METHODOLOGY AND THE BA PROJECT

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JANUARY 2020 BA METHODOLOGY SEMINAR

AARHUS UNIVERSITY

METHODOLOGY AND THE BA PROJECT

PRACTICE, PROCESS AND PROBLEMS

Seminar for BA students, communication January 2020

Mia Rasmussen, External Lecturer (BA supervisor), PhD

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8.15 – 8.25 Welcome and agenda

8.25 – 9.45 Lecture on methodology and the BA project

10.00 – 11.15 Group discussions based on specific project subjects and challenges 11.15 – 11.30 Summing up and closing remarks

TODAY’S PROGRAMME

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BA METHODOLOGY SEMINAR JANUARY 2020

o To place focus on the significance and importance of methods in scientific assignments – and to get you off to a good start!

o Methods can fundamentally be understood as roads that lead to a goal. Within this context, we look at the road both as a process and as a scientific approach to reaching an answer to a problem statement

o By actively participating in today’s seminar, you will be able to incorporate methods in your work process. And you will be well on your way...

PURPOSE WITH TODAY’S LECTURE

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o What is a BA project within communication?

o Scientific method

o Methods for producing and analysing data

o The process in practice: introduction to the pentagon o Links, literature and a few words on formalities

o Questions

NB: some of the pictures contain active links. To activate them, the presentation needs to be shown in slide show-view.

AGENDA

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What is a BA project within communication?

(also refer to the course- and exam descriptions for BA MMC)

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Definition of the scientific/research genre:

o “Documentation o of research

o of a single subject-specific problem

o in a given field’s (or adjacent fields’) “state of the art”

o by means of the theories and methods of the field o with the purpose of convincing

o peers

o of the accuracy of the results and conclusions of the research

o presented in a way that is accepted in the field’s discourse community.”

Rienecker & Stray Jørgensen, 2013, p.21

WHAT IS A BA PROJECT?

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You choose the topic for your BA project within a subject area relevant for Marketing and Management Communication. The topic has to be approved by your supervisor.

o The BA project may focus on the solution to a specific, practical issue within the chosen topic, e.g. in relation to an organisation or brand. Please note, that the issue must be addressed

through the application of relevant academic theories and methods.

o The BA project can also be theoretical, i.e. based on the analysis and discussion of theories, models and concepts presented in existing academic literature.

(cf. course and exam descriptions)

TOPIC AND CONTENTS OF THE BA

PROJECT

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The objective of the bachelor's project is to qualify the student for independently researching subject areas in marketing and management communication (cf. BA MMC course and exam description)

o the ability to identify a research problem within the subject areas

o the ability to acquire and systematically process knowledge by locating and reading relevant academic literature

o the ability to present and discuss academic literature

o the ability to carry out field studies aided by appropriate methods and based on methodological reflections (if appropriate for the chosen research problem)

o the ability to produce, analyse and discuss empirical material – or to select, analyse and discuss existing theories, models and/or concepts

o the ability to reflect on the appropriateness and applicability of the chosen theories and methods o the ability to structure a written project in accordance with principles for academic writing

THE PURPOSE OF THE BA PROJECT

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In the assessment of the extent to which the student meets the objective of the bachelor’s project, emphasis is placed on the student’s ability to (cf. BA MMC course and exam description):

o select a topic of relevance to the subject areas of the programme and identify a research problem within that topic o choose and argue for theories, methodologies and methods appropriate for investigating the research problem o demonstrate critical reflection in applying theories, methodologies and methods

o demonstrate independence and critical reflection in relation to the analysis as well as the presentation and discussion of findings

o assess the extent to which the findings (project results) are applicable in, or contribute to, concrete real-world and/or academic contexts

o design a well-structured project observing the formal requirements of academic writing (structure, layout, argumentation etc.)

o compose the project in a precise, varied, clear and correct language

EVALUATION CRITERIA

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The course and exam description’s evaluation criteria are the criteria used to assess the BA project. Consequently:

Read your BA project critically and ask yourself:

does the BA project live up to the evaluation criteria?

EVALUATION CRITERIA

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Scientific method

(cf. Research methodology/Videnskabsteori og metode)

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The BA project as a scientific genre is related to the production of scientific knowledge

WHAT IS THAT?

