The University of the West Indies
Faculty of Humanities and Education
Department of Literary, Cultural, and Communication Studies
COURSE: COMS 7009- Communication Project Methods 1&2
LECTURER: Latoya Bartholomew
Email:
[email protected] Telephone: 662-2002 ext 84236
Office: FHE 315 A
CLASS HOURS: Tuesday 5:00- 8:00 p.m.
OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday 1-3 p.m.
Rationale:
Welcome to Communication Project Methods!
This year-long course for MA candidates explores a range of human communication project
methods based on an approved research project proposal from one of the various sub-fields of
communication studies, including but not limited to health communication, communication
education, mass-mediated communication and media studies, and corporate and organisational
communications. Participants are encouraged to use systematic research procedures for developing
and reporting on the method employed in investigating a human communication project in
theoretical and applied settings. In the first semester, the focus is on research planning and ethics
approval. In the second semester, the focus is on the research project data collection and analysis,
presentation of findings, and oral and written presentations.
Goals:
(1) To survey basic concepts of theoretical and empirical research in the field of communication.
(2) To enable students to critically analyze published research and identify threats to the validity
of inferences.
(3) To help students develop and advance their research writing.
Mode of delivery:
Three (3) contact hours per week. Sessions will involve discussion, peer evaluation, and group
work. Assignments will be completed both in and out of class.
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Mode of assessment:
Coursework (50%) and Final exam (50%)
Assignments:
To provide experiential learning, students will be conducting several research tasks throughout the
semester. Many of these tasks are folded into the research project requirement described in the
handbook for the programme. These assignments will require you to revise sections of your current
research paper.
Assignment # 1: Revised Introduction (15 %)
Due: October 4th @ 11:59 p.m.
In this assignment, you will set the scene and put your research in context. In other words, you
must provide an overview of your planned work and a clear rationale for your examination of your
chosen research topic. You will thus be required to submit a 1500-word paper consisting of the
following sections:
a. Background- introduce the reader to your research and clearly explain the context of your
research project.
b. Rationale- clearly demonstrate the ‘so what’ factor in your research. Why is your research
worth doing?
c. Problem statement- provide a clear statement of the ‘problem’. Explain the ‘gap(s)’ in
current research/ literature surrounding your topic.
d. Aim- identify the purpose and intended goal(s) to be achieved through your examination
of the chosen topic.
e. Objectives- these must be SMART and aid in achieving the overarching aim of your
research.
Assignment # 2: Revised Literature Review (15 %)
Due: November 15th @ 11: 59 p.m.
This assignment will be divided into 2 sections. In the first section (Labeled- Literature Review)
you must provide a cohesive synopsis of all reviewed scholarly work that explains and or justifies
the value of your research. Be sure to include major milestones and key debates in the literature.
In section 2 (Theoretical Framework), you will critically analyze the theories that are relevant and
will be applied to your research. This paper should be 2000-3000 words in length.
NB: At the end of this paper, you must highlight the research questions that will guide the
examination of your chosen topic.
Assignment # 3: Revised Methodology (20 %)
Due: December 13th @ 11:59 p.m.
Prepare a 2000–3000-word paper that demonstrates why the chosen method(s) best suit your
object and why it is/they are the best possible approach(es) to answer your research questions. As
such, for this assignment, you must focus on the following:
a. Research design- evaluate and justify the methodological choices made.
b. Sample selection- specify the criteria for the selection of members from the research
population.
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c. Data collection- thoroughly describe your data collection tools and explain the data
collection process.
d. Data processing and analysis- elaborate on the proposed data analysis process. How do you
intend to prepare your data for analysis? What tools will be used to analyze your data?
e. Ethical consideration- specify the ethical issues you need to be mindful of while conducting
your research.
Note: All assignments for this class are to be submitted electronically via the myeLearning
platform. They must be typed and conform to the American Psychological Association (APA) 7th
edition style. The following links can be used for further guidance.
• APA Style Central
o Website: https://apastyle.apa.org/ &
o Workbook: https://apastyle.apa.org/products/mastering-apa-style
o Tutorial: https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/basics-7e-tutorial
• APA 7th ed. at Purdue
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_g
uide/general_format.html or https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
Recommended Readings:
Berger, A. (2015). Media and Communication Research Methods: An Introduction to Qualitative
and Quantitative Approaches. Sage.
Bryman, A. (2016). Social Research Methods. Oxford University Press.
