Qualitative Methods in Communication and Media

by Sandra L. Faulkner, Joshua D. Atkinson

Qualitative Methods in Media and Communication offers a learning-centered guide to designing, conducting, and evaluating qualitative communication and media research methods. Drawing upon years of teaching qualitative research methods, Sandra L. Faulkner and Joshua D. Atkinson introduce and unpack qualitative communication research method design, analysis, representation, writing, and evaluation using extended examples and clear discussion. The authors use key terms, extended examples, discussion questions, student-tested writing and research activities, examples of student work and questions, and suggested resources to help readers design, do, and analyze qualitative research.

As a textbook, its pedagogical goals for the student (1) becoming a critical reader of research studies by understanding the epistemologies and methodological assumptions used by researchers, (2) learning the various methods, strategies, and approaches for doing qualitative research, (3) developing a strong basic vocabulary and understanding of concepts relating to qualitative and humanistic research methods, (4) understanding special concerns related to particular research methods, and (5) designing, executing, and representing original qualitative research projects.

With numerous elements intended to engage students and enrich the learning process, the book provides examples of how to do qualitative and critical analyses, including arts-based and media and textual analyses to understand, describe, and query communication and media research in a variety of communication areas. There is also an extensive discussion of ethics in qualitative research and spotlights with renowned researchers on hot topics in qualitative research.

231 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2023

About the author

In my research, writing, and advocacy about close relationships and relational communication, I incorporate theory and research from a variety of interpersonal, sexuality, health, feminist, and culture literatures to interrogate sexuality and identity. I focus on the role of culture and relational processes in discussions and discourse about sexuality and stigmatized identities in interpersonal relationships using qualitative and critical research methods. I am interested in how relational processes and goals influence disclosure decisions about sexual information and potentially stigmatizing identities, how the negotiation of identities influences relational health, how larger discourses surrounding identity influence and shape our relational experiences, and how we narrate and re-narrate our experiences for personal and social change.