“Knowledge is a direct reproduction of fact”

“Knowledge is constructed

in the eyes of the beholder”

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”Knowledge does not create itself! Knowledge is created by the researcher based on the

understanding of the existing as existing and the understanding of methods of knowing, which the researcher is part of” (translated from Nygaard 2005b, 11)

Knowledge is constructed based on the researcher’s assumptions about:

 the existing as existing, i.e. ontological assumptions (what constitutes the world?)

 knowing, i.e. epistemological assumptions (how do we come to know the world?)

The researcher’s assumptions about the world (ontology) and his way of knowing the world

(epistemology) lead to different methodological choices (methods of knowledge production) and research processes

SCIENTIFIC METHOD

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If an organisation is a ‘machine’, how do we study communication and workflows in the organisation? How can we understand what an employee is?

How does it change if we understand an organisation as a living organism?

Which methods are suitable for such investigation?

EXAMPLE: WHAT IS AN ORGANISATION?

‘organism’

‘machine’

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Paradigm

(A set of basic assumptions that are characteristic for a subject area,

i.e. the researcher’s ideas about a theoretical field and the associated research practice)

PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

Ontology

(understanding of the existing as the existing)

Epistemology

(understanding of methods of knowing)

Methodology

(understanding of methods for generating knowledge)

Nygaard 2005b, p.13; translation S

Research process

(problem statement, delimitation, data production, analysis and conclusion)

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Purpose: how do teenage girls perceive/understand/

react to Cult Shaker’s Party Now Apologize Later!-campaign?

o We can approach the question in different ways.

Different scientific perspectives (paradigms) result in different types of knowledge production.

o E.g. a positivist vs. constructivist scientific perspective

SCIENTIFIC METHOD – EXAMPLE

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Ontology: the world consists of measurable facts (emotions, attitudes), which form an objective and independent basis for scientific knowledge

Epistemology: facts are accessible through unbiased and systematic observation

Methodology: hypothesis-driven. The deductive and logical model of explanation and proof Goal: to measure, systematise, explain and predict; deduce general laws

Scientific ideal: objectivity, neutrality – the Truth

Quantitative/statistical methods: e.g. a questionnaire to 500 teenage girls aimed at investigating their attitude to the campaign and its effect in relation to purchase

SCIENTIFIC METHOD – EXAMPLE:

POSITIVISM

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Ontology: reality is seen as relativist. The social is made up of meanings and interpretations – meaning occur through and by interpretations

Epistemology: subjective. Meaning can not be observed directly – in order to understand meaning, we have to interpret how people construct meaning

Methodology: complex – it is not a question of reducing complexity, but of understanding it in its own complexity

Goal: to understand how people experience the world and attribute meaning to the world Scientific ideal: subjective – interpretative

Qualitative methods: e.g. qualitative interviews with consumers in order to understand the campaign’s meaning in relation to teenage girls’ identity and self-worth

SCIENTIFIC METHOD – EXAMPLE:

CONSTRUCTIONISM

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What characterises pasta consumption?

Quantitative/statistical methods: e.g. questionnaire to 1000 consumers, investigating their attitude towards pasta, their purchasing behaviour and preferences

 Produces insights into the who, what, where and when of pasta consumption

Qualitative methods: e.g. qualitative interviews with consumers and

observations at home to understand why we buy pasta and how we consume it

 Produces insights into the why and how of pasta consumption

SCIENTIFIC METHOD – EXAMPLE

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To take responsibility for the project’s scientific position – do not disclaim it:

Your scientific position must ensure the quality of and the opportunity for evaluating the scientific knowledge. It is not an excuse for disclaiming

science, e.g.:

“I am a social constructionist,

because I believe that the world is socially constructed. So is

knowledge. Knowledge is subjective, and therefore I can’t generalise. This project is only my subjective

knowledge and not an expression of a general claim.”

REMEMBER

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o The scientific position is the underlying understanding of how knowledge is produced, which lies beneath the individual theories and methods

o It must be defined as a point of departure for the selection of theory and method in order to explicate the foundation upon which the study rests

o It does not have to be a long scientific discussion, but the relationship between scientific positioning and theory and method must be clear, and the position’s significance for

options and limitations must be kept in mind throughout the project

o Scientific reflection, explication of assumptions and coherence in methodology and research process

SCIENTIFIC METHOD

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It is not a question of stating, but of reflecting

(e.g. what consequences does it have for the quality of the knowledge I produce? What am I able to say something about? What does it mean for my choice of theory, method and

analytic strategy?)

Always begin with the problem statement and work from there!

