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Doing Media Research
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Doing Media Research

January 2025 | 312 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd
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What is media research and how is it done? This book offers detailed introductions and practical guidance for all aspects of media research, from developing a research question and choosing sources to interpreting media texts, applying qualitative and quantitative methods, conducting interviews, and much more.

You will encounter:

  • A 'Fundamentals' section covering eight big topics like 'what is method?'
  • A global perspective reflected in case studies of media research in Asia, Africa and South America
  • Practical examples on topics from crafting a thesis statement to conducting an analysis and presenting the outcomes
  • Integrated discussion of contemporary issues like the ethics of social media research

This essential companion will empower any media student to tackle their research with confidence and skill. 

 
Section I: Fundamentals
 
Chapter 1. What is research?
 
Chapter 2. What is an idea?
 
Chapter 3. What is a media research topic?
 
Chapter 4. What is a research question?
 
Chapter 5. What is a theoretical framework?
 
Chapter 6. What is method?
 
Chapter 7. What is analysis?
 
Chapter 8. What is ethical research?
 
Section II. The research process
 
Chapter 9. Choosing sources and collecting data
 
Chapter 10. Picking apart and piecing together: interpreting media texts
 
Chapter 11. Sorting and counting: structured analysis of media content
 
Chapter 12. Asking and listening: researching with producers, audiences and users
 
Chapter 13. Mapping and visualizing: illustrating ideas and exploring data
 
Section III. The writing process
 
Chapter 14. Genres of research writing
 
Chapter 15. Argumentation
 
Chapter 16. Responsible citation
 
Chapter 17. Giving and receiving feedback

Doing Media Research offers an essential helping hand to guide us down the rabbit hole of our media, at each step reminding us how much fun it is to study and learn about what shapes our lives the most.

Professor Mark Deuze
University of Amsterdam

Michael Stevenson

Michael Stevenson is an associate professor of new media and digital culture at the University of Amsterdam. His research interests include the history of new media and open source culture. He has published research in the journals New Media & Society, Internet Histories, The European Journal of Media Studies, among others. He created the short documentary Geeks in Cyberspace: A Story from The Early Web in 2019, and plays third base for the Neptunus Baseball & Softball club’s sixth division amateur baseball team. More About Author

Misha Kavka

Misha Kavka is professor of cross-media culture at the University of Amsterdam and co-founder of the research group Queer Analysis at the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis. She has published widely on gender, sexuality, celebrity and affect in relation to television, film and media technologies. She is the author of Reality Television, Affect and Intimacy (2008) and Reality TV (2012), and the co-editor of volumes and special issues on reality television, gothic culture and feminist theory. More About Author

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