scientific method and models of mass communication research: by abid zafar ms. mass communication...
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Resume Abid Zafar PERSONAL DETAILS DOB June 04, 1989 Email [email protected] Phone 0322 570 66 59 Address Chandni Chowk, Jalal Pur Jattan, Gujrat, Pakistan. PROFILE An enthusiastic individual I approach tasks with results in mind. I am well organized and I can work well as part of a team or on my own. I like completing things on time, and making sure that I keep learning how to do things well and quickly. EDUCATION M. Phil Media & Communication Studies Continues… (2014-2016) International Islamic University Islamabad MA Mass Communication & Media CGPA: 3.90/4.00 (2013) University of Gujrat Published Dissertation: “Comparative Analysis of Political Parties’ News and Advertisements Coverage of National Urdu Dailies Regarding Election 2013” ISBN 978-3-659-52287-1 B.ED Division 1st (2013-2014) Alama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad BA Political Science Division: 2nd (2011) University of Gujrat Diploma of Associate Engineering Division: 1st (2008) (3-Year Diploma: Mechanical), Government Institute of Technology, Gujranwala. Matriculation (Science) Division: 1st (2005) Government Islamia High School, Jalal Pur Jattan, Gujrat WORK EXPERIENCE Worked as Reporter and Sub-editor in Online International Network from July 1, 2012 to August 31, 2012 Worked as Producer, Host and Reporter at FM- 106.6 from 21th November, 2012 to 25th May, 2013 I have great approach at Online Journalism, attended many seminars I have great experience of producing audio and video documentaries, news bulletins, features, Reports in two years Masters Degree Vast experience of writing, editing News stories, Columns, Features, Investigative reports I have great experience of Social Science Research where I got A+ in Final Thesis Regular Blogger KEY STRENGTHS & SKILLS I have great approach of Qualitative and Qualitative Research Methods I have great skills of writing Thesis and Research Papers I have great skills of Investigative Reporting I have skills about reporting and sub-editing in English journalism where I have reported number of seminars, National and International politicians, personalities and celebrities I have great skills of script writing, News stories, Investigative Reports, Online Journalism, Feature & columns writing I have multidimensional skills in the field of Mass Communication & Media where I got 3.90 CGPA out of 4.00, which presents my passions in this field Regular Bloggers I have great leadership abilities where I represent my class in two years Masters Degree President of Readers Club, which was about to improve reading and writing habits, conducted many seminar under my presidency I am a great communicator, host many seminars, workshops and functions at university level I have great teaching skills where my teachers suggest me to join teaching as a profession I am a gTRANSCRIPT
Scientific Method and Models of Mass Communication Research:
By
Abid ZafarFall 2014
Communication Theory International Islamic University
Islamabad
What is Communication?
The word communication has been oriented from a Latin word “Communes” which means something common. Therefore, when we communicate. We are indeed trying to establish commonness of thoughts or feelings with other individuals
Communication is a process in which the message moves from source to destination
Purpose of Communicationa) Change in the behavior of receiver (cognitive thinking, feeling, acting)
b) To inform, educate and entertainment
Elements of Communication Source Encoding (the process of giving physical shape to one’s idea) Message (coded idea of the sender. Written script etc.) Channel (medium) Decoding (retranslation of the message) Receiver Feed back Noise
Types of Communication Intrapersonal communication
(takes place with himself)
Interpersonal Communication (between two or a small group of persons)
Macro Group Communication (speech of a political leader with instant feedback)
Mass communication
Hurdles of Communication
Physical Psychological Physical problem in transmitting
a message from its source to destination
a) Signal problem in TV watching
b) Knocking doors during lecture
c) Noise during Telephone calls
How to overcome channel noise?
By repetition of the main idea
Semantic Noise Field of Experience Cognitive dissonance Frame of Reference Poor understanding
Models of Mass Communication Research Definition and Function Model is considered as a consciously simplified description in graphic form
of a piece of reality A model seeks to show the main elements of any structure and the
relationship between these elements Deutsch (1966) notes the following main advantages of models in social
sciences
1. They have an organizing function of ordering and relating system to each other by providing us with images of wholes that we might not otherwise perceive
2. They help in explaining the key points of a process of system
3. Claim only to describe the structure of a phenomenon
4. Theoretical and simplified representation of the real world
5. A model is not an explanatory device by itself, but it helps to formulate theory
Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC) said, The study of communication can be organized in three categories
Types There are three main types of communication models1. Linear Model
The linear model views communication as a one-way or linear process in which the speaker speaks and the listener listens
a) Lasswell Model (1948)
b) Shannon and Weaver’s Model (1949)
c) Braddock’s Model (1958)
2. Interactive Model Wood (2009) Introduced more interactive model that saw the receiver or listener providing
feedback to the sender or speaker. This model also indicates that the speaker and listener communicate better if they have
common fields of experience This model fails to show that communication is a dynamic process which changes over
time.
