M.A. DEGREE EXAMINATION, NOVEMBER 2017.
Third Semester
Journalism and Mass Communication
COMMUNICATION RESEARCH METHODS
(CBCS 2014-16 onwards)
Time 3 Hours Maximum 75 Marks
Part A (10 x 2 20)
Answer all questions.
1. Define Research.
2. What is an experimental research?
3. Write a brief note on Census Method.
4. What is Content Analysis?
5. List four primary uses of a questionnaire.
6. What is a Survey?
7. What do you mean by the term test of significance?
8. What is reliability?
9. Write note on Readership surveys.
10. Write a note on TRPs.
Sub. Code
515303
RW-768
2
Ws9
Part B x 5 25)
Answer all questions, choosing either or
11. Differentiate the role of basic and applied research.
Or
What is the term longitudinal studies refer to? And
explain it.
12. What is an observational method means to you?
Explain it with an example.
Or
What is a case study?
13. How would you plan a Focus Group Discussion?
Explain it with the help of a research problem.
Or
Explain any five sampling methods of your choice
with examples.
14. Write an elaborate note on the levels of
measurement.
Or
What is your understanding about historical
method?
15. Write a note on the ethical perspectives of mass
media research.
Or
Explain briefly two ethical dilemmas you came
across while you pursue this count on
communication research methods.
RW-768
3
Ws9
Part C x 10 30)
Answer any three questions.
16. Do you agree with the statement: "to be termed scientific,
a method of inquiry must be based on gathering
observable empirical and measurable evidence subject to
specific piinciples of reasoning"? Explain.
17. ''Indian Universities engage in research in tune with the
agenda set by the Publishing Companies that bring out
research journals, and the Indian researchers invariably
fail to set the research agenda reflecting the ground
realities'': Explain the statement with specific issues that
you came across in recent times.
18. User-generated content has become ubiquitom and it is
not surprising that marketers are focusing more
attention on social media as an online channel to
communicate with consumers and to commission market
research to gain insight into consumers' opinions,
attitudes or behaviour. With this backdrop, evaluate the
new opportunities created for researchers to observe,
intend and gather information which also led to new
techniques including the use of community panels,
co-creation, netnography, blog-mining and web scraping.
19. Agenda setting is now detailing a second level of effects
that examines how media coverage affects both what the
public thinks about and how the public thinks about it.
Explain the second level of agenda selling which deals
with the specific attributes of a topic and how this agenda
of attributes also influences public opinion.
RW-768
4
Ws9
20. Objectivity is a goal of scientific investigation and it is a
frame of mind so that personal prejudices, preferences or
predilections of the social scientists do not contaminate
the collection of analysis of data. Malinowski advocated
cultural relativism while anthropological field work in
order to ensure objectivity. Durkheim in the Rules of the
Sociological Method stated that social facts must be
treated as things and all preconceived notions about
social facts must be abandoned. What is your take on
objectivity in a scientific investigation? Illustrate it with
a couple of research problems wherein the objectivity was
at stake to the researcher.
————————