Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Chapter 1 Getting Started 10 Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research 12 The Development of Qualitative Research 14 Conceptual Orientations 17 Chapter 2 Doing Qualitative Research 22 Common Qualitative and Quantitative Terms 24 The Ethics of Qualitative Research 25 The Qualitative Research Process 27 Choosing a Research Topic 27 Crafting Research Questions 29 Gathering and Analyzing Evidence 30 Using Big Data 31 Crafting a Research Report 32 Chapter 3 Interviewing 36 Qualitative Interviews 38 Ethical Considerations 40 Using Qualitative Interviews 40 Conceptualizing a Study 41 Designing a Study 41 Conducting Interviews 42 Interviewing Techniques 45 Transcribing Interviews 47 Analyzing the Information 48 Verifying Information 49 Writing a Research Report 49 Interviewing Exercises 66 Chapter 4 Focus Groups 70 The Development of Focus Groups 72 Contemporary Focus Groups 73 The Role of a Moderator 74 Facilitators’ Communication Strategies 75 Recruiting Participants 78 Dealing With Difficult Participants 80 Ethical Considerations 82 The Focus Group Process 83 Focus Group Research 85 Focus Group Exercises 102 Chapter 5 History 106 Traditional vs. Cultural History 107 Media History 109 The Method of History 111 Collecting Historical Evidence 112 Types of Historical Materials 113 Evaluating Historical Evidence 115 Ethical Considerations 117 Research Using History 118 Historical Methods Exercises 136 Chapter 6 Oral History 140 Technique of Oral History 142 Interview Strategies 144 Learning to Listen 146 The Editing Process 148 Ethical Considerations 150 Research Using Oral History Transcripts 151 Oral History Exercises 173 Chapter 7 Ethnography and Participant Observation 175 Thick Description 177 Ethnography in Media Studies 177 Digital Ethnography 178 Participant Observation 179 Participant Observation Through Avatar 182 Field Notes 184 Reflexivity 186 Analyzing and Interpreting Ethnographic Material 186 Ethical Considerations 187 Research Using Ethnography 188 Participant Observation Exercises 208 Chapter 8 Textual Analysis 212 What Is a Text? 213 The Development of Textual Analysis 214 The Influence of Semiotics 216 Theory and Interpretation 217 Encoding and Decoding 219 Ideological Analysis 220 Genre Analysis 223 Rhetorical Analysis 225 Using New Technologies in Textual Analysis 226 Ethical Considerations 227 Research Using Textual Analysis 228 Textual Analysis Exercises 245 Acknowledgments 250 Index 252 Qualitative Research Methods for Media Studies provides students and researchers with the tools they need to perform critically engaged, theoretically informed research using methods that include interviewing, focus groups, historical research, oral histories, ethnography and participant observation, textual analysis and online research. Each chapter features step-by-step instructions that integrate theory with practice, as well as a case study drawn from published research demonstrating best practices for media scholars. Readers will also find in-depth discussions of the challenges and ethical issues that may confront researchers using a qualitative approach. Qualitative research does not offer easy answers, simple truths or precise measurements, but this book provides a comprehensive and accessible guide for those hoping to explore this rich vein of research methodology. With new case studies throughout, this new edition includes updated material on digital technologies, including discussion of doing online research and using data to give students the tools they need to work in today's convergent media environment.