Cont…
Transition Model
The transactional model shows that the elements in communication are interdependent. Each person in the communication act is both a speaker and a listener, and can be simultaneously sending and receiving messages
There are three implications in the transactional model
1. Communication is an ongoing and continuously changing process. You are changing, the people with whom you are communicating are changing and your environment is also continually changing as well
2. In any transactional process, each element exists in relation to all the other elements.
3. Each person in the communication process
reacts depending on factors such as their background,
prior experiences, attitudes, cultural beliefs and
self-esteem
The Lasswell Formula
The American political scientist Harold D. Lasswell began an article in 1948 with perhaps the most famous single phrase in communication research.
A convenient way to describe an act of communication is to answer the following questions:
Barddock (1958) found that there are more considerations to work with than those five presented by Lasswell.
1. The circumstances under which a message is sent
2. For what purpose the communicator says something
Criticism Lasswell’s Model has been criticized, not having the element of feedback
Shannon and Weaver Model of Communication Worked for Bell Telephone Laboratory and his theories and models primarily
applied to its particular field of communication involving questions such as: Which kind of communication channel can bring through the maximum amount of
signals? How much of transmitted signals will be destroyed by noise underway from
transmitter to receiver?
According to this model, communication is described as a linear, one way process. ‘The model states five functions to be performed and notes one dis-functional factor, noise.
De Fluer Model of Communication(1966) In Shannon and weaver’s model messages are transformed through
transmitter by decoding De fluer adds another set of components to the original Shannon and
Weaver model to show, how the source gets its feedback which gives the source a possibility of adapting more effectively its way of communicating to destination.
Shanon and Weaver’s model having linearity but this model having the element of mass communication
The source get limited feedback from the audience in this model
The Osgood and Schramm Circular Model Shannon’s model could be described as linear, we may say that the Osgood-
Schramm model is highly circular Shannon’s interest is primarily directed to the channels mediating between
the sender and receiver but Schramm and Osgood devote their discussion to the behaviour of main actors in communication process
Shannon’s model having the element of linear communication but this model is very useful in describing interpersonal communication
Criticism The model conveys a feeling of equality in communication
Newcomb’s Symmetry Model Newcomb (1953) approach to communication is that of a social
psychologist concerned with interaction between human beings.
His model is reminiscent of the diagrams of group networks made by social psychologists and is one of the early formulations of cognitive consistency
In its simplest form of the communication acts, a person, A, transmits information to another person, B, about something X
The model assumes that A’s attitude toward B and toward X are independent
Scientific Method Science serves as a guard against untested assumption The scientific method differs from other methods of obtaining knowledge in
that it is based on observation and the testing of our assumptions
Methods of establishing truth were not commonly employed before the development of the scientific method include tenacity, authority and intuition (Cohen & Nagel, 1934)
a) Method of Tenacity: true because it is always true (ex. I don’t believe advertising because my parents said so).
b) Method of Intuition: true because it is self-evidence (ex. A Creative Director uses certain method and always work).
c) Method of Authority: true because an authoritarian person said so.
d) Method of Science: “an organized, objective, controlled, qualitative or quantitative empirical analysis of one or more variables”
Imagination in Science A great 19th century scientist Huxley once defined science as “trained and
organised common sense” and added that theory building is something you engage in “every day and every hour of your lives”
The father of the relativity theory, Albert Einstein, said, “The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of every day thinking”
Scientific generalization about Reality• Scientists seek to make generalizations about the nature of reality• Reliability• Validity• Replicable until the confirmation of hypothetical approving
Safeguards against Bias and Fraud Findings can be replicated till reliability has been approved
What is Research?
Research is the systematic process of collecting and analysing information to increase our understanding the phenomenon under study
It is the process in which scientific and systematic methods are involved on social phenomena to develop and invent new ideas
Ker linger (1986) defines scientific research as a systematic, controlled, critical and hypothetical proportions
Research phases in Media Phase 1: The Medium itself There is an interest in the medium
itself. What is it? How does it works? What technology does it involve? What functions and services does it
provide? Phase 2: Uses and users of the
medium How do the people use this medium in
real life? Do they use it for information only, to
save time, for entertainment or for other reasons?
