Approved by Faculty Senate April 14, 2003

University Studies Course Approval

Department or Program:              Communication Studies
Course Number:                      480      
Course Title:                           Communication Research Methods
Catalog Description:                     This course surveys the various qualitative and quantitative approaches commonly used in communication research, providing a foundation for application in research project of students’ choosing.                                      .

This is an existing course that has previously been approved by A2C2:  Yes
Department Contact Person for this course:  Dr. Ted Reilly -5238
Email: ereilly@winona.edu

The proposed course is designed to satisfy the requirements in: Critical Analysis Flag

Course Requirements:  The course aims for the following goals:  
 To learn the history and significance of inquiry in the humanities, social sciences and communication;   to understand theory development, application and testing; to discover the resources available to communication researchers, including databases, journals, indexes, and style sheets; to learn the principles and basic approaches of social scientific inquiry in communication, including sampling, design, and basic analysis; to learn principles and basic approaches to humanistic inquiry, including criticism, ethnography, and interpretation; to conduct preliminary research for the CMST capstone course including research questions and literature reviews.

This course includes requirements and learning activities that promote students' abilities to...

a. Recognize and evaluate appropriate evidence to advance a claim.  The student is expected to leave this course with strong abilities to evaluate the strengths of evidence and reasoning as they are related to claims.  This includes deductive hypothesis testing, as well as scrutiny of opened ended research questions.  In both cases, the focus of the class is to collect and examine relevant data in regards to their thesis.  The types of evidence examined in the class include, but are not limited to qualitative evidence such as narratives and texts and quantitative evidence such as survey data and  observational/experimental data. 

b. apply critical analytical skills in advancing a theoretical position.

     Throughout the course, students have repeated opportunities to advance and support claims and positions.    They participate in individual and group activities which practice gathering evidence, evaluating evidence and drawing conclusions from evidence which is collected, interpreted or observed.  Further, students will be required to examine and critique various approaches to making research claims, thus improving their abilities to advance theoretical positions.   

c. evaluate alternative arguments within a systematic framework.
Substantial attention is paid in this course to the strength of using varied approaches to the study of human communication.  Through the study of multiple methods and methodologies, students are exposed, and eventually develop a vocabulary for explaining and investigating  communicative phenomena through a variety of theoretical research approaches. 

CMST 480 RESEARCH METHODS IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES

Dr. Ted Reilly | Office: 204, PAC | 457-5238 | Hours: MWF: 10-12; 1-2; M 3-4|& by appt.      
ereilly@winona.edu  |  course web site:   course1.winona.edu\ereilly

Texts:

Smith, M., J. (1988). Contemporary communication research methods.  Belmont, CA:   Wadsworth.

Rubin, R. B., Rubin, A. M., & Piele, L. J. (1996). Communication

     research:  Strategies and sources.  Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Description and Goals: This course investigates the principles and practices of research methods in communication.  We will examine varied approaches to the study of human communication.  Specifically, we will aim for the following goals:

     1. To learn the history and significance of inquiry in the humanities, social sciences and communication. 

     2. To understanding theory development, application and testing. 

     3. To discover the resources available to communication researchers, including databases, journals, indexes, and style sheets.

     4. To learn the principles and basic approaches social scientific inquiry in communication, including sampling, design, and basic analysis.    

     5. To learn principles and basic approaches to humanistic inquiry, including criticism, ethnography, and interpretation. 

     6.  To conduct preliminary research for the CMST capstone course including research questions and literature reviews.  

This is a University Studies Flag course.  It satisfies the requirements for the Critical Analysis flag, which require that students be able to:

a. Recognize and evaluate appropriate evidence to advance a claim

b. apply critical analytical skills in advancing a theoretical position

c. evaluate alternative arguments within a systematic framework.

Course Policies

Writing:  All written work should be typed, double-spaced and conform to an accepted style sheet.  Always include bibliography.

Late Policy:  Late projects will be reduced up to 10% for each day late.  Make your 1st priority delivering projects on time. 
Attendance: Three freebies for whatever reason.   15 point deduction from final grade (out of 1000) thereafter.   Come to class.  It is good habit.  I do not distinguish between excused an unexcused.

Grade Calculation:  Standard grade scale (95= middle A 85=B 75=C 65=D).  Plus/minus are assigned to individual projects (plus grades= 68, 78, 88; minus grades= 72, 82, 92) but not to final grade.  Grade is always available to you.  Keep track Below:

** There will be occasional articles on reserve or distributed in class**

CMST 480 Research Methods Tentative Schedule for Fall, 2001

The following three USP requirements are noted on the schedule:

a. Recognize and evaluate appropriate evidence to advance a claim

b. apply critical analytical skills in advancing a theoretical position

c. evaluate alternative arguments within a systematic framework.