TIM_M_006 Methods and Technics of Research for Masters

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2024
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Klára Smejkal (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Klára Smejkal
Department of Musicology – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Ing. Alena Albíniová
Supplier department: Department of Musicology – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Thu 10:00–11:40 N31, except Mon 18. 11. to Sun 24. 11.
Prerequisites
The course is taught in Czech.
A basic orientation in social science research paradigms and methods appropriate to TIM undergraduate studies, and the ability to read and understand professional text in English are assumed.
The course is not a lecture, it is a seminar in which students are expected to participate actively and prepare independently.
The course is recommended to be taken in the first year of the Master's degree.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 150 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 9/150, only registered: 0/150, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/150
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to introduce students to the basics of empirical research with an emphasis on social science research methods, which can be useful in conducting their own research in the field of interactive media, for example for the purposes of preparing a thesis.
The course will discuss key methodological concepts and research methods in the social sciences that students may encounter in the development of a thesis in the field of Interactive Media Theory. The course will introduce students to the fundamentals of scientific knowledge and empirical research with an emphasis on the possibility of applying selected social science research methods to the study of interactive media. The first part of the course is devoted to the fundamentals of scientific knowledge and the core aspects of empirical research - the basic features of scientific knowledge, the logic of empirical research, the issues of expert sources, research design, and the specifics of qualitative and quantitative research. The second part of the course offers an overview of selected social science research methods that can be used in research in the field of interactive media, such as interviewing (questionnaire surveys and interviews) or content analysis.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- list and define the main features and concepts of scientific knowledge in the context of social sciences and humanities
- list the basic aspects of research design and illustrate them in a research project
- describe the research methods discussed in the course and illustrate their applicability within the field of study
- select an appropriate research population or case for their own research
- choose an appropriate method of data collection and analysis for the needs of your own research and reflect on its limitations
Syllabus
  • Introductory lesson, introduction to the course
  • Science and scientific knowledge
  • Working with literature, academic text, and its requirements
  • The logic and design of social science research. An overview of the main quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research techniques
  • Seminar: consultation of final project topics
  • Selection of the research population, validity, reliability
  • Selected data collection methods: survey
  • Selected data collection methods: qualitative forms of interviewing
  • Selected data collection methods: content analysis
  • Seminar: presentation of final projects
  • Ethics of research in social sciences. Publication and presentation of results
Literature
    required literature
  • BABBIE, Earl R. The practice of social research. Fourteenth edition. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2016. ISBN 978-1-305-10494-5.
  • BRYMAN, Alan. Social research methods. 4th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012, xli, 766. ISBN 9780199588053. info
  • CRESWELL, John W. Qualitative inquiry & research design : choosing among five approaches. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE, 2007, xvii, 395. ISBN 9781412916073. info
  • DISMAN, Miroslav. Jak se vyrábí sociologická znalost. [Brno: Masarykova univerzita. Středisko pro pomoc studentům se specifickými nároky, 2001, 1 online. URL info
  • WENGRAF, Tom. Qualitative research interviewing : biographic narrative and semi-structured methods. First published. London: Sage Publications, 2001, xxiv, 398. ISBN 0803975007. info
Teaching methods
seminar, discussion, group work, presentation
Assessment methods
final test, proposal of the methodological procedure, presentation of the project proposal
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2019, Autumn 2020, Autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2024/TIM_M_006