Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications

Chapter TwoFirst Decisions: What? Why? How?

Key Concepts Researchers differ in –•Basic assumptions about communication

(ontology and World View).

•Views on how communication should be understood (epistemology).

•Views on how theory and research relate.

•Reasons for doing research and therefore –

•Their research methods.

Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications

Starting Points for Research ▫What? – interest area.

▫Why? – reasons for research.

▫How? – method decision.

▫World View – basic assumptions.

▫Work of others – “the literature”.

▫Research questions

▫HypothesesIntroducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications

Starting With a Question:Linking Theory and Observation

•Induction – reasoning from observations to a theory that explains the observations.

•Deduction – reasoning from a theory to observations that will test the theory.

•Abduction – reasoning from observation to possible causes.

Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications

Starting with a Purpose:Why do Research?

•Exploration

•Description

•Explanation

•Prediction

•Control

•Interpretation

•Criticism

Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications

Starting With a World ViewWorld View I• Human communication is objectively

measurable and can be summarized in rules. •“Nomothetic” approach

World View II •Human communication is subjective,

individualistic and must be described as such.

•“Idiographic” approach.

Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications

Starting With a Method

•Surveys

•Experiments

•Observations

•Interviews

•Focus groups

•Content analysis

Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications

Starting Without a Question

•“I don’t know what’s going on.”

•“I am making no assumptions.”

•“My methods and findings will change as my study progresses.”

Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications

Epistemology

Questions of how communication should be understood.Tenacity – “We’ve always done it that way.”

Intuition – “It just seems right.”Authority – “Because X said so.”

Empiricism – “Because I’ve seen it.”

Scientific method – observation and testing.

Serendipity – the accidental breakthrough.

Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications

Ontology

Questions about the nature of human communication.

•What really is it?

▫What is an attitude?

▫Do we ever make real choices?

▫Is human experience individual or social?

Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications

Sources of Inspiration

•Mental experiments (“what if?).

•Other researchers.

•Personal interest.

•Books, journals, databases.

•Conferences and meetings.

Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications

Hypotheses

Statements about relationships. •Two-tailed (non-directional)

“There is a relationship between A and B.”

•One-tailed (directional)

“As A increases; B decreases.”

•Null

“There is no relationship.”

Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications

Research Questions

Open-ended (non-directional) –

“Is there a relationship between video gaming and academic performance?”

Closed-ended (directional) –

“Does academic performance decline as involvement in video gaming increases?”

Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications

Operationalizing Constructs

Constructs

Involvement in Gaming Academic Performance

Operationalizing the Constructs

Time spent on gaming Class rank

Money spent on gaming Number of academic awards

Number of online “personas” or avatars

Grade point average

Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications

Chapter SummaryResearch begins with –

•“What?” “Why?” “How?”•Epistemological and ontological

assumptions.•A research purpose.•World view or basic assumptions.•Reasoning between observations and

theory.•The work of others.•Research questions and hypotheses.

Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications

Vocabulary Review

Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications

Web Resources• Communication Research - http://crx.sagepub.com/

• The Visual Communication Concept Explorer & Idea Monkey - www.cios.org

• International Communication Association - http://www.icahdq.org

• National Communication Association - www.natcom.org

• Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication -

www.aejmc.org

Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications