6 ECTS credits
166 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 1017037ANR for all students in the 2nd semester at a (A) Bachelor - preliminary level.

Semester
2nd semester
Enrollment based on exam contract
Impossible
Grading method
Grading (scale from 0 to 20)
Can retake in second session
Yes
Taught in
Dutch
Faculty
Faculty of Social Sciences & SolvayBusinessSchool
Department
Communication Sciences
Educational team
Lotte Vermeire
Sarah Vis
Tom Willaert (course titular)
Activities and contact hours
26 contact hours Lecture
14 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
14 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
126 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study
Course Content

The course 'Academic Research 2' provides an overview of the research perspectives and most common research methods in communication research. This overview is situated within the methods and techniques that exist within the broader field of social science research and in the different methodological paradigms. The rules and procedures that a researcher must follow to guarantee the quality in conducting scientific research are discussed. Several common communication science research types (including literature review, content analysis, survey, ethnography, ...) are discussed in this course.

Course material
Digital course material (Required) : Slides & artikels, Canvas
Handbook (Required) : Bryman's Social Research Methods, Clark - Foster - Sloan - Bryman, 6de, Oxford University Press, 9780198796053, 2021
Additional info

The main study material for this course is the textbook "Social Research Methods' by Alan Bryman (2015).

The lectures are supported by PowerPoint slides that contain the structure and general description of the content. The slides are made ​​available via Canvas. Additional articles are also offered (for illustration and discussion) on Canvas. Students are also expected to take notes during the lectures.

Digital course materials (required): slides + articles.

Learning Outcomes

General competencies

This course contributes to the following general learning results of the bachelor in Communication Sciences:

  • Students have knowledge and understanding of the diverse paradigms, main theoretical currents, concepts and research traditions within communication sciences, including different levels (micro-meso-macro), types ‘e.g., corporate, government, journalistic, … communication) and components (sender, medium, message, receiver).
  • Students show insight in the position and mutual relations of the diverse paradigms, main theoretical currents, concepts and research traditions within the discipline and in relation to other theories, methods, concepts and models in other disciplines (interdisciplinarity).
  • Students demonstrate insight in the underlying human and worldview and (the historical development of) assumptions of the diverse paradigms, main theoretical currents, concepts and research traditions in general and their approach to the relation between media, communication and society in particular.
  • Students have knowledge and insight regarding applicable research methods in the discipline.
  • Students demonstrate insight in the diversity of sources and search techniques.
  • Students show a critical attitude with regard to sources and literature. 
  • Students can develop their own scientifically grounded judgement and act in the spirit of free inquiry – i.e. with an open, critical-constructive and a-dogmatic attitude. Students do not seek ‘ultimate truths’, yet respond to scientific debate and the relative uncertainty of insights from an open position.
  • Students reflect upon their own position as scientists, construe assumptions and identify and explicitate critically their presuppositions.
  • Students act upon an open attitude in a culturally diverse international context. They critically reflect on their own (geographical, social, cultural, local, personal, …) position
  • Students develop an attitude of willingness to listen and respect to one another in order to engage in debates on the basis of scientifically and empirically grounded arguments.
  •  Students apply, under supervision and on a general and junior level, knowledge and insights regarding diverse research methods of Communication sciences.

Specific competencies

At the end of this course students should be able to:

  • distinguish and define the fundamentals of major philosophical visions on the function of social science research and scientific theory
  • appoint, recognize and compare the most common methods and techniques for communicating scientific research
  • execute a methodological literature review
  • define a scientific study design
  • discuss, retell, summarise and critical screen articles containing empirical communication science research
  • analyze and reflect on decisions taken when reading scientific studies

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 50% of the final mark.
Practical Exam determines 50% of the final mark.

Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • Written Exam with a relative weight of 100 which comprises 50% of the final mark.

Within the Practical Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • Assignments with a relative weight of 100 which comprises 50% of the final mark.

    Note: - Methodological literature study - individual assignment
    - Methodological research design - group assignment

    (!) The use of generative AI is not allowed for these assignments.

Additional info regarding evaluation

First session

  • Written exam = 50% of the final result
  • WPO (individual assignment + group assignment) = 50% of the final result

For the WPO there is a compulsory attendance of all students, as this is necessary to achieve the learning objectives. All students are expected to be present at every session and also to have read the articles discussed during the WPO. Any unauthorized absence during the compulsory seminar leads to -1 at the point of the seminar (-1 out of 20, which is subsequently reduced to 50% of the final result).

Absence from one of the exam components leads to an absence as a final result.

The student has passed the course in case of a final result of at least 10/20, even if a score lower than 10/20 was achieved on one of the two examination components (exam or practical assignments).

Second session

  • Written exam = 50% of the final result
  • WPO = 50% of the final result

For a result of at least 10/20, partial results (written exam or WPO) are transferred to the second session. The student who nevertheless wishes to retake one of the two examination components sends an e-mail to the teacher no later than the start of the second examination period.

Transfer to the next academic year

The partial result of the written exam cannot be transferred to the following academic year. With a result of at least 10/20, the partial result of the WPO can be transferred to a following academic year. Please note, this is only possible if the student was not unlawfully absent during the WPOs in the previous academic year. To obtain a transfer of the grade from the WPO, the student must request this from the teacher in the first week of the new academic year. If no transfer of results is possible, the student must again participate in the WPO in a new group and mandatory attendance again applies.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark
The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context

This offer is part of the following study plans:
Bachelor of Communication Studies: Standaard traject (only offered in Dutch)