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Mandatory course: Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research

Title
Mandatory course: Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research
Semester
E2023
Master programme in
Media and Communication
Type of activity

Course

Teaching language
English
Study regulation

Read about the Master Programme and find the Study Regulations at ruc.dk

REGISTRATION AND STUDY ADMINISTRATIVE
Registration

You register for activities through stads selvbetjening during the announced registration period, which you can see on the Study administration homepage.

When registering for courses, please be aware of the potential conflicts and overlaps between course and exam time and dates. The planning of course activities at Roskilde University is based on the recommended study programmes, which should not overlap. However, if you choose optional courses and/or study plans that goes beyond the recommended study programmes, an overlap of lectures or exam dates may occur depending on which courses you choose.

Number of participants
ECTS
10
Responsible for the activity
David Mathieu (mathieu@ruc.dk)
Head of study
Chris Peters (cpeters@ruc.dk)
Teachers
Study administration
IKH Tilmelding & Eksamen (ikh-eksamen@ruc.dk)
Exam code(s)
U60311
ACADEMIC CONTENT
Overall objective

The course Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research introduces students to methodological designs that combine qualitative and quantitative approaches to investigate different aspects of mediated communication practices, using diverse platforms, devices, infrastructures, software, and systems.

The aim is to teach students how to design and implement different research strategies appropriate to micro-, meso-, and macro-level analyses of media use. Students will be taught methodological tools for gathering digital traces of communication (e.g., data scraping), as well as qualitative (e.g., digital ethnography), and quantitative approaches (e.g., surveys) for researching media practices and their reception amongst different target groups, publics, and stakeholders. Students will be introduced to common analytical approaches that match the different methods for gathering and generating empirical data (e.g., grounded theory, descriptive statistics) as well as learning to triangulate different methodological instruments. Ethical guidelines and principles behind conducting digital media research will be emphasized.

Students will wholly or partially demonstrate their methodological learning during the course by developing products based on real-life mediated communication practices, preferences, and experiences. This could include exercises such as: participant observation of an online community, surveys of a particular sample of the population, scraping social media, walkthrough methods of a digital app or platform, interviews of a particular target group, creative, arts-based methods into personal experiences, or the creation of ethical research guidelines.

This purpose of the course is to enable students to learn systematic and rigorous scholarly methods, preparing students for the project work in the first semester and subject profiles in the second semester.

Detailed description of content
Course material and Reading list
Overall plan and expected work effort

The course is held over the first 12-13 weeks of the semester and is arranged so that one or more of the methods introduced in the course can be used by students in their project work of the same semester.

The total study effort for the student (ECTS points converted into hours) = 270 hours. The hours are divided as follows:

  • Course teaching: 48 hours
  • Preparation: 108 hours
  • Exam: 80 hours
  • Other activities: 34 hours (semester start, literature search, guest lectures, etc.)
Format

In principle, teaching activities take place on campus. The teaching can be arranged so that one or more activities take place elsewhere than at Roskilde University. This can also be online.

Evaluation and feedback

Evaluation will be based on the evaluation practice of the study board.

Programme
ASSESSMENT
Overall learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student is able to:

  • Demonstrate knowledge and overview of central methods, analytical designs, and tools for collecting and analysing data from digital media.

  • Understand and discuss the strengths and limitations of different quantitative and qualitative methods, as well as the possibilities and limitations from combining different methodological instruments and datasets.

  • Design a mixed-method research project combing quantitative and qualitative approaches, reflecting on a given research strategy’s strengths, limitations, feasibility, reliability, and validity.

  • Collect and analyse data from social media via API as well as other possibilities for collection techniques for analysis of online data.

  • Conduct, in an ethical manner, scholarly research that meets established academic criteria for collecting and analysing data on an empirical phenomenon, topic, or case.

Form of examination
Individual portfolio exam

The character limit of the portfolio is 24,000-48,000 characters, including spaces. Examples of written products are exercise responses, talking points for presentations, written feedback, reflections, written assignments. The preparation of the products may be subject to time limits.
The character limits include the cover, table of contents, bibliography, figures and other illustrations, but exclude any appendices.

The portfolio is written completely or partially during the course.

The entire portfolio must be handed in at the same time (uploaded to eksamen.ruc.dk). Handing in the portfolio or parts of the portfolio to the supervisor for feedback, cannot replace the upload to eksamen.ruc.dk.

Assessment: 7-point grading scale.
Form of Re-examination
Individual portfolio exam

The character limit of the portfolio is 24,000-48,000 characters, including spaces. Examples of written products are exercise responses, talking points for presentations, written feedback, reflections, written assignments. The preparation of the products may be subject to time limits.
The character limits include the cover, table of contents, bibliography, figures and other illustrations, but exclude any appendices.

The portfolio is written after the course has ended.

The entire portfolio must be handed in at the same time (uploaded to eksamen.ruc.dk). Handing in the portfolio or parts of the portfolio to the supervisor for feedback, cannot replace the upload to eksamen.ruc.dk.

Assessment: 7-point grading scale.
Type of examination in special cases
Examination and assessment criteria

The exam is an individual portfolio, which is comprised of exercises that the student makes in connection with the course over its duration.

