Seeking Methods Focus Group and Mass Communication Research Development (Western Journalism and Communication Classics Library)

Author: Morrison (USA)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-08
Features: We often find methods dull or even utterly boring; in any book or article, the section on methodology is usually skimmed over by readers, who are more interested in results and ready-to-use theories. This is a regrettable phenomenon, but it may stem from how we teach and discuss methods—we always treat them as a technique or a set of procedures rather than a pursuit of truth. However, the language we use determines how we communicate with the world and describe it. On the other hand, methods are the foundation of the techniques we use to explain things, and therefore are not just techniques: they are the language of research work, succinctly clarifying how we do things. This is a unique perspective book that offers valuable insights for aspiring scholars in mass communication research and is worth reading. It seems we have not yet seen a work as comprehensive as this, which thoroughly elaborates on the development of focus group methods around methodological debates, and discusses the relationship between quantitative and qualitative research, as well as the selection of research methods, from the height of pursuing truth rather than from a technical or procedural perspective. We should learn well from the experiences, lessons, and insights of predecessors and avoid repeating mistakes. How can communication research innovate? Perhaps we will find some inspiration in this book?