Important notice
The course guide is provisional.
The PDF version of the course guide may take a few days to become available in the DDD.
Creation and Development of Research Projects Applied to Journalism
Code: 43965Credits: 6
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Journalism and Digital Content Innovation | OB | 1 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Luiz Peres Garzezi
- Email :
- luiz.peres@uab.cat
Teaching staff
- Luiz Peres Garzezi
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
Students must have previous training in techniques and processes of journalistic production, as well as in the basic language of information for media and research methodology in the field of social sciences.
Objectives
The course aims to bring the student closer to the design, creation and development of basic and applied research projects in the area of journalism and innovation in digital content.
The main learning objectives are:
- Learn to plan scientific work for research and innovation in the media.
- Learn to plan a digital innovation project.
- Use quantitative and qualitative research techniques in the area of digital communication and journalism.
- Apply the design of the scientific method appropriately.
- Learn to design, create, develop, and evaluate innovation and research projects in the field of journalism and digital communication.
Learning outcomes
- Apply technologies for producing and managing digital content in order to solve particular problems in the journalism profession.
- Apply interactive digital-narration formats to the analysis and study of different news-production systems.
- Know the formats of digital content and narrative, and the types of cooperation in building news stories.
- Know the new consumer environments for journalistic content so as to propose alternatives for producing and positioning content.
- Implement and evaluate a research project whose results propose solutions applied to the management and production of digital news content.
- Use knowledge, methods and different analyses to extract information, organise it, analyse it and use to solve a research problem.
- Integrate working groups within the news company by offering new solutions to specific problems and situations.
- Integrate the tools and processes acquired within a simulated production environment, shouldering new responsibilities.
- Propose alternatives for using narrative cooperation in the production of news content.
- Propose alternative news-telling strategies that integrate the use of innovation in the management and production of digital content that targets a specific audience.
- Conduct and present an applied research project.
- Recognise the evolution of digital narratives to propose creative solutions on the basis of technological possibilities and narrative cooperation.
- Use digital narration structures to communicate news stories effectively.
- Use news-content positioning and digital-marketing tools to gather information for taking strategic decisions in a specific journalism environment.
- Know how to carry out a research project with a gender perspective.
- Know how to distinguish in theoretical and empirical analyses the effects of sex and gender variables.
- Identify the contributions of gender study to the research topic.
- Produce, compile and interpret empirical data in a gender-sensitive manner.
- Know how to create and use qualitative and quantitative indicators including statistics to gain a better understanding of gender inequalities and differences in the needs, conditions, values and aspirations of women and men.
- Know and use the contributions of women and gender studies in the discipline.
- Recognise the role of the media, audio-visual productions and advertising in the construction of gender relations and sexual and gender identity.
- Know how to identify the role of ICT in the transmission of gender stereotypes and apply measures to avoid them.
- Know how to make an inclusive and non-sexist use of language.
Contents
Unit 1: Introduction to Research in Communication and Journalism
-Scientific knowledge and the social world
-Scientific paradigms
-Falsificationist logic
-Communication as an object of study
-Communication theories and the main methodological traditions
Unit 2: Research Design in Communication
-The importance of the scientific method
-The stages of the scientific process
-Research design
-The justification and limitations of a study
-Qualitative and quantitative perspectives
Unit 3: Research on Communicational Production
-Quantitative methods: content analysis, thematic analysis, correlational analysis of the media agenda.
-Qualitative methods: discourse analysis, socio-semiotic analysis, frame analysis, analysis of representations.
-Triangulation: mixed methods for the study of communicational production.
Unit 4: Reception and Audience Studies
-Quantitative methods: surveys, experiments, network analysis.
-Qualitative methods: participant observation, ethnography, interviews, focus groups.
-Triangulation: mixed methods for the study of reception and audiences.
Unit 5: Research Trends in Communication and the Evaluation of Science
-The evaluation of science and the peer-review process.
-The evaluation of researchers and research funding.
-Science communication.
-Knowledge transfer and applied research.
The detailed content schedule for the different sessions will be presented on the day of the course introduction. It will also be uploaded to the Virtual Campus, where students will find detailed descriptions of exercises and practical activities, various teaching materials, and any information necessary for proper course follow-up.
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 10 | 0.4 | 3, 4, 12 |
| Realization of the research project | 25 | 1 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11 |
| Search for information | 14 | 0.56 | 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11 |
| Classroom activities | 15 | 0.6 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 11 |
| Realization of the research project | 20 | 0.8 | 1, 2, 5, 6, 11 |
| Tutor sessions | 5 | 0.2 | 5, 6, 11 |
| Teachings' expositions | 15 | 0.6 | 3, 4, 11 |
| Participation in exhibitions and debates | 10 | 0.4 | 3, 4, 5, 6, 11 |
The course will use a range of active methodologies and will encourage student participation. It will mainly focus on the study and resolution of real practical cases based on basic or applied research projects. At the beginning of each session, the theoretical content that complements the practical application tasks will be explained to address specific research problems in communication and journalism.
The detailed schedule, including the content of the different sessions, will be presented on the day of the course introduction and will be available on the course Virtual Campus, where students will find the various teaching materials and all the information needed to follow the course properly.