Do children use it? Do adults use it and why?
Phase 3: Effects of the medium
Does it change peoples perspective about anything?
Are there any harmful effects related to using the medium?
Phase 4: How the medium can be improved?
How can the new technology be used to perfect or enhance the sight and sound of the medium?
Objectives of Research To find out some thing To investigate something To test something To verify something To draw a conclusion about some
phenomenon To develop better understanding of
a particular phenomenon To find solution of a particular
problem To check the hypothesis
Sectors of Research
Academic Research Private Research
Scholars from colleges and universities conduct academic sector research. This type of research has theoretical approach and the result of this type of research help to explain the mass media and their effects on individuals
Exp:The effects of media in promoting violence etc.
Nongovernmental or private organizations or their research consultants conduct private sector research and the result of this type of research facilitate their decision making policy
Exp:PR campaigns
Process/Steps of Research
The scientific evaluation of any problem follow a sequence of steps to increase the chance that it will produce relevant data
Research process consists of series of steps necessary to carryout research
Steps in the process of researchi. Selection of the topic
ii. Literature review
iii. Statement of hypothesis or research question
iv. Determine of appropriate methodology and research design
v. Data collection
vi. Analyse and interpretation of data
vii. Presentation of results
viii. Replication
Types of Scientific Research Methods
Quantitative Research Methods
Survey Research Content analysis Experimental Research
Qualitative Research Methods
Focus Group In-depth Interviews
Cont…
Qualitative Research Quantitative Research Primarily inductive process More subjective Data is in the form of words More in-depth information in few
cases No statistical tests Specific to general Researcher is the data gathering
instrument
Primarily deductive process More objective Number-based Less in-depth Statistical tests are used for
analysis General to specific Researcher uses tools, such as
questionnaires, coding sheets
Survey Research Hansen (1998), Survey Research seeks to provide empirical data, collected
from a population of respondents on a whole number of topics or issues Bertrand & Hughes (1999) explain survey research as a research method
involving the use of questionnaires to gather data about people and their thoughts and behaviours
Types of Survey
1. Descriptive Survey
A descriptive survey attempts to describe or document current conditions or attitudes that is, to explain what exists at the moment.
Exp: Survey during a meeting or in a live talk show
2. Analytical Survey
An analytical survey attempts to describe and explain why situation exists. In this approach, two or more variables are usually examined to investigate research questions or test hypothesis
Cont…
Process of Survey
Research Question Define population Select sample Questionnaire Pre-test Data collection Data analysis Research Report
Content Analysis Content analysis is a research technique for the objective, systematic and
quantitative description of the manifest content of communication (Wimmer & Dominick)
Process of Content Analysis Research1. Formulate Research Question or Hypothesis
2. Define the universe in question
3. Select an appropriate sample from the population
4. Select a unit of analysis
5. Construct the categories of the content to be analysed
6. Establish a quantification system
7. Train coders and conduct pilot study
8. Code the content according to the established definitions
9. Analyse the collected data
10. Draw conclusion
Experimental Research Technique Oldest method in mass media with less usage Examining the basic techniques with the discussion of the controlled
laboratory experiments and field experiments Laboratory studies involved both manipulation and observation. In the
simplest form of an experiment, researchers manipulate independent variables and then observe the responses of subjects on the dependent variables
Focus Group The focus group/group interviewing is a research strategy for understanding
audience attitudes and behaviour From 6 to 12 people are interviewed simutaneusly, with a moderator The identifying charactaristics of the focus group is contrlled group
discussion (Wimmer & Dominik, 2000)
Case Studies The case studies method is a qualitative research technique.
A case study uses as many data sources as possible to systematically investigate individuals, groups, organizations or events
Case studies are conducted when a researcher need to understand or explain a phenomenon (Wimmer & Dominick, Communication Research, P.P 86, 9th edition)
Conclusion Implication of predictions that can be verified by tests
Evaluation of information theory according to the criteria allowing to organize, order and relate data to show similarities that had previously not perceived
As a scientist, in any field of investigation develops and tests hypotheses about the nature f the world in a particular area of interest, the process of observation, testing and replication
Building of a theory that provides explanations and make possible predictions approving hypothesis
Answer to specific questions