J641 Qualitative Research Methods
Calendar and Readings
(Subject to change by in-class announcement)
Last Updated 3-7-07
Readings
(All are on reserve in the Knight Library)
David L. Altheide, Qualitative Media Analysis (Sage,
1996).
Barbara Ehrenreich, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in
America (Hehry Holt, 2001)
Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding Politics: How Americans Produce Apathy
in Everyday Life (Cambridge, 1998)
Thomas R. Lindlof and Bryan C. Taylor, Qualitative
Communication Research Methods, 2nd edition. (Sage, 2002)
John J. Pauly, A Beginner's Guide to Doing Qualitative
Research in Mass Communication, Journalism Monographs 125 (1991)
Qualitative Research in Journalism, Sharon Hartin Iorio, ed.
(Erlbaum, 2004)
Calendar
Week #1 (Jan. 8, 10)
Topic: Introduction to Course
Required Reading: Lindlof and Taylor, Introduction,
Chapter 2. Iorio, Chapter 1. Ehrenreich, Introduction.
Supplemental Reading: Lindlof and Taylor, Chapter 1.
Pauly, A Beginner's Guide to Doing Qualitative Research in
Mass Communication
Week #2 (Jan. 17) No class on Jan. 15)
Topic: Designing research
Required Reading: Lindlof and Taylor, Chapters 2-3;
Eliasoph, Chapter 1. Iorio, Chapter 2 (Friedland/Campbell).
Special guest Jan. 22: Professor Scott Maier, human subjects
coordinator.
Writing Assignment #1: Proposed research question and
applicability of at least two qualitative methods, due in class Jan.
17.
Week #3 (Jan. 22, 24) Topic: Selecting Sources/Methods
Required Reading: Lindlof and Taylor, Chapter 4;
Eliasoph, Appendix 2.
Week #4 (Jan. 29, 31)
Topic: Document Analysis
Required Reading: Altheide, pp. 1-81. Iorio, Chapter 10
(Morris), Eliasoph, Chapter 8. Lindlof and Taylor, pp. 117-118.
Writing Assignment #2: Revised research question and
preliminary report on availability and appropriateness of relevant
sources. Due in class Jan. 29.
Week #5 (Feb. 5, 7)
Topic: Participant-Observation
Required Reading: Lindlof and Taylor, Chapter 5;
Eliasoph, Chapters 2, 4. Iorio, Chapters 5 (Willey) and 8
(Cramer/McDevitt).
Writing Assignment #3: Preliminary research
report and analysis of your first qualitative method trial;
implications for your research question and subsequent research. Due
Feb. 5.
Topic: Interviewing
Required Reading: Lindlof and Taylor, Chapter 6;
Eliasoph, Chapters 3, 5. Iorio, Chapters 6 (Coleman) and 7
(Iorio).
Writing Assignment #4: Report on
participation-observation, including field notes. Due Feb. 12.
Guest presentation on oral history: Kathleen Ryan,
Ph.D. student, on Wednesday, Feb. 14.
Week #7 (Feb. 19, 21)
Topic: Interpretation/Analysis
Required Reading: Lindlof and Taylor, Chapter 7. Iorio,
Chapter 3 (Christians.) Ehrenreich, Evaluation.
Writing Assignment #5: Report on interviewing,
including your list of questions and an analysis of their usefulness.
Due in class Feb. 19.
Document Analysis Discussion, Feb. 21
Leaders: Jessalynn Straus, Abel Patterson, Ahran Park, Andres
Sirois (?), Ben Raymonde Lode
Week #8 (Feb. 26, 28)
Topic: Essay Organization
Required Reading: Eliasoph, Ehrenreich Tables of
Contents, overall organization.
Participant-observation discussion, Feb. 28
Leaders: Ammina Kothari, Windy Hovey, Sasha A. Rae
Week #9 (March 5, 7)
Topic: Writing the research essay
Writing Assignment #6: The organization and expanded
outline (3-5 pages) of your research essay, pulling together the
revised research question, selected methods, tentative analysis, and
proposed interpretation. Due in class March 5.
Interviewing Discussion, March 7
Leadeers: David Gracon, Ben Myers, Alina Padilla-Miller,
Windy Hovey, Sasha A. Rae (maybe).
Workshop opportunity: Reference Librarian Paul Frantz will be
giving a workshop Friday, March 9, on two aspects of library
research: how to find journal articles using the library's new
Onesearch feature, and how to determine if the library has
electronic/print access to periodicals using Findtext. The workshop
is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. in 301B Allen and is expected to
last about an hour.
Week #10 (March 12, 14, 19)
Individual Research Presentations
Monday, March 12: Sasha A. Rae, Ahran Park, Ben Myers,
Andre Sorois, Windy Hovey, Ammina Kothari.
Wednesday, March 14: David Gracon, Ben R. Lode,
Jesalynn Strauss, Alina Padilla-Miller, Abel Patterson.
Week #11
Completed Essay due Monday, March 19, 5
p.m..