Methods
Methods courses are intended to allow students to explore qualitative and quantitative methods for studying new media. Students are required to take 4 credits in Methods courses.
Selected Sample of Recent Methods Courses
Actual course offerings change year to year. Some courses may have registration restrictions; refer to Schedule of Classes for details. (For Methods courses offered this year, refer to list of current courses.) Students are not limited to the pre-approved offerings listed below and may petition to substitute other relevant courses as they are developed or as considered germane to an individual student’s program in new media and culture.
AAD 607 | Digital Ethnography This course offers critical reflection on and discussion of two interrelated streams of activity that manifest when working ethnographically with the digital: 1. conducting fieldwork in electronic, online, virtual, or otherwise digitally enabled environments, and 2. utilizing digital tools to gather, analyze, organize, and present ethnographic data in any environment.
ANTH 611 | Ethnographic Research: Epistemology, Methods, Ethics Various techniques in ethnographic research. Examines the relationships between methods, theory, and ethics.
ART 590 | Issues and Practices in Digital Arts Intensive critique, discussion, readings, and presentations.
EDLD 611 | Virtual Design and Delivery
EDST 670 | Philosophy of Research Examines the philosophical assumptions that underlie various research methodologies in the human and social sciences.
EDST 671 | Qualitative Methodology I: Interpretive Inquiry Examines the history, philosophy, and basic applications of naturalistic research methods in the study of human experience
EDUC 634 | Qualitative Methodology II: Reflexive Inquiry Examines the irony and ideology of naturalistic approaches to the study of human experience
ENG 670 | Environmental Humanities: Methods & Media This seminar will examine many of these concepts by investigating new methods for humanistic study of environmental problems––methods that emerge from science studies, media studies and the digital humanities as well as ecocriticism, environmental history and cultural geography.
FLR 507 | Video Fieldwork Various theoretical approaches, conceptual issues, research strategies, and techniques used for folklore fieldwork will be examined as a framework for analyzing how folklore video is created. Topics for discussion will include proposal preparation and design, initiating fieldwork and establishing rapport, reflexivity, observation and interview techniques
J 610 | Media Effects (offered under a ‘Topics’ course number)
J 641 | Qualitative Research Methods Introduces qualitative research methods including traditional historical inquiry, oral history, ethnography, and participant observation. (Restricted to SOJC majors only.)
J 642 | Quantitative Research Methods Introduces and analyzes quantitative research methods in terms of design, measurement, inference, and validity. Focuses on conceptualization in communication research. (Restricted to SOJC majors only.)
J 660 | Topics in Advanced Research Methods Explores specific qualitative or quantitative communication research methods. Topics may include discourse analysis, oral history, ethnography, historical methods, legal methods, content analysis, and survey methods.
LING 593 | Corpus Linguistics Corpus-based approaches to the study of natural, human language, focusing on the use of computer-based methods to conduct empirical analyses of written and spoken language. Developing skills in computer programming for linguistic analysis.
PHIL 507 or 607 | Media Archaeology (offered under a ‘Topics’ course number) Introduction to critical-humanistic methods of media archaeology and media genealogy. This courses focuses on both theoretical engagement with the works of Friedrich Kittler, Cornelia Vissmann, & other leading media archaeologists as well as applied work in bringing media theory to bear on historical and contemporary objects of inquiry.
PPPM 656 | Quantitative Research Methods Develops skills in quantitative analysis. Emphasizes selecting appropriate analysis procedures and properly interpreting and reporting results.
PSY 611 | Data Analysis I Introduction to probability, hypothesis testing, and analysis of variance with applications. Includes training in the statistical analysis of data by computer. With laboratory.
PSY 612 | Data Analysis II Multiple regression and advanced topics in analysis of variance. Includes training in the statistical analysis of data by computer. With laboratory.
PSY 613 | Data Analysis III Multivariate techniques including MANOVA, factor analysis, principal components. Includes training in the statistical analysis of data by computer. With laboratory.