MMC 4420 Fall 2015 1 Mass Communication Research Methods DL Syllabus MMC 4420* Fall 2016 Professor: Dr. Berrin A. Beasley Class Meets: Online Office Hours: Online T 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Email: bbeasley@unf.edu Office Location: Online Skype: berrin.beasley Credit Hours: 3 Required Text: 1. Zhou, S. & W. D. Sloan. (2015) Research Methods in Communication, 3 rd ed. Vision Press. APA Style Manual: Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ IMPORTANT NOTE: Technology problems are not acceptable reasons for missing a deadline in this course. Students are expected to have access to a computer at all times and all technological issues must be reported to UNF s IT department immediately. I m unable to assist with technical issues, only content issues. NOTE: Use Firefox to access Blackboard. Chrome and Explorer don t interface well with Blackboard and can result in compatibility problems. Course Description: Through online meetings and activities students will examine a variety of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies that serve the media industry and scholars, so that by the end of the course students should be familiar enough with the major communication research methods to use them in the industry, in their personal lives, and for graduate school. Course Goal: Use knowledge of research methodology in the communication industry. Why is Research Important? Multimedia Journalism & Production: New polls and research findings are released daily, especially during election cycles, and reporters have to decide whether the information in them is credible enough and important enough to share with audiences. How will you make that decision without understanding the basics of what makes research findings credible? What about the political races you'll have to cover? What does it mean when a poll reports 48 percent of the U.S. is planning to vote Republican and 52 percent Democratic in the upcoming election? Is the race is too close to call? The answer is maybe, depending on the margin of error, which you ll learn about in this class.
MMC 4420 Fall 2015 2 PR & Advertising: When working in the industry you ll use research to craft persuasive campaigns. Without research, you won't be able to understand your target audience and what interests them or motivates them. Without knowing what your audience will respond to, you won't be able to create an advertising or PR campaign that effectively reaches your target demographic. Research gives you the information you need to make your campaign successful. Summary: This class will provide you the skills necessary to determine what constitutes good research and how to use research results effectively in the media industry and in your personal lives. Learning Objectives: At the successful completion of this course, students should be able to: 1. Explain how research is used in the mass communication industry. 2. Identify five major research methods used in the mass communication industry and explain the strengths and weaknesses of each. 3. Evaluate the credibility of social science research findings. Course Design: This course is divided into three sections: 1. Research Concepts: Includes chapters that address: * The scientific method * The history of research * Research ethics * Measurement techniques * Sampling techniques 2. Research Methods: Includes chapters that provide an overview of the: * Content analysis method * Survey method * Experiment method * Focus group method * Depth interview method 3. Application of Research Methods: Includes chapters that address how research is used by the: * Print industry * Broadcast industry * Advertising industry * Public relations industry
MMC 4420 Fall 2015 3 Communication Department Mission and Learning Objectives The Department of Communication at UNF has adopted the North Florida Nine as a cohesive statement of learning objectives designed to match the professional values and competencies formulated by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC). The complete list of the North Florida Nine can be seen on the department s web page. As a senior level course, this class touches on all nine learning objectives, but particularly focuses on numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8. North Florida Nine Learning Objectives 1. Communicate effectively: Communicate clearly and accurately through written, oral, and mediated forms appropriate to the study of communication and professional practice. 2. Think critically: Conduct reasoned evaluation of information to assess its relevance, accuracy, purpose, and meaning. 3. Apply theory: Apply appropriate theoretical concepts of communication in academic and professionally oriented work. 4. Conduct valid research: Apply research methods appropriate to the communication professions to address relevant communication problems. Such methods include quantitative and qualitative research applied in primary and secondary research. 5. Utilize appropriate technologies: Apply the tools and technologies of the communication professions in the creation and dissemination of messages appropriate for professional practice. 6. Value freedom of expression: Understand and apply the principles and laws of freedom of speech and press embodied in the First Amendment and describe their importance in a democracy. 7. Embrace diversity: Demonstrate an understanding of the diversity of both domestic society and the peoples and cultures of global society and of the significance and impact of mass communications in society. 8. Practice ethically: Demonstrate an understanding of professional ethical principles and the relationship between ethics and law; apply ethical principles to communication professional practice. 9. Regard history: Demonstrate understanding of the history of communication media and professions and the role of key communication professionals and institutions in shaping them. Instructor Expectations of Students: To study all assigned materials. To participate in discussions and projects. To satisfactorily complete assignments. To consult the weekly schedule for reading assignments and to have read appropriate materials.
MMC 4420 Fall 2015 4 To type all writing assignments in 12-point Times New Roman font, double-space and use 1-inch margins. Use American Psychological Association style manual 6th ed. when appropriate. Evaluation of Students Grades are determined by successful completion of the following: Getting to Know Each Other Post 10 points Chapter Reading Quizzes 160 points (16 @ 10 points each) Survey Writing Application Quiz 10 points Hypothesis Writing Application Quiz 10 points Statistics Application Quiz 10 points Discussion Boards 160 points (16 @ 10 points each) End of Term Reflection Paper 50 points Survey Method Project 50 points Focus Group Method Project 50 points 510 points total Grading Scale: Grade is determined by total number of points earned out of the total number of points possible. If you earned between 459-510 points you earned an A If you earned between 408-458 points you earned a B If you earned between 357-407 points you earned a C If you earned between 306-356 points you earned a D If you earned below 306 points you earned an F Grading: Grading criteria include not only effectiveness, purpose and impact, but also appropriate use of English grammar and composition. If you need assistance in this area, please contact a tutor available through UNF tutoring center. Please note: Any assignment seriously deficient in these basic fundamentals may receive for that reason alone a failing grade. Point Deductions for APA style, Grammar, Errors: Grades reflect a qualitative grade minus the point total for the number of errors the work contains based on the following: Spelling Errors: APA & Grammar Errors: Fact Errors: 1 point each; repeats of an error do not lose points 1 point each; repeats of an error do not lose points 5 points each (including misspelled proper nouns) Make up Policy: If you fail to complete an assignment/quiz/test/discussion board, etc., by its deadline, there are only four instances in which I allow a makeup. They are:
MMC 4420 Fall 2015 5 Death of spouse, child, parent, sibling or grandparent. (Must provide copy of obituary) Conflicting University sanctioned absence such as a baseball game, track meet, choral competition. (Must provide me a copy of the OFFICIAL schedule and notify me in writing at least ONE WEEK prior to absence.) Legal situation (jury duty, accident, etc. (provide police report or legal documentation) Illness that requires doctor's visit or hospitalization of you, your spouse, your child, your parent, your sibling or your grandparent. (Must provide doctor s note or hospital admittance and discharge forms. I do not need to know the nature of the illness.) Opportunities to make up missed assignments will be extended ONLY to students who have absences as defined above. In fairness to other students, unless you meet one of the four requirements above, please don t ask me to excuse your absence. Late Papers: Students are permitted to turn in papers late. For each 24 hours a paper is turned in past the due date and time, there will be a 5-point reduction in the final grade, including weekends. Discussion Boards: Best teaching practices for distance learning include the use of discussion boards because research has shown peer-to-peer learning is an extremely effective learning environment. The professor s role is limited to infrequent participation because the material should be student-driven. You will be placed in small groups to facilitate communication, collegiality, and learning. In terms of participation, when there is a discussion board assignment, students are expected to post their initial (first) comment by end of day Wednesdays. This allows other students time to provide thoughtful, logically expressed responses. All replies to classmates should be completed by end of day Sundays. At least two replies are required and all participants should receive at least two replies to their posts. Accuracy and Integrity: Plagiarism: All work submitted for credit must be the product of your own effort. If you use any other person's opinions in your written assignments, those opinions must be cited both within the text (APA style, 6 th edition.) and in the list of references at the end of the paper. Academic dishonesty, such as plagiarism, will result in an F for the class. Cheating: Student collaboration during quizzes is not permitted, which means students should not assist each other while taking quizzes or tests by sharing notes, sitting together while taking the test or quiz and discussing it, etc. Copying test or quiz questions for personal use or for distribution is cheating.
