Qualitative Research Methods for Media Studies

This fully updated fourth edition provides students and researchers with the tools they need to perform critically engaged, theoretically informed research using methods that include interviewing, focus groups, historical research, oral histories, textual analysis, ethnography and participant observation, and digital ethnography and netnography.

Each chapter features step-by-step instructions that integrate theory with practice, as well as a case study drawn from published research demonstrating best practices for media scholars. Readers will also find in-depth discussions of the challenges and ethical issues that may confront researchers using a qualitative approach. With new case studies and examples throughout, this fourth edition also includes updated and expanded material on performing data analysis, how to analyze and understand research findings, performing social media research, and the use of big data and Artificial Intelligence (AI). This includes a brand-new chapter