Qualitative Research Methods for Media Studies

Reading Summary

Because quantitative research aims to find correlation between variables and organize the results in a systematic, organized way utilizing numbers and specific data, it seems much more reliable to use than qualitative research. Qualitative research focuses on using interpretive data that is more focused on the meaning of relationships that can actually provide much more info than quantitative research can give. When conducting qualitative research it is important for a researcher that “based on the questions they wish to ask, the specific historical context that relates to their research questions as well as the theoretical framework they plan to use for their research” (Brennan 4). In a media sense, unlike quantitative researchers, qualitative researchers aim to find and comprehend the relationships between media and society instead of just focusing on cause and effects. Because qualitative research can be ambiguous confusion can occur when displaying data, so Brennan places much importance to use appropriate words to maintain clarity.

Outside Example

One outside example that came to my mind is binge drinking. According to cdc.gov, “One in six US adults binge drinks about four times a month, consuming about seven drinks per binge. This results in 17 billion total binge drinks consumed by adults annually, or 467 binge drinks per binge drinker”. In addition to this, “Binge drinking is most common among younger adults aged 18–34 years”.

https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/binge-drinking.htm

Reading Connection

From a quantitative researcher’s point of view, they would find these statistics very interesting. They may use these results and compare them from results in previous years or decades to see if there is a pattern or an increasing/decreasing rate. In addition to this, they may choose to do more research to see which drinks are most commonly used in binge drinking and what that does for the alcohol market. However, because a qualitative researcher aims to explore the connection between media and society, they may ask and research questions such as, “Why do some people choose to binge drink?”, “Is there a connection between advertising or peer pressure to the rate or demographics of binge drinking?”, or maybe even “Why is binge drinking popular and what does that do to different societies and cultures?”.