July, 31, 2007

Good work getting right back into the swing of things. I really enjoyed the questions in today's class (I'm not a mind reader so if something is confusing, PLEASE ask). Here is what we covered;

3 Types of Survey Research (Political, Market, & Evaluation)
Basic Concepts of Sampling (Element, Target Population, Survey Population, Sampling Frame, and Sample)
3 Types of Deficiencies in a sample frame (Foreign, Duplicate, and Missing Elements)
Response Rate (including Locatability, Cooperation, and Eligibility Rate)
Longitudinal Designs (Trend, Cohort, and Panel)
Phrasing Questions


Question for thought;
Let us review our basic concepts of sampling. For posting, select a topic of interest and include a target population, survey population, sampling frame, and a final sample.
For example,
I am interested in Golfer's prejudices/ stereotypes of other golfers.
Target Population- Ohio Golfers
Survey Population- 8 North East Ohio Private Clubs Members
Sampling Frame- Membership list from Barrington, Sebring, Twin Lakes, Union, Avon Oaks, Spring Valley, Canterbury, and Shaker Heights
Sample- n = 250 golfers

July 24

Great effort this week class. I really like how the group exercises are going and you are attempting to work with the material. Some of you need to work on getting up a tad earlier, I'd hate for you to loose points at the end of the semester for always arriving late to class. Here is what we discussed this week.

Conceptual v. Operational definitions
Conceptual Fit
Good Operational definitions (Adequate, Accurate, and Clear)
Quantitative v. Qualitative Measures
Triangulation
Levels of Measurements (Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, & Ratio)
Unidimensional v. Multidimensional Variables
Types of Scales (Thurston, Likert, Rank Order, Check List, & Semantic Differential)
Measurement Methods (Self Reports, Other's Reports, & Behavioral Acts)
Questionnaires, Interviews, and Observations
Coding Schemes
Modes of Administration

In class we talked about open ended and close ended questions. For posting, develop a topic and create an open ended and close ended question. Be sure that your close ended question is mutually exclusive, equivalent, and exhaustive... to the best of your ability.

Example:
I am interested in how students get to school.
Open ended: How do you get to school?
Close ended: Please circle the choice that best represents how you typically get to school
A.) Drive a car
B.) Walk/ Ride a bike/ skateboard/ etc.
C.) Mass Transportation (i.e. Bus)
D.) Ride in a car with a friend or family member

July 17

Good work this week with the material. Here is a list of what we covered.

G. R. Miller's listing of why we study Communication
Basic and Applied Research
Theory Building (Deductive and Inductive)
Evaluating Theories (Scope, Validity, Simplicity, Focusing, Observational, Falsification, Control, Heuristic, Communicative, Inspiration)
Process of Research
Hypothesis v. Research Questions
Independent v. Dependent Variable
Types of Questions we ask (Definition, Fact, Value, & Policy)

Question for Thought
Select a topic of interest to you that you would research. Creat a question of definition, fact, value, and policy for your research topic. For example, I am interested in individuals use of online news.
Question of Definition- What is a weblog?
Question of Fact- Do individuals read online new more in the morning or the evening?
Question of Value- Are online newspapers less reliable?
Question of Policy- Should newspapers charge subscription fees for online readers?

July 17, 2007

Good work in class today all. I know a lot of the material we covered was boring and tiresome, but as we continue this semester, much of what we discussed today will come back. It's like laying the foundation of a house, its hard work that nobody sees, but you need it more than anything. Following is a list of what we have covered so far;


Bad research in popular press
3 Types of information (retrieval, processing, and new info)
Epistemologies (Personal Experience, Intuition, Authority, Tradition-Custom-Faith, Superstition)
2 Types of Research (Propriety v. Scholarly)
6 Characteristics of Research
What all Communication Scholars Have in Common
5 Phase Model of Communication Research
2 Major Paradigms (Positivists & Naturalists)


For discussion, lets have everybody select an epistemology and give an example of a truth they learned through that particular epistemology. For example, I believe that when conducting a statistical t-test, one should always use a two-tailed test. My advisor at MSU told me that. I don't know why, but he is the editor of measurement and analysis (the highest research methods honor), so I believe so through Authority.
Jeffrey B.

Monday, July 16

Welcome to Research Methods. This blog will be used throughout the semester to aid in your learning. Remember to sign your name when you post.