CAS 304 – Quantitative Methods for Communication Research

The purpose of this course is to instruct students on concepts and issues of quantitative research methods in Communication. Students will learn how Communication researchers conduct and evaluate research from using a variety of quantitative methodologies. By the end of the course, students will possess the knowledge necessary to understand and evaluate arguments utilizing research to persuade, as well as, to conduct sound research on their own. A primary goal of the course is to enable students to become a critical consumers and producers of information that defines the world around them. The course will educate on the proper terminology/concepts used in research methods. The end result of the course should be a fundamental understanding of how to critique and conduct research in the field of Communication.

Course Objectives

1. To become familiar with the appropriate language or terminology of research methods.
2. To understand the ethical decisions involved with conducting sound research.
3. To be able to articulate the similarities and differences in the different types of communication research methods.
4. To understand the challenges of selecting an appropriate method to study a communication issue.
5. To develop the skills necessary to critically evaluate the methods used in various types of communication research.
6. To be able to construct a valid argument utilizing appropriate research methods.