T511--Research Methods in Audience Analysis

Dr. Potter--First Semester, 2007-2008

Class Requirements

Email Comments (15% of your final grade):

Each student is expected to submit email comments to the class on the assigned readings.

You will use the address t511_Fall07@oncourse.iu.edu

Or, if you find it more convenient, just use this link to launch your email program with the correct address.

You can have the comments be summaries of major points, questions you have that you'd like addressed in lecture, points of information/clarification, opinions of the particular reading in light of other things we have learned in class, etc.

I will provide you with brief written or typed responses to these--along with a grade that expresses my assessment of the depth of thought exhibited. Sometimes these will be in time for class; other times I will need to play "catch up" on the weekends. But, I will provide you feedback. I will grade these using the following scale:

4--Outstanding set of comments, showing a thorough reading of the assigned articles and informed scholarly wrestling with the ideas expressed,

3--An above average set of comments that show you have read the assigned articles and thought about their meaning,

2--An average set of comments that indicate you read the assigned articles prior to class.

I expect to receive these from you by 3pm Monday afternoon.

I encourage you to have fun with these. Beyond worrying about your grade on this course requirement, I hope that you read and respond to the comments of your classmates--perhaps we could begin an online dialogue about the topics. Plus, at the end of the semester you will have something in writing to help you remember the things we have read.

Presentation of Ratings Research & Experimental Article (30%):

There are two presentations each student will give to the class: one will focus on ratings the other on experimental design.

Chapters 2 thru 5 of the Webster et al. textbook describe how ratings data can be used to investigate a variety of research topics along a wide spectrum of interests in telecommunications. I want you to use these chapters as a guide to recognize where ratings data might prove useful in your particular interest area. Then, your job will be to search the peer-reviewed, academic journals to find an article that uses ratings data as a variable when addressing questions or making predictions within your area of interest. As soon as you find such an article, you will email the list and 'claim' it. No more than one student may claim any particular article. In class September 24 each student will give a 10-15 minute structured presentation to the class describing that article in detail. More details about the desired structure will be forthcoming.

Your second presentation will be October 15. It is designed for you to show an understanding of basic experimental design. Again, you will find a peer-reviewed, academic journal article describing an experiment and give a 10-minute summary.

Midterm Exam (20%):

On October 22nd there will be an in-class midterm exam. This exam will cover cumulative information regarding industry ratings, basic experimental design, and details from the student class presentations. You will be given the chance to prepare written answers, use a laptop, or visit a computer cluster during the exam period.

Data Collection/Analysis/Presentation (20%):

Beginning October 15 the course will revolve around 3-meeting "units" focusing on a single data collection method usually used by academic researchers. Each unit will be made up of three parts: 1) a lecture emphasizing the main aspects of the method and important considerations, 2) a data collection period where the method is actually used by 2 or 3 students to address an original research question or hypothesis, and 3) a 30 minute presentation of how the data collected were cleaned, edited, and analyzed.

I will conduct part 1--the lecture concerning the method. The other two parts will be conducted by students in the class with planning, refinement, and consultation from me and my graduate research assistants. I would count on meeting with me about your selected "unit" no later than 2-weeks before your data collection period. Please plan ahead as my schedule--- like yours--- is very hectic.

You are welcome to sign up for a measure of interest at any time. They are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The final schedule of who is doing what will be set on October 1.

As you consider what to sign up for, keep in mind that if you have familiarity with a particular measure already--I probably know about it. If you sign up for that "unit," I will be looking for some advanced thinking in design, stimulus, analysis, etc. OR a particularly strong sense of wanting to help tutor those who are new to the measure.

Still, because this is a course on methods, I'd encourage you to explore measures that you do not have any familiarity with.

How can your area of interest be answered using a different dependent measure?

Literature Summaries (15%):

You will turn in to me an annotated bibliography describing articles which use the measures we study in the second half of the course (thought listing, continuous response measurement, heart rate, skin conductance, secondary task reaction time, and memory). Specifically, you must select 4 of these measures and, for each, provide me a critical summary of three articles that employ them. More details on the issues I want each summary to address will be forthcoming. However, I would suggest that you begin trying to identify which measures interest you and begin finding and reading articles that use them.

The summaries will be due by noon on Wednesday December 12.

This is the due date. No late papers will be accepted. Please don't ask. No matter how busy the semester gets.

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