Strategic Communication
This course covers research methodology and strategic communications in business and the professions. It discusses research planning and design including the research proposal, identification of appropriate measurement instruments, and evaluation of alternative methodologies and their validity. Students are required to complete a minimum of a 20-page research proposal and literature review (Chapter 1 and 2) consistent with standards of the university’s Directed Research Project (DRP). Students also acquire oral and written communication skills necessary to perform effectively as managers. All phases of the communications process - interpersonal, group, and public speaking - are illuminated throughout the course as are current challenges presented by new technology, the global marketplace, and workforce diversity.
Chapter 2: Tools of Research
Chapter 2 outlines a variety of research methods. Most research methods fall into one of three categories: quantitative or qualitative. Quantitative methodologies evaluate/explore reality by reducing and/or associating phenomenon with numbers and/or symbols. Qualitative means the “examination of data in the form of verbal descriptions rather than numbers; the purpose of qualitative analysis is to describe behavior and provide an explanation for what was observed.”
Instead of trying to systematically explore the many specific applications of quantitative and qualitative approaches, I have provided links to web sites that provide definitions and examples for many of these approaches. I will explore with each of you the approach that makes most sense for the project you have chosen.
Below, I have linked useful methodology sites:
- Qualitative Research
- Research Methods in the Social Sciences
- Resources for Methods in Evaluation and Social Research
- Social Research Methods
Chapter 3: The Problem: The Heart of the Research Process
Visit the following links: