Module Identifier TFM1030  
Module Title CASE STUDIES IN AUDIENCE AND RECEPTION RESEARCH  
Academic Year 2005/2006  
Co-ordinator Dr Mikel Koven  
Semester Semester 2 (Taught over 2 semesters)  
Course delivery Lecture    
Assessment
Assessment TypeAssessment Length/DetailsProportion
Semester Assessment Participation in public forum 1 x Participation in public forum with subsequent evaluative commentary40%
Semester Assessment 5,000 word essay 1 x 5,000 word critical essay60%

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. engage in an informed and critical way in debates about contemporary research problems and projects, evaluating them in terms of the formulation of research questions, conceptualisation of tasks, and methods of research
2. make valuable connections between past traditions and procedures of research, and contemporary problems and tasks
3. participate in public fora of debate, on topics of live interest and importance
4. design a research proposal, taking note of the expectations of the appropriate Research Councils.

Brief description

This module is designed to provide a space within which a range of current topics can be investigated and critically examined. The programme of sessions will be built around a series of speakers, both internal and external, and from academic and non-academic research communities, who will engage students in issues of on-going research practice. Its precise content will vary from year to year, according to developments in external situations and the availability of speakers (whose visits will be coordinated with the Department'r series of research seminars). Visiting speakers will as far as is possible include representatives from policy bodies (such as the Broadcasting Standards Council and Video Standards Council), and commercial bodies (both industry sectors which use audience research, and specialist research companies). Generally, prior to a speaker'r visit, there will be a preparatory discussion on the nature of the issues, the relevant research record to date, issues of method and ethics, and related problems of `ownership? and use of research outcomes.

Content

Indicative sessions might include:


1. Issues in studying real world audiences and problems
2. `Violence? research as an example of interventions
3. Visiting speaker 1: studying `violence?
4. Designing a project, working to a brief
5. Researching controversial audiences
6. Internal speaker 1: studying a controversial audience
7. Designing research according to Research Council criteria
8. Researching digital audiences
9. Visiting speaker 2: digital audiences
10. Youth anti-politics as an issue
11. Internal speaker 2: researching young people and politics
12. Operationalising `commonsense? concepts
13. Critical examination of research proposals
14. Researching niche markets
15. Visiting speaker 3: defining target audiences
16. Action research
17. Internal speaker 3: doing action research on students
18. Exploring other research traditions
19. Visiting speaker 4: museum visitor studies
20. Review of relations between academic and other research traditions

Aims

To provide an opportunity for students to engage in debate on current live issues concerning audiences, in both academic and non-academic spheres.
To provide a space within which students are able to encounter and debate with audience research practitioners, from both academic and non-academic backgrounds.
To enable students to encounter the actual constraints on both the design and conduct of audience research, and to devise solutions to these.

Module Skills

Reading Lists

Books
** Recommended Background
Cumberbatch, Guy et al (1985) Television and the Miners? Strike London: Broadcasting Research Unit
Kitzinger, Jenny (1999) A sociology of media power: key issues in media audience research?, in Greg Philo (ed), Message Received , London: Longman
Morrison, David et al (1999) Defining Violence: the Search for Understanding Luton: University of Luton Press
Seiter, Ellen (1999) Television and New Media Audiences Oxford: Clarendon Press
Barker, Martin, Jane Arthurs & Ramaswami Harindranath (2001) The Crash Controversy: Censorship Campaigns and Film Reception London: Wallflower Press
Vorderer,P. and Bryant, J (eds.) (2005) The Psychology of Entertainment NY:Lawrence Erlbaum
Philo, G. and Berry, M. (2004) Bad News form Israel London:Pluto Press
Kritzinger, J in Philo, G. (ed.) (1999) Mesage Received 'A Sociology of media power:key issues in media audience research' London:Longman
Livingstone, S. (ed.) (2005) Audiences and Publics London:Intellect

Journals
Morley, D. and Barker, M. (2006) The Communication Review Debate on the State of Audience Research 9:2.

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 7