Dr. Finn's Weekly Lecture Notes

COMM 250: Introduction to Communication Research
Fall, 2003

Options:

A) Click on the link for any Week to view the PowerPoint Slides in the Browser.
Note: These are optimized for Internet Explorer and do NOT display well in Netscape.

B) "RIGHT Click" on the PPT link, then choose "Save Target As" to download the PowerPoint files to your PC (you can then print as "handouts" - up to 6 to a page - or print an "outline" version).

Consider bringing copies to class for your teammates!

Option A

Option B

Topics Covered

Week 1
PPT
Introduction to Research Methods and "Learning Teams," The Nature of Science
Week 2
PPT

In-Class Practice RAT, Knowledge, Concepts,Theories & Paradigms, Setting Grade Weights I

Week 3
PPT

Readiness Assessment Test 1 (RAT1); Philosophy of Science, The Nature of Causality, Comm Dept. "Welcome Back" Reception (second half of class, Johnson Center)

Week 4
PPT
Variables, RQs & Hypotheses, Operationalization of Variables/Concepts, Making Teams Work I
Week 5
PPT
(RAT2), More on RQs, Hypotheses, Operationalization, Intro to Surveys
Week 6
PPT
Constructing Surveys - Decisions re: Questions, Items, & Scales
Week 7
PPT
(RAT3), Surveys: Items, Scales, & Layout, Ethics in Research
Week 8
PPT
(Finish) Surveys, (Finish) Ethics, Textual Analysis
Week 9
PPT
(RAT4), Finish Textual Analysis
Week 10
PPT
Experiments & Experimental Design I; Descriptive Statistics
Week 11
PPT
(RAT5), Experiments, Statistics
Week 12
PPT
Inferential Statistics (with t-test examples)
Week 13
PPT
(RAT6), Inferential Statistics: ANOVA, Regression, Correlation
Week 14
Thanksgiving - No Class
Week 15
PPT
Naturalistic Inquiry & Qualitative Methods; Intellectual Development