STC 3620
This course gives students hands-on experience conducting primary research using qualitative and quantitative methods to address communications problems. Groups of students are tasked with identifying a brand that will serve as their “client” and developing a research objective to address the client’s problem/challenge they’ve identified. Students complete a secondary research brief to gain an understanding of the client, challenge, and relevant stakeholders and design, conduct, and analyze research using surveys, focus groups, and social listening. Students are expected to understand and consider the ethical challenges associated with the research process at every stage. For each method, students develop an executive summary that synthesizes the results of their research in an effective and visually engaging report and includes a section addressing limitations associated with the methodology, including sampling, instruments, data interpretation, researcher bias, etc. Achieves technology student learning outcomes b, c, and e.