2. Table of Content
• Experiment
• Content Analysis
• Interviews
• Focus Group
3. Experiment
• Oldest approach in mass media
research
• Types: Controlled laboratory
experiment, Quasi experimental
designs, Field Experiment
• Design can refer to the total
experimental plan or structure of
the research.
• Used in this sense, it means selecting
and planning the entire experimental
approach to a research problem.
• Pretest–Posttest Control Group
A research where the researcher actively influences something to observe the consequences.
4. Experiment Designs
• Posttest-Only Control Group
• No pre-test
• Factorial designs
• Factor means Independent Variable 3. Repeated-Measures Designs
4. Quasi-Experimental Designs
5. Field Experiment
5. How to Conduct the Experiment
• 1. Select the setting.
• 2. Select the experimental design.
• 3. Operationalize the variables
• 4. Decide how to manipulate the
independent variable. (there are
types: Straightforward and
Staged)
• For example, Baran, Mok, Land,
and Kang (1989) study of
shopping list and authors
goodness and responsibility.
• Cho, Shah, Nah, and Brossard
(2009) used a straightforward
manipulation in their study of
production variables in a televised
debate.
6. How to Conduct the Experiment
• Hoyt (1977) investigated the
effects of television coverage on
courtroom behaviour. In a staged
manipulation of three groups of
subjects, he separately questioned
the groups about a film they had
just viewed.
• 5. Select and assign subjects to
experimental conditions.
• 6. Conduct a pilot study.
• 7. Conduct the experiment.
• 8. Analyse and interpret the
results.
7. Content Analysis
• 1. Formulate the research question
or hypothesis.
• 2. Define the universe in question.
• 3. Select an appropriate sample
from the population.
• 4. Select and define a unit of
analysis.
• 5. Construct the categories of
content to be analysed.
• 6. Train coders and conduct a pilot
study.
• 7. Code the content according to
established definitions.
• 8. Analyse the collected data.
Systematic procedure devised to examine the content of recorded information
8. Interview
• They generally use smaller
samples
• Provide detailed background
• They allow for lengthy
observation of respondents’
nonverbal responses.
• They are usually long.
• Structured Interviews
• 1) prepares all the questions ahead of
time (called an interview guide);
• 2) asks each participant the exact
same questions in the exact same
order;
• 3) does not insert personal opinion
into the interview (e.g., by agreeing
or disagreeing with a response).
An interview in qualitative research is a conversation where questions are asked to elicit
information.
9. Semi-Structured and Unstructured
Interviews
• Semi-structured and unstructured
interviews are, in some ways,
fairly similar to one another.
• In these types of interviews, the
interview is more of a
conversation than a one-way
process like a structured interview.
• Second, semi-structured and
unstructured interviews are similar
since the interviewer has developed
an understanding of the setting or the
context to allow the majority of the
questions to be open-ended in nature.
• No Interview guide
The questions are written to allow participants to answer in a variety of ways.
10. Semi-Structured and Unstructured
Interviews: when to use
• Semi-structured interviews are used
• 1) When interviewers only have one
chance to meet with a particular
participant and/or are meeting with
many participants in the field.
• 2) Ethnographic observation can
precede the interviews (Bernard,
1999).
• Unstructured interviews used
• 1) Plan to revisit the same
participants on multiple occasions,
and
• 2) are open to having the participants
influence their understanding or
approach to the subject or context
(Briggs, 1986).
Note: Do not forget to make audio or video recordings of semi-structured and unstructured interviews
11. How to analyze the Interviews
• 1. Collect data from participants (conduct interviews) and Take detailed notes
during each interaction (the interviews).
• 2. Code (write) in the margins of transcripts of interviews the central theme or
purpose of each line or passage of an interview. The coding stage allows themes
to “emerge” naturally.
• 3. Memo—or write down—generalized links between what is coded and
established theory. The researcher will pull out quotations they have identified
from their coding (step 3) to support specific theoretical arguments in the
literature.
12. FOCUS GROUPS
• Between 6 and 12 people are
interviewed simultaneously, with a
moderator.
• The moderator leads the
respondents in a relatively
unstructured discussion about the
topic under investigation.
• The people possess certain
characteristics and are recruited to
share a quality or characteristic of
interest to the researcher.
• They are not used to test
hypotheses or to generalize to a
population.
The focus group, or group interviewing, is a research strategy for understanding people’s
attitudes and behaviour.
Note: Focus groups usually provide qualitative data.
13. How to conduct the Focus Group
• 1. Select a sample.
• 2. Determine the number of
groups necessary.
Most researchers conduct three or
more focus groups on the same
topic. Focus group researchers
should conduct as many groups as
they need to achieve saturation (no
fresh information).
• 3. Prepare the study mechanics
(time, date, location etc)
• 4. Prepare the focus group
materials ( questions etc)
• 5. Conduct the session
• 6. Analyze the data