How do I define theory/data/central concepts?

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Methods for producing and analysing data

(cf. relevant courses: Research methodology, Corporate discourse analysis and Introduction to statistics)

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o Artefacts (e.g. advertisements, buildings, annual reports, CSR reports) o Surveys (e.g. questionnaires, vox pops)

o Interviews (e.g. focus groups, individual interviews) o Observation (e.g. ethnography, netnography)

How do you ensure the quality of your data – what scientific criteria dictate the quality?

(reliability, validity and generalisability or transparency, ethics and quality or...)

 Argumentation in favour of, explication of and reflection in relation to your choices and their consequences

METHODS OF DATA PRODUCTION

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o Discourse analysis (note: a number of different varieties) o Multimodal analysis

o Quantitative or qualitative content analysis o Categorisation and condensation

o Theoretically generated analytic model o Semiotic analysis

o Etc.

The different methods of analysis highlight different aspects of the data and suggest that these aspects are carriers of meaning

METHODS OF DATA ANALYSIS

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o The classical divide between quantitative (e.g. surveys, statistics) and qualitative (e.g.

interviews, observations) methods of data production.

o The classical divide between quantitative (e.g. content analysis) and qualitative (e.g.

discourse analysis) methods of data analysis.

o But does the divide always make sense or is it desirable to break away from it?

o Triangulation, mixed methods – why/why not?

QUALITATIVE VS. QUANTITATIVE

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Reflection Ontology

Epistemology

Methodology

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Is there coherence and a logical thread between what you are asking in your problem statement, the theories you are using, your data and the way you are analysing your data?

Are you able to conclude on your problem statement based on your choices?

Always begin with the problem statement

and work from there!

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The process in practice

(the project pentagon)

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Topic: a delimited subject area

Problem: something within the subject area that lacks an answer/solution

Problem area: a description of the context in which a problem exists (there can be several problems within a problem area)

Problem statement/research question: a concrete question posed within a problem area

Purpose: states why you wish to answer the question: what should the answer to your problem statement be used for – what legitimises the question’s relevance?

PROBLEM RELATED WORDS

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Give priority to filling in the pentagon

THE PENTAGON: THE PROCESS IN PRACTICE

Background and motivation Problem statement

Theory/Method Data Approach

Rienecker & Stray Jørgensen 2013, p. 31

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From topic to problem statement/five central questions

o The study’s question (problem statement): what are you asking?

o The study’s purpose or use: why are you asking?

o Data, empirical material, phenomenon: to what are you asking?

o Tools of the study: theories, concepts, subject specific methods: with what are you asking?

o Approach of the study: how are you asking?

CENTRAL QUESTIONS IN THE PROCESS

Rienecker & Stray Jørgensen, 2013

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o Scribo: an online tool for developing your project

o Easy to use

o A useful tool – especially in the early phases

o Forces you to deal with central questions (27 questions)

o Ensures cohesion between the project’s basic elements – in the five corners of the pentagon

o You can access Scribo via: https://library.au.dk/studerende/opgaveskrivning/hjaelpeprogrammer/

THE PENTAGON

– HELP TO HELPING YOURSELF

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Examples of questions

THE PENTAGON

– HELP TO HELPING YOURSELF

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o Jump into the circle: what do you know now

o When you get stuck in one area, move on to the next

o The wheel illustrates that the process does not necessarily follow a linear progression, but rather a cyclical/spiral process

o But … in order to stop the wheel from bolting, please remember to make choices and decisions along the way

THE PROCESS WHEEL

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Links, literature and a few words on formalities

(if you want to know more)

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STUDYPEDIA

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Blackboard

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE….

Here you can access:

o the course and exam description

o groups assigned to your individual supervisors o The slides from today’s seminar

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Here you can find links to:

o Forms

o Formalities

o Literature on project writing

o Library resources o And lots more…..

STUDY PORTAL

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Previous BA projects AU Career

Studypedia

Scribo (NB! Log on via the library)

The library resource page for communication

RELEVANT LINKS

theses@bss.d

k

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o The project report can be written individually or in groups (max. 4).

o Max. length: (excl. front page, table of contents, summary, references and appendices, but incl. footnotes)

o1 student: max. 25 pages o2 students: max. 45 pages o3 students: max. 60 pages o4 students: max. 70 pages + summary (max. 2 pages)

1 page = standard page = 2,200 characters excl. blanks

RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE BA PROJECT

Remember to state number of characters NB! Do not exceed max. number of characters

“When students write in groups, the project must still appear as a cohesive unit, but each individual group member’s contribution must be clearly specified.”

