6. To familiarize you with the major communication journals and how
to use them.
TEXT:
Babbie, E. (1998). The practice of social research (8th ed.).
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Rubin, R.B., Rubin, A.M., & Piele, L.J. (1996). Communication
research: Strategies
and sources (4th ed.). Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth.
REQUIREMENTS:
1. Quizzes. There will be regular quizzes on the reading and
lecture material. Dates are indicated on the attached schedule of
classes.
2. Exams. There will be two exams on the dates indicated on the
attached schedule of classes.
3. Learning Group and Journal. You will be assigned to
a group for the semester. The primary purpose of the group is to
help each member learn and understand course material. Consider it
a study group of sorts except you will meet every week, not just to prepare
for exams. Each week that your group meets, you need to select a
person to take notes on what happens in the group. I'll collect the
notes on Fridays and return them on Mondays. Details will be presented
in class.
4. Short Papers. You will write 3 short papers, ranging from
3 to 6 typed pages. These papers are designed to develop your understanding
of course concepts. Details of these assignments will be presented
in class.
5. Final Paper. You will prepare a final paper of about 5-7 typed
pages. Details of this assignment will be presented in
class.
6. Other Work. You will be given some short assignments from
your workbook. The purpose of these assignments is to help you better
understand course material.
COURSE POLICIES:
1. There are no make-up quizzes. I will drop your lowest quiz
grade so if you miss a quiz, that will be the one grade I drop.
2. Due dates: Papers must be handed in on time. For each
day that a paper is late, your grade will be lowered 1 letter grade.
3. There will be no make-up times for the exams except in the rare
case of serious illness or accident. Exams must be taken at the scheduled
time.
4. Please proofread your papers. When I correct errors in one
paper, I expect that your next paper will not have the same errors.
There is a writing lab available in Auerbach if you need help with your
writing.
5. All assignments must be completed to receive a passing grade in
the course.
6. Instructions for assignments must be followed. Failure to
do so will result in an "F" on that assignment.
GRADING:
Quizzes . . . . . . . . . . .15%
Short papers. . . . . . . . 30%
Final Paper . . . . . . . . 20%
Exams . . . . . . . . . . . . 25%
Learning Journal . . . . .10%
Other work. . . . . . . . . 5%
TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE:
W 9/1 Introduction to the course; what
is research?
Assignment: Read B Ch. 1; find a newspaper or magazine article that
describes a study, read it, and bring it to class on Friday.
F 9/3 The nature of social
scientific inquiry; relationship of theory and research;
formation of learning groups.
Assignment: Read article distributed in class and write answers to
the
questions; read B Ch. 2, RR&P Ch. 1.
DUE: Bring in article from newpaper or magazine.
W 9/8 Discuss answers
to questions about the article; continue the relationship of
theory and research; the nature of communication research.
Assignment: Read B Ch. 3 and pp. 74-75 in workbook
DUE: Written answers to questions about article
F 9/10 Discuss "In Defense
of Reason"; the nature of causation.
Assignment: ; do assignment on p. 1 of workbook.
DUE: Learning Journal #1
M 9/13 Quiz #1; the nature of causation
continued.
Assignment: Read B Ch. 4
W 9/15 The research process; assign paper #1.
Assignment: Read RR&P Ch. 2 & 3.
F 9/17 The research process continued; the literature
search.
Assignment: Read RR&P Ch. 4
Due: Workbook p.1; Learning Journal #2.
M 9/20 Electronic data bases and the Internet.
Assignment: Read B Ch. 5 & workbook pp. 70-71
W 9/22 Conceptualization; workbook activity.
Assignment: Read RR&P Ch. 5 & 6
Due: Paper #1.
F 9/24 Class meets in Hillyer 251
DUE: Learning Journal #3.
M 9/27 Reliability and validity; workbook activity.
Assignment: Read B Ch. 6; do workbook assignment on p. 3.
W 9/29 Quiz #2; Operationalization; go over
workbook assignment.
Assignment: Read B. Ch 7 & RR&P Ch. 7
DUE: Workbook p. 3 assignment.
F 10/1 Operationalization continued; types of
scales
DUE: Learning Journal #4.
M 10/4 Meet with learning groups.
Assignment: Read B Ch. 8 (pp. 191-219)
W 10/6 Sampling; workbook activity on p. 5.
Assignment: Read RR&P Ch. 8 & p. 73 in workbook
F 10/8 Fall Break: No Class
M 10/11 Quiz #3; sampling continued.
Assignment: Read B Ch 9.
W 10/13 Modes of observation: experimental research.
Assignment: Read RR&P Ch. 9
F 10/15 Finish experiments; assign paper #2.
Assignment: Read B Ch.10 & RR&P Ch. 10
DUE: Learning Journal #5.
M 10/18 Modes of observation: survey research.
Assignment: Read workbook pp. 22-27.
W 10/20 Finish survey research; topics as needed.
F 10/22 Midterm
Assignment: Read B. Ch. 11 & RR&P Ch. 11
M 10/25 Modes of observation: field research.
Assignment: Read RR&P Ch 12
W 10/27 Field research continued.
DUE: Paper #2
F 10/29 Topics as needed; meet with learning
groups.
Assignment: Read B. Ch. 12
DUE: Learning Journal #6.
M 11/1 Modes of observation: Unobtrusive research.
Assignment: Read workbook pp. 17-21.
W 11/3 Quiz #4; unobtrusive research continued;
assign paper #3.
Assignment: Read B Ch. 13
F 11/5 No Class--NCA convention
M 11/8 Modes of observation: Evaluation research.
W 11/10 Evaluation research continued.
F 11/12 Topics as needed.
Assignment: Read B. Ch. 14
DUE: Learning Journal #7.
M 11/15 Introduction to data analysis.
DUE: Paper #3
W 11/17 Statistics; assign final paper.
Assignment: Read B Ch. 15
F 11/19 Statistics continued.
Assignment: Read workbook p. 69; do statistics homework problem.
DUE: Learning Journal #8.
M 11/22 Quiz #5; statistics continued.
No learning journal due this week.
Thanksgiving Break!!
M 11/29 Statistics continued.
Assignment: Read B Ch. 17.
W 12/1 Applying what you've learned: reading research articles.
F 12/3 Applying what you've learned: reading
research articles; review for exam.
DUE: Learning Journal #9.
M 12/6 Exam #2.
W 12/8 Work on final paper.
F 12/10 Work on final paper.
M 12/13 Discussion of final paper; summary
and course evaluation.
DUE: Final paper.