MMC 4420 Fall 2015 6 Below is UNF s list of academic misconduct and their definitions. Here is the link to the Student Handbook regarding academic dishonesty: http://www.unf.edu/president/policies_regulations/02- AcademicAffairs/EnrollmentServices/2_0640P.aspx Violations of the principle of academic integrity include, but are not limited to: CHEATING: Intentionally using, providing, obtaining, or attempting to use, provide, or obtain unauthorized materials, information, notes, study aids or other devices in any academic exercise. This definition includes unauthorized communication of information during an academic exercise. FABRICATION & FALSIFICATION: Intentional and unauthorized alteration or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise. Falsification is a matter of altering information, while fabrication is a matter of inventing or counterfeiting information for use in an academic exercise. MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS: The submission of any portion of the same academic work, including oral reports, electronic files, or hard-copy form, for credit more than once without authorization. PLAGIARISM: Intentionally or knowingly presenting the work of another as one's own (i.e., without proper acknowledgment of the source). The sole exception to the requirement of acknowledging sources is when the ideas, information, etc. are common knowledge. ABUSE OF ACADEMIC MATERIALS: Intentionally or knowingly destroying, stealing, or making inaccessible library or other academic resources material. COMPLICITY IN ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Providing assistance in any form to help another to commit an act of academic dishonesty. Disability Statement: Students with disabilities who seek reasonable accommodations in the classroom or other of performing their coursework must first register with the UNF Disability Resource Center (DRC) located in Building 10, Room 1201. DRC staff members work with students to obtain required documentation of disability and to identify appropriate accommodations as required by applicable disability laws including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). After receiving all necessary documentation, the DRC staff determines whether a student qualifies for services with the DRC and if so, the accommodations the student will be provided. DRC staff then prepares a letter for the student to provide faculty advising them of approved accommodations. For further information, contact the DRC by phone (904) 620-2769 or visit the DRC website.
MMC 4420 Fall 2015 7 UNF Student Responsibility (from Online Catalog) It is the student s responsibility to adhere to all academic and University policies, procedures, and deadlines that are provided by, but not limited to, the University catalog. University administration, faculty, and staff make every effort to provide accurate information and standards to students. It is the student s responsibility to: Be proactive to research all available services and resources and ask questions. Utilize information made available via mywings, the University website, and the University catalog. Regularly check UNF email, Blackboard, and the mywings portal for new information. Email is UNF s official communication method. Regularly visit academic advising to obtain pertinent academic information and curricular guidance. Know and understand degree requirements and progress toward degree completion. View a Degree Evaluation and an Academic Roadmap. Take initiative to participate fully in required scholastic duties set forth in each course syllabus. Know and satisfy all financial obligations. Provide and maintain current and accurate personal information and records. Embrace opportunities to be productive students on and off campus. Exhibit integrity and ethical behavior at all times. Be aware of personal safety and security. Technical Competencies Required: Basic knowledge of Blackboard Basic knowledge of word processing software, such as Microsoft Word Technical Requirements: This link provides video tutorials about using Blackboard. http://www.unf.edu/cirt/bb/support/tech_support_module/blackboard_video_tutorials.aspx NOTE: The SafeAssign tool only accepts files in.doc,.docx,.odt,.txt,.rtf,.pdf, and.html file formats. NOTE: Use Firefox to access Blackboard. Chrome and Explorer don t interface well with Blackboard and can result in compatibility problems.
