"We always tell students that "You need to be interested in people's stories if you want to do qualitative research." You can't fake that part. This is actually how Sandra became curious about qualitative research methods; she has always been intrigued by people and their lives. It was in graduate school during a qualitative research methods class that she realized her interest in people's stories was best approached using qualitative research. Qualitative research is a complex confluence of methods for empirical observation of meanings and materials situated within particular sites or texts, which cuts across multiple paradigmatic approaches to the study of communication and media. We begin with this definition of qualitative research as it is foundational to our approach to and teaching of qualitative methods"--
Qualitative Methods in Media and Communication offers a learning-centered guide to designing, conducting, and evaluating qualitative communication and media research methods. Drawing upon years of teaching qualitative research methods, Sandra L. Faulkner and Joshua D. Atkinson introduce and unpack qualitative communication research method design, analysis, representation, writing, and evaluation using extended examples and clear discussion. The authors use key terms, extended examples, discussion questions, student-tested writing and research activities, examples of student work and questions, and suggested resources to help readers design, do, and analyze qualitative research.
As a textbook, its pedagogical goals for the student include: (1) becoming a critical reader of research studies by understanding the epistemologies and methodological assumptions used by researchers, (2) learning the various methods, strategies, and approaches for doing qualitative research, (3) developing a strong basic vocabulary and understanding of concepts relating to qualitative and humanistic research methods, (4) understanding special concerns related to particular research methods, and (5) designing, executing, and representing original qualitative research projects.
With numerous elements intended to engage students and enrich the learning process, the book provides examples of how to do qualitative and critical analyses, including arts-based and media and textual analyses to understand, describe, and query communication and media research in a variety of communication areas. There is also an extensive discussion of ethics in qualitative research and spotlights with renowned researchers on hot topics in qualitative research.