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o Plagiarism is when you make work produced by others look like your own. Remember to add/cite references and to indicate copied text in quotation marks

oCopy-paste of texts or models for analysis that you pretend to have developed

based on underlying theory, but in reality is developed by someone else and where that reference/source is not cited

oDiscussion of different theorists that you pretend to be your own based on readings of them, but in reality has been copied from a review text where the discussion has already been made

o If you let a third party help you with parts of your project, or perhaps the entire project, it is not your performance that is evaluated, but someone else’s. That is cheating.

o Plagiarism or cheating may lead to suspension or expulsion

AVOIDING PITFALLS…

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December 20 Supervisors have been assigned (see Blackboard) January 28 Methodology seminar!

From February 1 First meeting with your supervisor (bring preliminary problem statement) Around March 1 Final project outline approved by your supervisor

May 1 Hand-in BA project

June 1 (app.) Evaluation available on mit.au.dk

IMPORTANT DATES

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o Make sure that you know your Study Guide and course and exam description o Be aware of deadlines

o Find a topic that interests you

o Spend (a long) time on your problem statement and use it actively as the project progresses o Coordinate expectations with your supervisor

o Keep appointments and prepare for/take the role as leader of the meetings o Produce and submit drafts regularly

o Remember that it’s OK to have off-days. Use them to recharge your batteries, then you’re ready to work hard the next day

o Have fun!!!

A FEW PIECES OF ADVICE

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Questions?

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o Daymon, C. & Holloway, I. (2011): Qualitative Research Methods in Public Relations and Marketing Communications. Sage.

o Kuada, J. (2012): Research Methodology : A Project Guide for University Students.

Samfundslitteratur.

o Olsen, P.B. & Pedersen, K., eds. (2008): Problem-Oriented Project Work : A Workbook.

Roskilde University Press.

o Rienecker, L.; Stray Jørgensen, P.; with contributions from S. Skov (2013): The Good Paper.

A handbook for writing papers in higher education. Frederiksberg: Samfundslitteratur.

o Symon, G. & Cassell, C., eds. (2012): Qualitative Organizational Research : Core Methods and Current Challenges. Sage.

LITERATURE (ENGLISH)

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o Andersen, H.L. & Tofteskov, J. (2008): Eksamen og eksamensformer. Betydning og bedømmelse. Frederiksberg: Samfundslitteratur.

o Andersen, I. (2004): Guide til problemformulering – i projektarbejder inden for samfundsvidenskaberne. Frederiksberg: Samfundslitteratur.

o Andersen, I. (2008): Den skinbarlige virkelighed. Frederiksberg: Samfundslitteratur.

o Darmer, P. og Nygaard, C., (2005): “Paradigmetænkning og (dens begrænsning)”, i: Nygaard, C., (2005), Samfundsvidenskabelige analysemetoder, Frederiksberg: Samfundslitteratur, side 21-44

o Frandsen, F.; Halkier, B. & Johansen, W. (2002): Net>værk, Frederiksberg:

Samfundslitteratur.

o Fuglsang, L. & Olsen, P.B., red. (2004): Videnskabsteori i Samfundsvidenskaberne, 2. udg.

Roskilde universitetsforlag

o Harboe, T. (2010): Metode og Projektskrivning – en introduktion. Frederiksberg:

Samfundslitteratur.

LITERATURE (DANISH)

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o Hedelund, L. & Stray Jørgensen, P. (2004): Mundtlig eksamen med skriftligt materiale/synopsis. Frederiksberg: Samfundslitteratur.

o Nygaard, C., red., (2005a), Samfundsvidenskabelige analysemetoder, Frederiksberg:

Samfundslitteratur

o Nygaard, C., (2005b), “Introduktion til samfundsvidenskabelige analysemetoder”, i: Nygaard, C., (2005), Samfundsvidenskabelige analysemetoder, Frederiksberg: Samfundslitteratur, side 9-20

o Rasmussen, E. S. & Østergaard, P. (2005): Samfundsvidenskabelige metoder. En introduktion. Odense: Syddansk Universitetsforlag.

o Rienecker, L.. & Stray Jørgensen, P. (2004): Den gode opgave. Frederiksberg:

Samfundslitteratur.