Structure of the Module "Methodology" within the Bachelor Program Media and Communication Studies - 90 CP (mostly taught in German language)

Contents (Excerpt of the Study Regulations of 2013)

The module offers an introduction to the basics and techniques of social communication and media research. An overview of the epistemological basics of social scientific research is followed by a presentation of the stages of research procedure (conceptualization, hypothesizing, operationalization, measurement, sampling procedure), selected procedures of data collection (survey, content analysis, monitoring) as well as different research designs and a discussion of case studies from research literature.

Mathematical statistics and its logic as a basis for its application in empirical communication research will be introduced. Against the background of the basic procedures and the preconditions of measurement theory for the collection and evaluation of social scientific data, at first the most relevant univariate and bivariate measured values of descriptive statistics will be presented. The center of the module comprises the introduction to basics of probabilistic basics of statistical sampling and estimation procedures, especially closing statistics and the logic and application of statistical testing procedures.

Students will independently design, conduct and evaluate a teaching and research project. Within small research groups, the contents of the courses will be reflected upon, practically applied and presented.

The module “Methodology: Theoretical Basics, Data Collection and Statistics” comprises a lecture on theoretical basics and data gathering, a seminar, a lecture on the introduction to probability theory and statistics and a tutorial in connection with the second lecture (statistics) and will be completed by a written exam at the end of the summer term (120 minutes).