Understanding communication research methods : a theoretical and practical approach /
Stephen M. Croucher & Daniel Cronn-Mills.
- Second edition.
- 323 pages : illustrations ; 27 cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Introduction and ethics -- The social scientific paradigm -- The interpretive paradigm -- The critical paradigm / James P. Dimock -- Data -- Evaluating research: warrants -- Hypotheses and research questions -- Ethnography -- Interviewing -- Focus groups -- Social media and research methods / Heather McIntosh -- Content analysis: qualitative -- Content analysis: quantitative -- Discourse analysis / Margarethe Olbertz-Siitonen -- Surveys -- Descriptive statistics -- Inferential statistics -- Mixed methods / Malynnda Johnson -- Rhetorical criticism -- Critical/cultural methods / James P. Dimock
"Using an engaging how-to approach that draws from scholarship, real-life, and popular culture, this textbook offers students practical reasons why they should care about research methods and a guide to actually conducting research themselves. Examining quantitative, qualitative, and critical research methods, this new edition helps undergraduate students better grasp the theoretical and practical uses of method by clearly illustrating practical applications. The book features all the main research traditions within communication including online methods, and provides level-appropriate applications of the methods through theoretical and practical examples and exercises, including new sample student papers that demonstrate research methods in action"--