Communications Studies (COMS) 451 - Lecture 01
Research in Communications
Fall 2008
W: 15:00 - 17:50

 

Instructor:	Dr. Tania S. Smith
Office Location:	SS 326
Office Phone:	220-7774
E-Mail:	smit@ucalgary.ca
Web Page:	http://www.ucalgary.ca/~smit
Office Hours:	Please refer to the instructor's online calendar http://www.ucalgary.ca/~smit/OfficeHours.htm to suggest a time for an appointment.  Preferred times: MWF 10-12:00.

Additional Information

Recommended: Internet access, and skills with Microsoft Office (or free Open Office software) email, and basic internet and library database search skills.

This course involves learning and using free online applications for web authoring, blogging and information sharing.  The instructor also uses Blackboard to post ongoing announcements, grades, and course information. 

As well, students will be expected to perform some data-gathering activities during class hours as scheduled by the instructor, and outside of class as scheduled by students.

Course Description

In this course, we will study the major approaches and methods used to conduct qualitative and quantitative research in the field of communication studies. We will learn the intellectual traditions within which these approaches and methods emerge, and we will apply them to the study of communication and its social contexts.

Students will learn about research design, literature reviews, data collection, analysis and interpretation of data, the use of technology in research, and ethical considerations.  Students will gain hands-on experience by carrying out small data-gathering, analysis, and reporting assignments. We will also examine the communication of research results in academic journals and to the wider public.

NOTE: The theme for this section this year is "Communication, culture, and sustainability." As we learn and practice aspects of social research in communication, we will be working in coordination with COMS 463 students (also taught by Dr. Smith) to supply preliminary information for a web page and/or blog.  The blog will express various facets of our Faculty's students and teachers' implementation and understanding of the social, cultural and communicative aspects of "sustainability" as defined by the Talloires Declaration and related sustainability discourse & research.

Objectives of the Course

• To introduce students to a number of research traditions in the field of communications studies and the methods typically employed in these traditions.
• To familiarize students with methodological issues that affect the selection and implementation of data collection and analysis techniques in communication research.
• To provide students with practical experience in carrying out research through classroom activities and small data-gathering assignments.
• To sensitize students to the role of research in public policy discussions and public and personal decision-making related to the course theme described above.

Textbooks and Readings: 

1. Seale, Clive, ed. (2004). Researching Society and Culture, 2^nd ed.  London: Sage. 
2. (Online resource) University Leaders for a Sustainable Future.  Talloires Declaration  http://www.ulsf.org/programs_talloires.html
3. Supplementary articles and links to be provided via Blackboard and course website.

Assignments and Evaluation

• 10 % October 1 - Essay and Learning Proposal
• 25 % October 24 - Midterm portfolio
• 25 % December 5 - Final portfolio - Portfolios are an organized collection of weekly research and writing assignments (due on most Fridays, as posted) in-class writing, supplemented by a student's reflective commentary and optional revisions. These are graded holistically in two separate installments. Each portfolio is worth 25%.
• 5% Co-Leading a Creative Class Activity (Activity dates to be scheduled)
• 25 % Final Exam - scheduled by registrar
• 10 % Class Participation (Discussion & activities in class and when assigned online; responsible communication and consultation with the Instructor.)

 

ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION:  It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment. Please hand in assignments electronically to the instructor by following directions on the course website.  Any handwritten or non-electronic components of assignments should be given directly to the instructor.  If it is not possible to do so, a daytime drop box is available in SS110; a date stamp is provided for your use. A night drop box is also available for after-hours submission. Assignments will be removed the following morning, stamped with the previous day's date, and placed in the instructor's mailbox.

PRIVACY AND PUBLICATION:  Students will frequently be asked to read and respond to each other's assignments and in-class writing.  During the course, your writing will remain confidential to the students and instructor in this course and the students in COMS 463 who will share online space and research data.  However, you may be given the option to publish some of your work online as part of our class's collaborative website or blog.  If this is the case, you will be provided with a consent form to be kept confidential by a third party.  The instructor will not know of your consent or withdrawal until final grades have been assigned, and will only publish consenting students' work online.

INSTRUCTOR'S RESEARCH: To improve the quality of teaching in this subject area, your instructor occasionally analyzes data about student learning that is gathered naturally in the course of teaching, and may present these findings at conferences or in academic publications. Unless you give signed consent, data specific to your course work and participation will not be included in such research. During course evaluation time, or after the course is over, the instructor may recruit participants or email you a request to use your work outside of the course. You are free to decline participation or withdraw participation at any time. Any signed consent forms will not be seen by the instructor until after the final grades have been submitted.

Registrar-scheduled Final Examination:  YES

Please note: If your class is held in the evening, the Registrar's Office will make every attempt to schedule the final exam during the evening; however, there is NO guarantee that the exam will NOT be scheduled during the day.

Policy for Late Assignments

Assignments submitted after the deadline may be penalized with the loss of a grade (e.g.: A- to B+) for each day late. 

Writing Skills Statement

Faculty policy directs that all written assignments (including, although to a lesser extent, written exam responses) will be assessed at least partly on writing skills. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Writing skills include not only surface correctness (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc) but also general clarity and organization. Research papers must be properly documented.

If you need help with your writing, you may use the Writing Centre.  Visit the website for more details: www.efwr.ucalgary.ca

Grading System

The following grading system is used in the Faculty of Communication and Culture:

(Revised, effective September 2008)

 

Letter Grade	Grading Scale	Grade Point Value (see U of C Calendar: Academic Standing)
A+	96-100	4
A	90-95.99	4
A -	85-89.99	3.7
B+	80-84.99	3.3
B	75-79.99	3
B-	70-74.99	2.7
C+	65-69.99	2.3
C	60-64.99	2
C-	55-59.99	1.7
D+	53-54.99	1.3
D	50-52.99	1
F	0-49	0

 

Where a grade on a particular assignment is expressed as a letter grade, it will normally be converted to a number using the midpoint of the scale.  That is, A- would be converted to 87.5 for calculation purposes.  F will be converted to zero.

Plagiarism

Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic offense. Consequences include failure on the assignment, failure in the course and possibly suspension or expulsion from the university.

You must document not only direct quotations but also paraphrases and ideas where they appear in your text. A reference list at the end is insufficient by itself. Readers must be able to tell exactly where your words and ideas end and other people's words and ideas begin. This includes assignments submitted in non-traditional formats such as Web pages or visual media, and material taken from such sources.

Please consult your instructor or the Writing Centre (SS 106, efwr.ucalgary.ca) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation, it is your responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Centre (220-8237) and discuss your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of the course.

Students' Union

For details about the current Students' Union contacts for the Faculty of Communication and Culture see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/su

"SAFEWALK" Program -- 220-5333

Campus Security will escort individuals day or night -- call 220-5333 for assistance. Use any campus phone, emergency phone or the yellow phone located at most parking lot booths.

Ethics

Whenever you perform research with human participants (i.e. surveys, interviews, observation) as part of your university studies, you are responsible for following university research ethics guidelines.  Your instructor must review and approve of your research plans and supervise your research.  For more information about your research ethics responsibilities, see

The Faculty of Communication and Culture Research Ethics site: http://www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/ethics

or the University of Calgary Research Ethics site: http://www.ucalgary.ca/research/compliance/ethics/info/undergrad/

Schedule of Lectures and Readings

To be provided on the course webpage, which will be linked to the instructor's webpage at http://www.ucalgary.ca/~smit/