The completion of minimum 30 credits of the Communication for Development Master Program.

The aim of this course is to give the students the opportunity to gain practical experience of the usage of research methods, and to reflect upon and discuss methodological issues of relevance for Communication for Development in general, and the study they are planning to pursue during their degree project in particular.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

After completing the course, the student shall demonstrate:

• an understanding of the principles and rationale of a range of research paradigms of relevance for the studies of Communication for Development,

• in-depth knowledge about advantages and disadvantages of specific research methods, and

• knowledge about research within the broader academic and practical field of Communication for Development.

SKILLS AND CAPACITIES

After completing the course, the student shall demonstrate:

• the ability to formulate research questions, design a study and select methods appropriate for specific research needs,

• the capacity to reflect upon methodological aspects related to various research paradigms, and to see the relationship between theoretical discourse and choice of methods, and

• the capacity to apply research methods in the area of Communication for Development.

CRITICAL SKILLS AND APPROACH

After completing the course, the student shall demonstrate:

• the capacity to critically reflect upon their own role and position as researchers, such as power issues, ethical aspects as well as limitations and strengths of the outcome result,

• the critical awareness needed to discuss and analyse ethical problems connected to research in the area Communication for Development,

• awareness of risks and harms of different research methods and designs in Communication for Development research, and

• methodological reflection upon methodological issues such as epistemology and ontology.

Lectures, tuition, literature studies and assignments.

The course is examined through an individual assignment, where the student, on the one hand, should get the opportunity to gain practical experience of the usage of (at least) one particular research method of his/her own choice, and on the other hand to reflect upon and discuss methodological issues of relevance for Communication for Development in general, and the study she/he is planning to pursue during the project work in particular.

Overarching methodology and introduction to a variety of methods

(one of these should be chosen as compulsory reading in the Research methodology module)

Deacon, David, Michael Pickering, Peter Golding & Graham Murdock (2007) Researching Communications. A Practical Guide to Methods in Media and Cultural Analysis. 2nd edition. London: Hodder Arnold.

Hansen, Anders (1998) Mass Communication Research Methods. Basingstoke: Macmillan.

Pickering, Michael (ed. 2008) Research Methods for Cultural Studies. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Suggested in-depth reading about specific methods is listed under the course site

(at least one of these should be chosen for in-depth understanding and guiding in the work with the exam assignment in Research Methodology)

An anonymous electronic course evaluation is made at the end of the course. The electronic evaluation is accessible for all students.

Access to computer with Internet connection (broadband) is required.