Professor Ellen Helsper

This course is available on the MPhil/PhD in Data, Networks and Society and MPhil/PhD in Media and Communications. This course is not available as an outside option.

i. Principles of Research in Media and Communications: A series of lectures offered by Department of Media and Communications faculty in Michaelmas Term. The lectures will normally cover the following topics central to research design across the social sciences, with a specific emphasis on their application to media and communications contexts: the general nature of research as social inquiry, interviewing, discourse analysis, social network analysis, content analysis, visual analysis, survey design/questionnaires, case studies, ethnography and participant observation, as well as research ethics.

ii. Specialist research workshops: A series of 5 three-hour workshops (comprised of two x 1.5 hour sessions) offered by media and communications staff in LT. Students are required to participate in all five workshops.

iii. Principles of Social Research Analysis: Students have to take at least one quantitative analysis course offered by the Department of Methodology (MY552 is the basic option for MC5M8). In addition, students are recommended to take either another qualitative or a quantitative analysis course offered by the Department of Methodology. The combination of courses must be approved by the supervisor and discussed with the MC5M8 convenor.

This course is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and workshops totalling a minimum of 53 hours across Michaelmas and Lent Term. This year, some or all of this teaching will be delivered through a combination of online lectures and in-person classes/classes delivered online. This course includes a reading week in Week 6 of term. This course includes a reading week in Week 6 of term.

This is comprised of the following:

i. Principles of Research in Media and Communications: Lecture (one hour) x 10 Michaelmas Term; Lecture on Writing Methodological Chapters and Papers (one hour) x 1 Lent Term

ii. Specialist workshops:  Workshops (three hours) x 5 Lent Term (each comprised of two 1.5-hour sessions)

iii. Principles of Social Research Analysis: Quantitative analysis course MY552M in Michaelmas Term: Lecture (two hours) x 9 Michaelmas Term; Computer class (one hour) x 9 Michaelmas Term; Recommended quantitative or Qualitative Analysis course in Lent Term (Varies depending on the course). 

i. Principles of Research in Media and Communications: All students are expected to write a 7000 word methodology chapter for their thesis and submit it to their supervisor in ST1. This will normally include a pilot study testing one method to be used in the thesis.

ii. Principles of Social Research: All students are expected to complete advance readings and submit workshop assignments.

iii. Principles of Social Research Analysis: Most quantitative analysis courses require weekly assignments. The qualitative analysis courses vary in their formative assessment.

• Alasuutari, P. (1995). Researching Culture: Qualitative Method and Cultural Studies. London; Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE Publications Ltd.
• Bauer, M. W., & Gaskell, G. D. (2000). Qualitative Researching with Text, Image and Sound: A Practical Handbook for Social Research. London; Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE Publications Ltd.
• Bertrand, I & Hughes, P. (2005) Media Research Methods. Audiences, Institutions and Texts. New York: Palgrave.
• Bryman, A. (2012). Social Research Methods. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press.
• Deacon, D., Pickering, M., Golding, P., & Murdock, G. (1999). Researching Communications: A Practical Guide to Methods in Media and Cultural Analysis. London: Hodder Education.
• De Vries, R. (2018) Critical Statistics: Seeing beyond the headlines. London, UK: MacMillan International.
• Flick, U. (1998). An Introduction to Qualitative Research. London; Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE Publications Ltd.
• Hansen, A., Cottle, S., Negrine, P. R., & Newbold, C. (1998). Mass Communication Research Methods. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Jensen, K. B., & Jankowski, N. W. (1991). A Handbook of Qualitative Methodologies for Mass Communication Research. London; New York: Routledge.
• Jørgensen, M. W., & Phillips, L. J. (2002). Discourse analysis as theory and method. London: Sage.
• Fairclough, N. (2001). Language and power. London: Pearson Education.
• Kent, R. (1994). Measuring Media Audiences. London; New York: Cengage Learning EMEA.
• Rose, G. (2012). Visual Methodologies: An Introduction to Researching with Visual Materials. London; Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE Publications Ltd.
• Schroder, K., Drotner, K., Kline, S., & Murray, C. (2003). Researching Audiences: A Practical Guide to Methods in Media Audience Analysis. London: New York: Bloomsbury Academic.
• Silverman, D. (2013). Doing Qualitative Research: A Practical Handbook. London; Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE Publications Ltd.

Exam (100%, duration: 2 hours) in the summer exam period.

One two-hour examination in Summer Term relating to Quantitative Analysis (e.g. MY552M) and one two-hour examination in Summer Term if another quantitative analysis course is taken (see Department of Methodology course guides).

Note: Summative assignments differ depending on the components of the methodological training taken by the students. Students must pass all components of MC5M8.

Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.