Chambliss, D., and Schutt, R. (2019). Making Sense of the Social World: Methods of Investigation.
Sage.
Creswell, J., W., and Creswell, J., W. (2018). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and
Mixed Methods Approaches. Sage Publications.
Frankfort-Nachmias, C., Nachmias, D., and DeWaard, J. (2015). Research Methods in the Social
Sciences. Worth Publishers.
Kothari, C. (2004). Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques. New Age International Ltd.
Kumar, R. (2019). Research Methodology: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners. Sage Publication.
Marczyk, G., DeMatteo D., and Festinger, D. (2005). Essentials of Research Design and
Methodology. John Wiley and Sons Inc.
Patten, M. and Newhart, M. (2018). Understanding Research Methods: An Overview of the
Essentials. Taylor and Francis.
Pyrczak, F. and Tcherini-Buzzeo, M. (2019). Evaluating Research in Academic Journals. Taylor
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and Francis.
Reinard, J. (2001). Introduction to Communication Research. McGraw Hill.
Watt, J. and van den Berg, J. (1995). Research Methods for Communication Science. Allyn and
Bacon.
Wimmer, R. and Dominick, J. (2011). Mass Media Research: An Introduction. Cengage Learning.
Course Schedule:
Date Subject Readings
September 3rd Introduction & Overview
September 10th Planning and designing a research Kothari Ch 1, Marczyk et al. Ch 2
study
September 17th Defining the research problem Creswell Ch 5&6 (posted on
Re-Examination of Introduction myelearning/LMS); Kothari Ch 2
Pyrczak & Tcherini-Buzzeo.
Ch 2 & 3
September 24th How to Read Research Pyrczak & Tcherini-Buzzeo.
(Public Holiday/Reading week) Ch 1, 4 & 5
October 1st Re-Examination of Literature Patten & Newhart topics 12-19
Review
October 8th Guest Lecture- APA 7 Reference Materials provided by the librarian
Style
October 15th Guest Lecture- West Indiana Special -
Collection
October 22nd Types of research designs and Kothari Ch 3; Marczyk et al. Ch 5;
approaches Watt & Vanden Berg Ch 13;
Patten & Newhart topic 8
October 29th Mixed-Methods Research Designs Creswell Ch 1 &10; Reinard Ch 9
Sampling Designs (posted on LMS)
November 5th Questionnaire and Interview Guide Frankfort-Nachmias et al (2015)-
Construction Ch 10 &11; Wimmer& Dominick
Ch 7 (posted on LMS)
November 12th Content Analysis Wimmer & Dominick Ch 6;
Bryman (2016) Ch 13 (posted on
LMS)
November 19th Ethical considerations in research Marczyk et al. Ch 8; Patten &
Newhart topics 10 & 11;
Bryman (2016) Ch 6; Wimmer and
Dominick Ch3 (posted on LMS)
EndNote Training
*Course calendar is subject to change.
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Course Preparation:
In this course, students are expected to read, write, listen, and participate in the exchange of ideas
with their instructor and peers. Generally, preparation for:
• a lecture requires reading and note-taking in advance
• a workshop requires further reading, writing, and discussion
• an assignment requires the review of concepts, drafting/rehearsing/previewing an
oral/written/graphic presentation, and the actual delivery of a presentation
Course Readings:
Each week, there are readings assigned to each lecture topic. Students need to complete the
assigned reading before the instructor presents the weekly lecture topic. Students should also
consult other sources of information and prepare to participate in classroom discussions.
Assignments
No late assignments will be accepted unless accompanied by an official medical certificate. In
extreme cases, exceptions will be made at the discretion of the lecturer. However, these cases will
only be entertained BEFORE the due date. All assignments must be uploaded to MyElearning.
They must also be double-spaced, font size 12, Times New Roman and include page numbers.
The APA (7th edition) citation style must be followed.
Under no circumstances are students to leave assignments in the Department of Literary, Cultural,
and Communication Studies office or email assignments to tutors or lecturers.
Course Completion
To complete this course, students are expected to achieve a passing grade of 50% or higher.
Course/Campus Grading System: There are 12 letter grades assigned based on the percentage
points and grade point average (GPA) earned for each credit assignment.
Grading System
A+ 90-100 C+ 55-59
A 80-89 C 50-54
A- 75-79 F1 45-49
B+ 70-74 F2 40-44
B 65-69 F3 0-39
B- 60-64