The portfolio must meet all formal requirements. In the assessment, emphasis is placed on the extent to which the student demonstrates the ability to:

  • Select and potentially combine relevant research-based methodological instruments to study the impact of a given mediated communication practice.
  • Identify key objects of study, and the appropriate empirical data to generate and/or capture, to answer a given research inquiry (e.g., public attitudes, social media activity and posts, online discussions, etc.)
  • Apply the selected methods and appropriate analytical approaches to interpret the results of a demarcated study of a given instance of mediated communication.
  • Reflect critically on the advantages and disadvantages of the different methods and their basic assumptions about media and communication.
Exam code(s)
Exam code(s) : U60311
Last changed 09/06/2023

lecture list:

Show lessons for Subclass: Exam Find calendar (Exam) PDF for print (Exam)

Wednesday 10-01-2024 10:00 - 10-01-2024 10:00 in week 02
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exam (MAC)

Monday 26-02-2024 10:00 - 26-02-2024 10:00 in week 09
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Reexam (MAC)

Show lessons for Subclass: Jointly lecture - Group A and Group B Find calendar (Jointly lecture - Group A and Group B) PDF for print (Jointly lecture - Group A and Group B)

Tuesday 19-09-2023 08:15 - 19-09-2023 10:00 in week 38
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Jointly lecture (MAC)

Thursday 21-09-2023 08:15 - 21-09-2023 10:00 in week 38
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Jointly lecture (MAC)

Thursday 05-10-2023 08:15 - 05-10-2023 10:00 in week 40
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Jointly lecture (MAC)

Thursday 12-10-2023 08:15 - 12-10-2023 10:00 in week 41
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Jointly lecture (MAC)

Monday 30-10-2023 10:15 - 30-10-2023 12:00 in week 44
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Jointly lecture (MAC)

Thursday 02-11-2023 08:15 - 02-11-2023 10:00 in week 44
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Jointly lecture (MAC)

Monday 06-11-2023 10:15 - 06-11-2023 12:00 in week 45
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Jointly lecture (MAC)

Thursday 09-11-2023 08:15 - 09-11-2023 10:00 in week 45
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Jointly lecture (MAC)

Monday 13-11-2023 10:15 - 13-11-2023 12:00 in week 46
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Jointly lecture (MAC)

Thursday 16-11-2023 08:15 - 16-11-2023 10:00 in week 46
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Jointly lecture (MAC)

Monday 27-11-2023 10:15 - 27-11-2023 12:00 in week 48
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Jointly lecture (MAC)

Thursday 30-11-2023 08:15 - 30-11-2023 10:00 in week 48
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Jointly lecture (MAC)

Show lessons for Subclass: Exercises - Group A Find calendar (Exercises - Group A) PDF for print (Exercises - Group A)

Tuesday 19-09-2023 10:15 - 19-09-2023 12:00 in week 38
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group A (MAC)

Thursday 21-09-2023 12:15 - 21-09-2023 14:00 in week 38
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group A (MAC)

Thursday 05-10-2023 10:15 - 05-10-2023 12:00 in week 40
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group A (MAC)

Thursday 12-10-2023 12:15 - 12-10-2023 14:00 in week 41
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group A (MAC)

Monday 30-10-2023 12:15 - 30-10-2023 14:00 in week 44
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group A (MAC)

Thursday 02-11-2023 12:15 - 02-11-2023 14:00 in week 44
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group A (MAC)

Monday 06-11-2023 12:15 - 06-11-2023 14:00 in week 45
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group A (MAC)

Thursday 09-11-2023 12:15 - 09-11-2023 14:00 in week 45
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group A (MAC)

Monday 13-11-2023 12:15 - 13-11-2023 14:00 in week 46
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group A (MAC)

Thursday 16-11-2023 12:15 - 16-11-2023 14:00 in week 46
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group A (MAC)

Monday 27-11-2023 12:15 - 27-11-2023 14:00 in week 48
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group A (MAC)

Thursday 30-11-2023 12:15 - 30-11-2023 14:00 in week 48
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group A (MAC)

Show lessons for Subclass: Exercises - Group B Find calendar (Exercises - Group B) PDF for print (Exercises - Group B)

Tuesday 19-09-2023 12:15 - 19-09-2023 14:00 in week 38
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group B (MAC)

Thursday 21-09-2023 10:15 - 21-09-2023 12:00 in week 38
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group B (MAC)

Thursday 05-10-2023 12:15 - 05-10-2023 14:00 in week 40
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group B (MAC)

Thursday 12-10-2023 10:15 - 12-10-2023 12:00 in week 41
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group B (MAC)

Monday 30-10-2023 14:15 - 30-10-2023 16:00 in week 44
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group B (MAC)

Thursday 02-11-2023 10:15 - 02-11-2023 12:00 in week 44
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group B (MAC)

Monday 06-11-2023 14:15 - 06-11-2023 16:00 in week 45
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group B (MAC)

Thursday 09-11-2023 10:15 - 09-11-2023 12:00 in week 45
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group B (MAC)

Monday 13-11-2023 14:15 - 13-11-2023 16:00 in week 46
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group B (MAC)

Thursday 16-11-2023 10:15 - 16-11-2023 12:00 in week 46
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group B (MAC)

Monday 27-11-2023 14:15 - 27-11-2023 16:00 in week 48
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group B (MAC)

Thursday 30-11-2023 10:15 - 30-11-2023 12:00 in week 48
Mixed Methods in Media and Communication Research - Exercises, Group B (MAC)