Qualitative Research What is qualitative research Difference with

Qualitative Research • What is qualitative research? – • Difference with quantative?

Qualitative Research • What is qualitative research? – Participant observation

Qualitative Research • What is qualitative research? – Participant observation – Focus Groups

Qualitative Research • What is qualitative research? – Focus Group • Consists of a small number of individuals who are brought together by the researcher to discuss a given topic. The focused discussion typically is unstructured, although some focus groups are required to complete a formal questionnaire. The focus group usually numbers fewer than 10 to 12 persons.

Qualitative Research • What is qualitative research? – Focus Group • Advantages---the focus group sometimes brings to light ideas that a formal survey would miss. – The focus group represents populations of opinions. – The focus group is helpful in bring new insight into an old problem. – They don’t require elaborate statistical and methodological designs that scare many people. – They are quick and to the point.

Qualitative Research • What is qualitative research? – Focus Group • Disadvantages--– is not generalizable. . low external validity. – Opportunity for misuse of data is high. – Interpretation is subjective.

Qualitative Research • What is qualitative research? – Focus Group -----How does a focus group work? – They can be identified by mailing lists, the telephone book, or preferred groupings. – The group shares certain demographic characteristics. – Participants are often paid a fee. – The room may be equipped with a one way mirror. – The researcher serves as a moderator, leading the discussion from a prepared outline of questions or topics. The moderator is neither negative or positive. – The moderator must keep the discussion focused on the product or service. – The moderator must make sure everyone gets a chance to discuss. – The session is often taped analyzed. – 2 to 4 sessions often occur.

Qualitative Research • Use of focus groups In Broadcast – Focus groups are often used by news and programming consultants and by station management personnel as a means of seeking underlying qualitative information as to why people watch what they do or what entices them to watch certain programs. – Focus groups are also used to identify issues or concerns that later may be explored more fully through survey research.

Qualitative Research • Use of focus groups In Public relations and advertising – Focus groups are often used to identify problems with products, company images, and services. – In advertising: – Focus groups are often used to help in the presentation of products. – Ie. Models – Product packaging – Product appeals

Qualitative Research • What is qualitative research? – Participant observation – Focus Groups – Case Studies

Case Study • A research method that focuses on individual cases rather than cross sectional samples. • This is a sample of one or two • David Manning White (gatekeeping, 1952)

Case Study • Uses • Advertising and Public Relations

Case Study • Steps – Case history • define the problem – Sources---standard and poors…industry reports – Identify critical factors – Alternative solutions – Analyze alternatives

Case Study • Steps – Recommendations – Justification

Qualitative Research • What is qualitative research? – Cultural Analysis

Cultural Analysis • Cultural studies gained recognition in Britain during the 1970 s – University of Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Studies (CCCS) • Stuart Hall, British media critic • U. S. cultural studies of mass communications can be dated from 1938 – The Silent Language • Edward Hall, author 16

Edward Hall • • Culture/social behavior can be analyzed like a text “Communication is culture and culture is communication”- Edward Hall 1. One can communicate with others only when one knows their culture, and yet 2. Cultures are revealed or exhibited only in communicative behaviors 17

Stuart Hall “A set of social relations obviously requires meanings and frameworks which underpin them and hold them in place. These meanings are not only meanings of social experience, but also meanings of self, that is, constructions of social identity for people living in industrial capitalist societies that enable them to make sense of themselves and of their social relations. ” - Stuart Hall 18

Basic Assumptions in Cultural Studies • Marxist • Divided Societies • Ideological 19

Critical Analysis • “ Criticism involves organizing; systematically and thoroughly describing, analyzing, and interpreting; and evaluating the patterned relationships among symbols in order to share an informed perspective with others (Vande Berg, 1998, p. 29). • “Informed talk about matters of importance” (Wander’s & Jenkins, 1972, p. 450). 1/16/2022 20

Television criticism audience • Students and television and communication scholars • Television industry(writers, producers, directors, programmers) • The general public 1/16/2022 21

Differences between materials written for these audiences • Amount of supporting argumentation • Nature of the supporting material • The extent to which the methods and theoretical assumptions are explicitly laid out for the reader. 1/16/2022 22

Critical Analysis Methods • • Narrative Analysis Semiotic Analysis Psychoanalysis Text centered analysis 1/16/2022 23

What criticism is not? • Not unsupported opinion • Negative • History. . How and what does it mean – Not what and why • Quantification– maybe, maybe not • Theory—can contribute, but does not generate extensive support for theoretical issues. • Social Scientific (Validity, Reliability, Significance • Personal Bias 1/16/2022 24

Goals of criticism • Understanding-- How does the TV text create meaning for socio-cultural issues, symbolic • Explanation • Appreciation 1/16/2022 25