Media and Communication Research Methods: An Introduction to Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches

Rating:
Summary: Consise, easy to understand- and altogether a pleasant read!
Review: This is a really straightforward and easy to understand book. Berger carefully and thoroughly goes over different methods used to create original research, both qualitative and qualitative. He carefully spells out the drawbacks each can have and outlines the important tactics that a researcher can use to insure the validity of their findings. Among the topics covered in this book are how research proposals generally work, interviewing, content analysis, historical analysis (quantitative), polling, statistical analysis, and testing (experiments) (qualitative). He also talks about different kinds of textual analysis and includes in here possibly the clearest explanation of semiotics I have ever come across. He has a plain, un-jargonized writing style and breaks apart text with cute illustrations and some admittedly lame "skits" (always between "him" and the "Grand Inquisitor" - you'll see. These are apparently supposed to be funny, but aren't.)

The chapters in this book are aided even further by never being so long as to be overwhelming. Berger doesn't mince words, but explains precisely and completely- and then switches to a new topic. Would that more authors would learn how to do this!

This was assigned reading for a graduate level class in which we prepared our thesis proposals. I think it should be mandatory reading for anyone considering embarking on original media research. I liked this book and though I would never have picked it up on my own- I am grateful that of all the choices there must be out there, my teacher chose this book.