In the event of a change in teaching modality due to force majeure, in accordance with the provisions established by the competent authorities, the teaching staff will inform students of any changes to the course schedule and teaching methodologies.
Note: The course content will be sensitive to gender perspectives and the use of inclusive language.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-class activities | 40% | 15 | 0.6 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 |
| Reading seminars | 10% | 2 | 0.08 | 6, 9, 10, 15, 17, 20, 23 |
| Exam | 20% | 1 | 0.04 | 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23 |
| Research and/or Innovation Project | 30% | 18 | 0.72 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 |
The subject consists of the following evaluation activities:
-Activity A, Realization of an individual research/innovation project supervised and guided by the teaching staff: 30% % on the final grade
-Activity B, Group practices in the classroom related to quantitative and qualitative research techniques: 40% of the final grade
-Activity C, Individual Exam: 20% of the final grade
-Activity D, Reading Seminars: 10% of the final grade
To pass the course, it is necessary to obtain a 5 in Activity C and attend 80% of the practical activities. The practical activities cannot be delivered outside the established deadline. In cases of justifiable reasons (illness or medical treatment with proof), the student will be able to make up the practical activity during the recovery period established in the calendar. Failure to submit the coursework will result in a "not assessable" grade.
Second term Exam:
Students will have the right to retake the course if they have been assessed on the set of activities that account for at least 2/3 of the subject's total grade. To be able to retake the subject, it will be necessary to have obtained a minimum grade of 3.5 in the theoretical content exam.
PLAGIARISM:
In the event that the student commits any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in an evaluation act, that act will be graded as 0, regardless of any disciplinary process that may be initiated. In the event that several irregularities occur in the evaluation acts of the same subject, the final grade for this subject will be 0.
AI
For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for bibliographic research using the software indicated by the teaching staff. Students must clearly identify any parts generated with these technologies, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how AI has influenced the process and final outcome of the assignment. Failure to disclose the use of AI in this assessed activity will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in a partial or total penalty to the assignment grade, or more serious sanctions in severe cases.
Bibliography
Berger, A. A. (2014). Media and Communication Research Methods: An Introduction to Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. SAGE Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781071939017
Busquet i Duran, J., Medina Cambrón, A., & Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, entitat editora. (2017). La Investigación en comunicación: ¿qué debemos saber?, ¿qué pasos debemos seguir? (Primera edición en lengua castellana). Editorial UOC.
Cervi, L., Simelio, N., & Tejedor Calvo, S. (2021). Analysis of Journalism and Communication Studies in Europe’s Top Ranked Universities: Competencies, Aims and Courses. Journalism Practice, 15(7), 1033-1053. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2020.1762505
Eiroa San Francisco, M., & Barranquero, A. (2017). Métodos de investigación en la comunicación y sus medios. Editorial Síntesis.
Fuentes-Navarro, R. (2021). Communication Research in Latin America: Will the “Nocturnal Map” Survive or Fade Away? History of Media Studies, 1. https://doi.org/10.32376/d895a0ea.a5f7f735
García Jiménez, L., Huertas Bailén, A., & Vera-Balanza, T. (2023). Herta Herzog y “la experiencia prestada”: La fundación de los estudios de comunicación y audiencias. Comunicación Social.
García-Jiménez, L. (2021). Aportaciones femeninas a las teorías de la comunicación: Una propuesta para la docencia y la ciencia. Anàlisi, 65, 121-135. https://doi.org/10.5565/rev/analisi.3327
Gómez-Escalonilla, G., & Barranquero, A. (2024). Investigación Cualitativa en los Estudios de Comunicación: Características, Objetos y Técnicas. Profesional de la información, 33(2). https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2024.0211
hooks, bell. (2021). Enseñar a transgredir: La educación como práctica de la libertad. Capitán Swing Libros, S.L.
Jensen, K. B. (2021). A handbook of media and communication research: Qualitative and quantitative methodologies (3rd edition). Routledge.
Kuhn, T. S. (2010). La estructura de las revoluciones científicas. FCE - Fondo de Cultura Económica.
Kumar, S., & Parameswaran, R. (2018). Charting an Itinerary for Postcolonial Communication and Media Studies. Journal of Communication, 68(2), 347-358. https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqx025
Leavy, P. (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Qualitative Research (1.a ed.). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199811755.001.0001
Rizo, M. (2025). El estatuto epistemológico de la comunicación. Consensos, disensos y retos para investigar la comunicación. En: S. Gil Soldevilla & A. Rodríguez Serrano, (Eds). Investigar en la era neoliberal: Visiones críticas sobre la investigación en comunicación en España, pp. 132-157. Universidad de València Servicio de Publicaciones.
Soriano Clemente, J. (2007). L’ofici de comunicòleg: Mètodes per investigar la comunicació. Eumo.
Vilches, L., Río, O. del, Simelio, N., Soler, P., & Velázquez, T. (2011). La investigación en comunicación: Métodos y técnicas en la era digital (1st ed.). Gedisa.
Software
PSPP
Netlytic or equivalent
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TEm) Theory (master) | 60 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |