JOUR 5260 6:30-9:20 P.M. Mondays(Meets Every Other Week)

Qualitative Research Methods

JOUR 5260 6:30-9:20 p.m. Mondays(meets every other week)

Fall 2016

ProfessorTracy Everbach, Ph.D.

Phone/office214-995-8464-cell; 940-369-7766-office; SYC 286A in Denton

Office hoursThursdays 1-5 or by appointment or telephone or Skype

Twitter@TracyEverbach

Skypetracy.everbach

Texts•Required: The Practice of Qualitative Research, Third Edition,Sharlene Nagy Hesse-Biber, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2017

•Strongly recommended: Choice of Publication Manual of the APA (6thEdition), orChicago Manual of Style (16th Edition) other citation websites.

DescriptionThis course is both theoretical and practical in its approach to qualitative research. We will cover the history of academic research and philosophy; the present state of qualitative research (and cultural and critical studies in mass media); the comparison of qualitative research to other methods; its tools and its methods; and the ethics of qualitative research. We also will read examples of qualitative mass media studies in current journals and books. You will use the methods you learn in this class through several group projects.

Course goals include:

• Field research using qualitative methods
• Think critically, creatively and independently
• Conduct research and evaluation information by methods appropriate to the communications professions
• Understand concepts and apply theories in the use and presentation of images and information.
• Write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications professions, audiences and purposes they serve.
• Apply tools and technologies appropriate for the profession
• Attainment of a qualitative vocabulary
• Understanding of the difference between quantitative and qualitative research
• Knowledge of various qualitative traditions, methods, and objects of research
• Ability to design a research study and to complete a project using academic protocols
• Comprehension of the standards of the qualitative research community, its writing forms, and APA or Chicago style, as demonstrated in a final paper.

ACEJMC competencies:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the history and role of professionals and institutions in shaping communications;

• Demonstrate an understanding of gender, race ethnicity, sexual orientation and, as appropriate, other forms of diversity in domestic society in relation to mass communications;

• Demonstrate an understanding of the diversity of peoples and cultures and of the significance and impact of mass communications in a global society;

• Understand concepts and apply theories in the use and presentation of images and information;

• Demonstrate an understanding of professional ethical principles and work ethically in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness and diversity;

• Think critically, creatively and independently;

• Conduct research and evaluate information by methods appropriate to the communications professions in which they work;

• Write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications professions, audiences and purposes they serve;

• Apply tools and technologies appropriate for the communications professions in which they work.

GradesYour grade for this course will be based on:

●Five qualitative group projects (50 percent of grade—10 percent each for in-depth interviews, focus groups, ethnography, content analysis/case study and oral history).

●Online assignments/class participation (20 percent)

●Final individual paper/qualitative project (30 percent)

Online essaysWhen the class meets online, you will be posed a question under the “discussions” feature of Blackboard/Learn. Each student is expected to answer the question based on the readings and presentation given. Essay-style answers should be 500-750 words long and contain citations.

Academic honestyAcademic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, the use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or exams; dependence upon the aid of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor, the acquisition of tests or other material belonging to a faculty member, dual submission of a paper or project, resubmission of a paper or project to a different class without express permission from the instructors, or any other act designed to give a student an unfair advantage. Plagiarism includes the paraphrase or direct quotation of published or unpublished works without full and clear acknowledgment of the author/source. Academic dishonesty will bring about disciplinary action, which may include expulsion from the university. This is explained in the UNT Student Handbook. The instructor reserves the right to issue a ZERO for any assignment found to have involved plagiarism, fabrication, dual submission or any other act of academic dishonesty.

Mayborn policyThe codes of ethics from the Society of Professional Journalists, American Advertising Federation and Public Relations Society of America address truth and honesty. The Mayborn School of Journalism embraces these tenets and believes that academic dishonesty of any kind – including plagiarism and fabrication – is incongruent with all areas of journalism. The school’s policy aligns with UNT Policy 18.1.16 and requires reporting any act of academic dishonesty to the Office for Academic Integrity for investigation. If the student has a previous confirmed offense (whether the first offense was in the journalism school or another university department) and the student is found to have committed another offense, the department will request the additional sanction of removing the student from the Mayborn School of Journalism. The student may appeal to the Office for Academic Integrity, which ensures due process and allows the student to remain in class pending the appeal.

AttendanceIf you are absent, you will still be responsible for the material on those days. Since the class meets only eight times during the semester, class only should be missed for illness, disaster or death.

Campus carryStarting in August 2016, students, faculty and staff members who have a concealed carry license may carry a handgun on UNT property, including classrooms. This law was passed by the Texas Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott. UNT President Neal Smatresk is charged with setting the policy for the university and has decided, based on advice from a task force, that classrooms are permissible places for concealed carry. The campus carry policy and further information are listed here:

Campus policy stipulates that the person carrying a handgun must hold a License to Carry issued by the state of Texas. The weapon also must be concealed. If you see a handgun in this classroom, the person carrying it is violating the law. You should report this violation to the instructor, who will contact police. You also may call the police yourself.

SyllabusThis is a tentative outline. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to keep up with changes in this syllabus and additional assignments. It is also your responsibility to communicate with your group and make arrangements to do your part of the work.All assigned articles may be found in the UNT Electronic Library. Most are located in the Communication and Mass Media Complete database.

Week 1Aug. 29:Introduction to qualitative research, go over syllabus and class projects, fieldwork/observation exercise in class. Establish research groups.

Week 2Sept 5: ONLINE *Read Chapters 1 and 2 of Hesse-Biber book, “An Invitation to Qualitative Research” and “Paradigmatic Approaches to Qualitative Research.”

*Read posted article/handout, John W. Creswell, “Five Qualitative Approaches to Inquiry.”

Respond to online questions.

Week 3Sept. 12: *Read Chapters 3 and 4 of Hesse-Biberbook, “Designing Qualitative Approaches to Research” and “The Ethics of Social Research.”

Introduction to the IRB.

Week 4Sept. 19: ONLINE *Read Chapter 5 of Hesse-Biber book, “In-Depth Interviewing” and Deuze, Mark, “Popular journalism and professional ideology: Tabloid reporters and editors speak out,” Media, Culture & Society 27, 6 (March 2005): 861-882. (Find in UNT electronic library.)

Answer online question on Blackboard.

Begin work on in-depth interview project with your group.

Week 5Sept. 26:GROUPS presentin-depth interview projects.

Week 6Oct. 3: ONLINE*Watch 8-minute video streamed through UNT library on “What Is Oral History Interviewing?”

Go to Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front Oral History Project:

Go toThe Portal to Texas History Women With Words Project:

Choose one of the interviewees and read that person’s oral history conducted by former students in this class. Write a 500- to 750-word summary of the oral history you read and how you think it adds to your understanding of Texas women journalists. Post on Blackboard discussion board.

Week 7Oct. 10:Begin work on oral history project with your group.

*Read Chapter 6 of Hesse-BiberLeavy book, “Focus Group Research”andPatricia Curtain and Scott Maier. “Numbers in the Newsroom: A Qualitative Examination of a Quantitative Challenge,” Journalism &Mass Communication Quarterly 78, 4 (2001): 720-738. (Find in electronic library.) Be prepared to discuss.

**DUE**:Final paper proposals, 1-2 pages double-spaced outlining project idea and possible research sources.

Week 8Oct. 17: ONLINE Work on oral history projectsand focus group projects with your group. (No online question to answer this week.)

Week 9Oct. 24: GROUPS present focus group projects.

Week 10Oct. 31: ONLINE *Read Chapter 7of Hesse-BiberLeavy book “Ethnography,” and Tracy Everbach, “The Culture of a Women-Led Newspaper: An Ethnographic Study of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune,” J&MCQ 83, 3 (2006): 477-493.

Answer online question.

Begin work on ethnography project with your group.

Week 11Nov. 7: GROUPS present ethnography group projects.

Week 12Nov. 14:ONLINE*Read Chapter 8, Chapter 9and Chapter 10 of Hesse-BiberLeavy book, “ “Case Studies,” “Researching Mass Media: Images and Texts,” and “Mixed Methods Research.”

*Read Teri Finneman and Ryan J. Thomas, “The British National Press and the 2012 Royal Family Photo Scandals.” Journalism Practice Vol. 8, No. 4 (2014): 407-420. (Find in electronic library.)

Answer online question.

Begin work on content analysis or case study project with your group.

Week 13Nov. 21:GROUPS present content analysis/case studies.

Week 14NOV. 28: ONLINE.Read section of textbook on “Tying the Strands Together,” Chapters 11 and 12. Work on final papers and oral history projects.

Week 15Dec. 5: Final paper discussions/wrapup.

FINAL PAPERS DUE by midnight, Monday. Dec. 12

ORAL HISTORIES DUE by midnight, Thursday, Dec. 5

Assignments:

Projects should be completed in pairs or groups of three. A 750- to 1,000-word report on the process and outcome of each project is due on the required day and should have all participating members’ names on it. (Except the oral history project, which has special instructions below.)

Presentations of projects will be conducted according to the schedule. The presentations should include the methods and techniques used and the findings and should take 20-30 minutes. They may use an interactive component with fellow students. All members of the group should take part in the presentation of the findings to the class. If any member of a group is not doing his or her part, group members should report this to the instructor.

In-depth interview project: Each member of the group is assigned to find a journalist, journalism student (not in the class), or a person connected with journalism or with journalism education or the same for professionals, students and educators in public relations or advertising. Each member of the group should focus on a separate person. Each group member should conduct a semi-structured interview with open-ended questions. The questions will focus on the person’s thoughts about the current state of the journalism, public relations or advertising. Group members also should gather information about the person’s background and experience to put the answers in context. Review the results of the interviews with members of your group. Decide on the most important themes of the interviews. Write a report on what you learned from conducting the interviews, asking follow-up questions, any resistance or pitfalls you encountered and how you handled them, and what themes resonated among the answers.

Oral history project: You will have the opportunity to participate in a special project the Mayborn School of Journalism is conducting for the Portal to Texas History. We are conducting oral histories of women journalists and media professionals in Texas, specifically the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Your group will choose a subject for your project from a list posted on Blackboard or a woman you identify and have approved by the instructor. You will conduct an oral history of this person, using written notes and a choice of either audiotape or videotape. For your assignment you must submit the following:

1. A photo of this person in .JPEG form, of sufficient quality to post on a website. A headshot or an environmental portrait would be best.
2. A 500-word journalism story summarizing this person’s career and importance to journalism.
3. A .pdf file of the transcript of this person’s interview with your group.
4. Completion of required release forms (posted on Blackboard).

All names of interviewers and writers should be included on the files you turn in.You must have the subject proofread the oral history before you turn it in.

Focus group project: Conduct a focus group session with a minimum of three people on a topic having to do with journalism, mass media, public relations or advertising. For example, you could interview readers of a particular newspaper or Web site, working journalists (including student journalists), people who teach or study journalism, people who produce public relations campaigns or advertising campaigns, or advertising consumers. Prepare and revise a series of open-ended interview questions. Write a report on the focus group project, discussing the advantages and disadvantages of conducting focus group interviews. Also include the results of your focus group interviews.

Ethnography project: Ask permission of a particular group, class or institution to observe them at work or other activity. Spend at least TWO sessions observing this group, class or institution and the process of what they do. Take plenty of field notes. After your observation sessions, meet in your group and write a report about your experiences completing this project.

Content analysis or case study project: (For content analysis) Select a television newscast or at least two editions of a daily newspaper or a magazine or a news Web site.Conduct a qualitative content analysis of the text you choose. The approach should be grounded in either discourse, ideological, rhetorical, or semiotic analysis.

(For case study) Choose coverage of a particular issue or incident in at least two media outlets. This can be two newspapers, two TV newscasts, TV and newspaper coverage, radio coverage or Web coverage.

(For either of these options you also may choose a public relations campaign or an advertising campaign.)

For either option, each group member should write a separate analysis of the text (all using the same approach) and then get together to discuss the various interpretations. Together, write a report analyzing the assignment. Also attach each person’s original analysis to the report with names of the author on her or his work.

Individual final paper: This paper should run 10-15 pages long and include a reference list (if you use APA style) or footnotes/endnotes (if you use Chicago style). Choose one or more qualitative methods to complete your study. Your study should include an introduction that states a research question. You should complete a literature review on the topic you choose (minimum 10 sources). This section should include your theoretical basis for the study. You should include a section explaining and justifying your methodology, a section on the results/findings, and a conclusion section that may include recommendations. I suggest selecting a topic that intrigues you and might be worth further study (including a thesis if you choose to complete one). Research proposal is due on Oct. 10. The final paper is due Dec. 12through Turnitin.com on Blackboard.

NOTE: Special thanks to Dr. Jacqueline Lambiase and Dr. Dustin Harp for sharing their syllabi and ideas with me for this class.

JOURNALISM REQUIREMENTS & GUIDELINES

RE-TAKING FAILED JOURNALISM CLASSES

Students will not be allowed to automatically take a failed journalism course more than two times. Once you have failed a journalism course twice, you will not be allowed to enroll in that course for one calendar year after the date you received the second failing grade. Once a student has waited one calendar year after failing a course twice, the student may submit a written appeal to the director to be approved to enroll a third time. Students will not be allowed to re-take a failed journalism course more than three times.

TEXTBOOK POLICY

The Mayborn School of Journalism doesn’t require students to purchase textbooks from the University Bookstore. Many are available through other bookstores or online.

FIRST CLASS DAY ATTENDANCE

Journalism instructors reserve the right to drop any student who does not attend the first class day of the semester.

ACADEMIC ADVISING

Students should meet with their Academic Advisor at least one time per long semester (Fall & Spring). It is important to update your degree plan on a regular basis to ensure that you are on track for a timely graduation.

• It is imperative that students have paid for all enrolled classes. Please check your online schedule daily through late registration to ensure you have not been dropped for non-payment of any amount. Students unknowingly have been dropped from classes for various reasons such as financial aid, schedule change fees, parking fees, etc. MSOJ will not be able to reinstate students for any reason after late registration, regardless of situation. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure all payments have been made.

IMPORTANT DATES FOR FALL 2016

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Classes Begin. / Aug 29
Census. / Sept 12
Labor Day (no classes; university closed). / Sept 5
Beginning this date a student who wishes to drop a course must first receive written consent of the instructor. / Sept 13
Last day for student to receive automatic grade of W for nonattendance.
Last day for change in pass/no pass status.
Last day to drop a course or withdraw from the semester with a grade of W for courses that the student is not passing. After this date, a grade of WF may be recorded. / Oct 7
Beginning this date instructors may drop students with a grade of WF for nonattendance. / Oct 8
Last day to drop with either W or WF.
Last day for a student to drop a course with consent of the instructor. / Nov 7
Beginning this date, a student who qualifies may request an Incomplete, with a grade of I. / Nov 14
Last day to withdraw (drop all classes).
Last day for an instructor to drop a student with a grade of WF for nonattendance. / Nov 23
Thanksgiving Break (no classes, university closed). / Nov 24-27
Last Regular Class Meeting. / Dec 8
Reading Day (no classes). / Dec 9
Final Exams. / Dec 10-15
End of term. / Dec 16

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