Media Research Project Proposal

Description

1. Introduction (about 1 page): in this part, describe what your project is about, and why it is important. Make sure it is a media studies topic, and also ensure you discuss in a way that is appropriate to a media researcher (i.e. not as a merely descriptive piece of consumer research – “who likes what kind of media” sort of writing)
2. Literature Review (2-3 pages): in this part, present a brief summary of what other scholars have written about the topic you propose to conduct your research on. Include 4-5 sources (books, journal articles) and discuss their ideas briefly. You need not find research exactly like what you wish to do, but you should be able to find key concepts, ideas and past studies relevant to your own.
3. Hypothesis/Research Question and Methodology (1-2 pages): state your hypothesis and/or research question clearly and briefly. Describe the research design for the project you plan to do in some detail. Is it a content analysis, survey, or interview design? Are the indicators you use to operationalize your key concepts in the hypothesis valid and reliable? Describe the universe and sample for your study briefly as well. Briefly describe how you will analyze your results. (note: these concepts will be discussed in class next week)
4. Appendix: include a bibliography of sources cited in your paper written in proper APA/MLA style, and also include a draft of your research “instrument” for the final project (a draft of the survey questions you plan to ask, or the content analysis coding frame etc.)

A note on topic selection – remember that for this class, your topic should be a media studies topic, and also lend itself to writing as a primary research topic (based on original survey/interview/content analysis data rather than only on library research). Three broad areas you could explore are:

1. An audience survey (quantitative) or interview (qualitative) project
2. A textual /content analysis of media
3. An ethnography of media institutions/media production based on interviews with media creators