Professor Ellen Helsper

This course is compulsory on the MSc in Media and Communications (Research). This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

Students taking non-research track media and communications MSc programmes may take this course instead of MC4M1, subject to their own degree regulations and with the agreement of the teacher responsible.

Students who wish to take this course instead of MC4M1 must discuss their suitability with the course convenor before requesting a place. They will also be required to take a test to demonstrate sufficient knowledge of quantitative methods and statistics.

1. Advanced Principles of Social Research: A series of ten two-hour Harvard style student assisted seminars led by the Department of Media and Communications in the WT. Students are required to participate in all ten workshops.
2. Intermediate Quantitative Analysis: Students take MY465 Intermediate Quantitative Analysis. This course is compulsory and automatically included when students register for MC4M2.

1. Advanced Principles of Social Research: Delivered through Harvard Style seminars totalling 20 hours in the WT.
2. Intermediate Quantitative Analysis: Delivered through a combination of classes and lectures (MY465) totalling a minimum of 30 hours in the AT

This course includes a reading week in Week 6 of each term.

1. Advanced Principles of Social Research: All students are expected to complete advance readings and weekly assignments, and help prepare one seminar. Students submit one essay of 1500 words after reading week in WT.
2. Intermediate Quantitative Analysis: Self-guided computer exercises implementing statistics covered in the lectures with weekly online homework on the material covered in the lectures and exercises.

• 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.
• Bell, A., & Garrett, P. (1998). Approaches To Media Discourse. Oxford; Malden, Mass: John Wiley & Sons.
• 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.
• Flick, U. (1998). An Introduction to Qualitative Research. London; Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE Publications Ltd.
• 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 (20%, duration: 2 hours) in the January exam period.
Assignment (80%) in the ST.

1. Advanced Principles of Social Research: One written assignment of not more than 5000 words to be submitted in the ST (80%).
2. Intermediate Quantitative Analysis: One exam (2 hours) in the January exam period for MY465 (20%).