220078 SE SE Advanced Data Analysis 3 (2023W)

This course aims to introduce the fundamentals, methods, and practices of qualitative research for communication research. Through presentation of scholarly readings and immersion into one’s own in-depth research project, this course explores a variety of qualitative research approaches, taking into account issues of epistemology (ways of knowing), methodology (ways of examining), and representation (ways of writing and reporting). We will examine interpretive theory, and several intellectual traditions that constitute this field of research including analytic induction, grounded theory, sensemaking, and ethnography. We will
read exemplars of qualitative research that illustrate these particular theoretical traditions as well as examine key issues such as gaining access to research sites, forms of interactions with research subjects, and research ethics. Students will carry out their own research project, engaging in 20+ hours of field research. Through this project, students will have the opportunity to collectively enact and reflect upon the central phases of qualitative research such as: planning, negotiating access, observing, interviewing, creating field texts, analyzing field texts, writing, and explicating the contribution of their work. The goal is that students will emerge from the class with first-hand qualitative research experience and a significant understanding of qualitative methods that can serve as a basis for an ongoing research program.
Specific Learning Objectives:
By the end of this course, students will:
• Gain an understanding of the theoretical, historical, and philosophical traditions of qualitative research in Communication Studies.
• Develop skills and methods to engage in independent qualitative research, including the ability to design a study, collect data, and analyze materials
• Become familiar with how to read, interpret, write, and present qualitative research