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Researching Media & Communications (MECM90038)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 1
Semester 2
Overview
Availability | Semester 1 Semester 2 |
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Students will be introduced to a variety of quantitative and qualitative approaches to researching communications, institutions, technologies, texts and audiences across the complex digital global media landscape. Students will gain practical experience in applying different research methods and data gathering processes, including techniques for semi-structured interviews, content analysis, semiotics, discourse analysis, ethnography, surveys and social media analysis. Students will learn how to conduct a literature review, develop a research question, design a research methodology, identify and collect a data sample, manage and analyse data, and present the findings through the execution of their own research project. Upon completion of the subject, students will have developed an understanding of the key issues, strategies, and ethical responsibilities of media and communications research. To this end, students have the opportunity to develop special insight and expertise into an area of media and communications practice. The subject provides students with critical research skills for application to both industry and scholarly research projects, and equips them for further research subjects offered in the Masters of Global Media program.
Intended learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this subject, students should have:
- A critical understanding of the strengths and weaknesses, benefits and restrictions, of different research methods and approaches
- A critical understanding of the ethical requirements of different research methods
- An ability to research and write a literature review on a chosen topic
- An ability to design and execute a sustained study of a chosen media and communications text, audience, or platform
- An ability to gather, manage, and critically analyse a research sample
- An ability to represent research in professional and scholarly format
Generic skills
Upon successful completion of this subject, graduates should be able to:
- reflect on their own use of media and relate this to broader theoretical issues;
- critically analyse the role of contemporary communications lanscape;
- prepare and present their ideas in both verbal and written mode at an intermediate level and in conformity to conventions of academic presentation; and
- participate in discussion and group activities and be sensitive to the participation of others.
Last updated: 3 November 2022