Prepared by:Ms. GraceyCommunication Research 1THE MEANING OF RESEARCH AND THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD1The Meaning of Research Nature and Scope of Media Research Concerns of Media Research Methods of Acquiring KnowledgeThe Meaning of Science The Scientific Method Steps of the Scientific Method/Research ProcessCOVERAGEGroup yourselves into 5.Answer this question: What comes into your mind when you hear the word research? Write only one idea on a 1/8 sheet of paper.Lets play CHARADES.This will be recorded as your Seat Work #1. The winning group will get a perfect score of 20 points.GROUP ACTIVITYTHE MEANING OF RESEARCHIn the field of communication, research is a very important area of specialization. In fact it is offered as a major field. It should be remembered, though that there is no one most competent person in research endeavour. What is most important is for you to understand the rules of the game and put them into use. This unit therefore will advance your understanding of research, media research and the scientific method.4(Fr.) recherch(Old Fr.) recerhierto investigate thoroughlysearch for knowledge again and againTHE MEANING OF RESEARCHBasically, research is fact finding. It is inquiry that utilizes the scientific method to study a phenomenon, situation or society.5All research activities start from problems that require solutionsIdea, a puzzle or simply the wish to explore our knowledge about simple issues, phenomena, situations or societies

THE MEANING OF RESEARCH1. Research is knowledge that can be explained or verified through some procedure. 2. For one to engage in any research, the expected outcome of the research must be important otherwise there will be no need for the research; important -> correct, answer, new, prove, improve3. Most research endeavours started with problems which were puzzles. A puzzle is not just a lack of understanding but a gap in our understanding. Purpose of research -> fill in the gaps6Research is a step-by-step process that involves collecting and examining information.Research is the systematic process of collecting and analyzing information to increase our understanding of the phenomenon under study.Investigation or experimentation aimed to the discovery of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts or practical application of such new or revised theories or laws (Babbie, 1998).THE MEANING OF RESEARCHA careful, systematic, patient study and investigation in some field of knowledge, undertaken to establish facts or principles (Grinnel, 1993)Structured inquiry that utilizes acceptable scientific methodology to solve problem and create new knowledge that is generally applicable (Grinnel, 1993)A systematic investigation to find answer to a problem (Burns, 1994)THE MEANING OF RESEARCHASK: What do the definitions point out to with regards to research? What is the common denominator among these definitions?Its systematic, scientific and always follows a process to be able to attain an answer, not just an answer but a confident answer. Ex. Becoming boyfriends and gfs8A systematic, controlled, empirical and critical investigation of propositions about the presumed relationships about various phenomena (Kerlinger, 1986).Research is a careful, diligent and exhaustive investigation of a specific matter, having as its aim the advancement of mankinds knowledge. (Manhein, 1977)THE MEANING OF RESEARCH1. Systematic and controlled means that scientific investigation is so ordered that investigators (researchers) can have critical confidence in research outcomes; it has undergone experiments and testingExperimental,, realistic. subjective belief must be checked against objective reality; put his belief to a test outside himself2. The basic assumption of research is that knowledge is desirable and preferable to ignorance9The research attitude presumes that first look and every later look may be prone to error so we must look again and again differently and thoroughly each time. Research allows us to accumulate knowledge and make improvements without discarding old wisdom in favour of new facts. (Ajala,1996)THE MEANING OF RESEARCHApplication of scientific method to study a problem.A way to acquire dependable and useful information.To discover answer to meaningful questions through the application of scientific procedures.RESEARCH IN A NUTSHELLResearch minimizes the role of chance. No conclusion of: coincidental, or unplanned or accidental because it has undergone thorough experiments and study11SCHOLARLY RESEARCH VS. EVERYDAY RESEARCH

Media research is the application of scientific method to the study of the functioning of the mass media i.e. radio, TV, newspapers, magazine, etc.).NATURE AND SCOPE OF MEDIA RESEARCHOne thing with media research is that it is intrusively interwoven with other disciplines. This is because the media are linked with other phenomena of life.13Media messages and their origins. Functions and purposes of media message. Media channels, languages and codes. Media content, references and information types. Media audiences. Effects of media messages, intended and unintended. CONCERNS OF MEDIA RESEARCH(Barzum & Graff, 1970)Media noise and feedback Media technologies Media regulation Media ownership and control Media management Perceptions of the media as instruments of power etc.CONCERNS OF MEDIA RESEARCH(Barzum & Graff, 1970)TenacityIntuitionAuthorityExperienceRationalismScienceMETHODS OF ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGETenacity: These are all superstitious beliefs people hold on to as though they are fact. For example, wear your a lucky shirt when making deals which you strongly believe will bring you good fortune.Intuition: An approach in acquiring knowledge that is not based on reasoning or inferring. Intuitive knowledge is not scientific but is knowledge that originates from gut feeling or predictions by soothsayers, astrologers and fortune-tellers.METHODS OF ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGETenacity: Beliefs that we always held true, no evidence needed because it is accepted firmly and universallyIntuition: what is self-evident eg. the sun revolves around the earth 17Authority: Knowledge that originates from persons or sources that are highly respected. For example, various religions have a sacred text that represents the facts, which are considered indisputable, final and cannot be challenged. Experience: This approach of acquiring knowledge is based on the statement which says, If I have experienced it, then it is valid and true. In other words, only facts that are in agreement with experience are accepted, and those that do not are rejected. However, reliance on experience has its shortcomings because our perceptions of people, events and objects are affected by many factors. For example, we constantly add, delete and reconstruct our experiences.METHODS OF ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGEAuthority: religion, politics, community18Rationalism: This approach uses reasoning to arrive at knowledge and assumes that valid knowledge is acquired through correct reasoning. Science: It is a process that is followed in generating knowledge and has been accepted as the best method of acquiring knowledge. It lists a series of steps to be followed when acquiring knowledge using the scientific method. METHODS OF ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGEAncient philosophers believed that knowledge derived from reasoning was just as valid as knowledge gained from observation. Reasoning is regarded as the beginning of the scientific process where hypotheses are proposed. It has its short comings but permits you to hypothesize. Ex. All Filipinos are macho. He is a Filipino. Therefore he is macho

19The Iraqis believe that the U.S. is an agent of SatanGo forth and increase and multiply.The Philippines has a young population according to the census of 1998.In the Philippines, professionals are likely to have smaller family sizes that non-professionals.METHODS OF ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGETenacityIntuitionAuthorityscience20The observation, identification, description, experimental investigation and theoretical explanation of national phenomena. (American Heritage Dictionary)The whole of science is nothing more than a requirement of everyday thinking. (Albert Einstein)Trained and organise common sense. (Thomas Huxley)Science is an attempt to make the chaotic diversity of our sense-experience correspond to a logically uniform system of thought by correlating single experiences with the theoretical structure. (Albert Einstein)THE MEANING OF SCIENCE Science is method of knowing21CHARACTERISTICS OF SCIENCE (Cohen & Nigel, 1934)CumulativeEmpiricalNon-ethicalTheoreticalTHE MEANING OF SCIENCE cumulative, that is, theories build upon one another, new theories correcting, extending, and retaining the older ones. empirical, that is, based on observation. non-ethical, that is, it does not judge particular social actions as good or bad, it merely explains themtheoretical, that is, attempts to summarise complex observations in a logical manner.

22An objective, accurate, systematic analysis of a determinate body of empirical data, in order to discover recurring relationships among phenomena. (Manheim, 1977)

THE MEANING OF SCIENCE Objective unbiased, impersonalAccurate definite, precise, exactSystematic methodical, follows procedureAnalysis concerned with the identification and study of the component parts or elements which make up the things you studyDeterminate there are relatively agreed upon defined traits or boundaries you study eg. Communicator does not study rocks biologist does not study movement of earth but knowing other disciplines help you interpret findings more easily23According to Manheim (1977)DescriptionExplanationPredictionTHE AIMS OF SCIENCE Description What are the facts? Is the case? What is out there? must come first before you can make intelligent statements about anything. You must first know what you are talking about.Explanation why? tells how things and events come about, causes, laws which determine their occurrence, brings meaning to description, first describe the situation then explainPrediction making inferences from facts or laws; you say such and such will happen or if these conditions prevail then so and so will occur24According to Kerlinger (1973) the main goal is to formulate a theory. Sub-aims are:ExplanationUnderstandingPredictionControl THE AIMS OF SCIENCE a process of deliberate and controlled observation with the distinctive criterion of objectivitythe most assured technique man has devised for controlling the flux of things and establishing stable beliefsTHE SCIENTIFIC METHODMethods of acquiring knowledge are commonly employed before the scientific method. But it was considered bias and subject to erroraims to discover what the facts truly are, and the use of the method must be guided by the discovered facts26Define the questionGather information and resources (observe)Formulating the hypothesisPerform experiment and collect dataAnalyze dataInterpret data and draw conclusions that serve as a starting point for new hypothesisPublish resultsRetest (frequently done by other scientists)

STEPS OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHODSelection of the problemFormulation of the problemReview of the literature.Design of the study Collection of the data Analysis of the data Interpretation and qualification Writing and publication of the research reportSTEPS OF THE RESEARCH PROCESSthe core of the scientific methodthe systematic study of experience that leads to understanding and knowledge Three stagesAsking questionsObservationConstructing answers or explanations

INQUIRYPeople engage in inquiry when they attempt to find out something in an orderly way.constructing answers or explanations - theory29an interactive process focused on questioning, exploring, and posing explanations, to gain a better understanding of the world through active engagement in real-life experiencesINQUIRY30INQUIRY AND SCIENTIFIC METHODScientific MethodInquiry ProcessQuestion/ProblemHypothesisExperiment/SurveyRecordData AnalysisConclusionInquiry PhaseData Gathering (Hypothesis)Data Gathering (Data Collection)ImplementationHypothesis - proposed explanation for a phenomenoneducated guess, based on prior knowledge 31PHASES OF INQUIRY MODEL

INQUIRY PROCESS SKILLSObserve ExperimentCollaborateMeasureSort/ClassifyCompare RecordAnalyze & ShareObserve using the sensesExperiment comparingCollaborate combining previous and present dataMeasure setting of parametersRecord for tracking of dataAnalyze what to avoid: dead data(unanalysed data)33DIFFERENT TYPES OF INQUIRYType of InquiryDescriptionExampleStructuredKnow problem to investigate as well as procedures and materials, in determining the outcome. Research on media literacy with samples/survey tools provided to determine outcomeGuidedProblem or question and materials are given and you have to determine the process and outcome. Research agenda to guide research problem; directions and thrusts given OpenDetermine the problem, investigation, procedure, and outcome Thesis writing with full expression of what problem to work on, e.g. academic researchINQUIRY AS A HUMAN SYSTEM Brain the seat of thinking/problem formulation and reasoningBody the substance of search for material evidenceHands the working hands that implement and deployHeart integrity and sincerity of human inquiry including ethicsResearch counterpartProblemLiterature and studiesMethodsintegrity35PATH OF RESEARCH

36RESEARCH LIKE AN HOURGLASS

RESEARCH LIKE AN HOURGLASS

S systematicC controlled limited by variables with parametersI inquiry question that leads to an answerE empiricalN New knowledge scholarly knowledgeC conclusion final answer thru inquiryE effective methods38THANK YOU!