MMC 4420 Fall 2015 8 Course Assignment Schedule* Discussion Boards: Your initial response to the discussion board prompt is due by end of day Wednesdays. Responses to at least two classmates posts are due by end of day Sundays. All classmates should receive at least two replies to their initial posts. All other course work is due by end of day Sundays. Dates Week 1 Aug. 22-Aug. 28 Activities Getting to Know You Discussion Board Post Ch. 1 Nature & Purpose of Research Ch. 2 History of Research All course work is due by noon Wednesdays. Getting to Know Each Other Discussion Board Reading Quiz Ch. 1 Discussion Board work Ch. 1 Reading Quiz Ch. 2 Discussion Board work Ch. 2 Week 2 Aug. 29-Sept. 4 Read Media Theories Folder Info No book chapter; see Media Theories Folder Ch. 3 Research Ethics Reading Quiz Media Theories Unit Discussion Board work Theory Unit Reading Quiz Ch. 3 Discussion Board work Ch. 3 Week 3 Sept. 5-11 Week 4 Sept. 12-18 Week 5 Sept. 19-Sept. 25 Week 6 Sept. 26-Oct. 2 Ch. 7 Measurement Ch. 8 Sampling (Includes identifying diverse demographic participants) Ch. 9 Content Analysis Ch. 10 Survey (Includes identifying variables of diversity such as gender, age, socioeconomic status, religion, race, education level, geographic location, etc.) Begin Survey Method Research Project (4 weeks to Complete) Reading Quiz Ch. 7 Discussion Board work Ch. 7 Reading Quiz Ch. 8 Discussion Board Ch. 8 Reading Quiz Ch. 9 Discussion Board work Ch. 9 Reading Quiz Ch. 10 Discussion Board work Ch. 10 Survey Writing Application Quiz Begin Survey Project
MMC 4420 Fall 2015 9 Week 7 Oct. 3-9 Ch. 11 Experiment Reading Quiz Ch. 11 Discussion Board work Ch. 11 Week 8 Oct. 10-16 MEDIA WEEK!!! Ch. 12 Hypothesis Testing & Statistics Reading Quiz Ch. 12 Discussion Board work Ch. 12 Hypothesis Application Quiz Statistics Application Quiz Week 9 Oct. 17-Oct. 23 Week 10 Oct. 24-Oct. 30 Ch. 18 Focus Groups & Interviews Begin Focus Group Method Research Project (4 Weeks to Complete) Survey Research Project Due Oct. 23 Ch. 20 Print Research Reading Quiz Ch. 18 Discussion Board work Ch. 18 Begin Focus Group Project Survey Research Project Due Oct. 23 Reading Quiz Ch. 20 Discussion Board Ch. 20 Week 11 Oct. 31-Nov. 6 Week 12 Nov. 7-Nov. 13 Week 13 Nov. 14-Nov. 20 Ch. 21 Radio, TV & Music Research Ch. 22 Public Relations Research Focus Group Project Due Nov. 13 Ch. 23 Advertising Research Ch. 24 New Technology Research Reading Quiz Ch. 21 Discussion Board Ch. 21 Reading Quiz Ch. 22 Discussion Board Ch. 22 Focus Group Research Research Project Due Nov. 13 Reading Quiz Ch. 23 Discussion Board Ch. 23 Discussion Board Ch. 24 Reading Quiz Ch. 24 Begin Intellectual Journey Reflection Essay Due Dec. 1 Begin Intellectual Journey Reflection Essay Week 14 Nov. 21-27 Work on Intellectual Journey Reflection Essay Assignment Work Intellectual Journey Reflection Essay
MMC 4420 Fall 2015 10 Week 15 Nov. 28-Dec. 4 Week 16 Dec. 5-9 Intellectual Journey Reflection Essay Due Dec. 1 Assignment Intellectual Journal Reflection Essay Due Dec. 1 FINALS WEEK No Work Due *I reserve the right to alter schedule deadlines.