word count: 4000

Description of assessment task

Students provide a case study research design that responds to the media-related industry context described in the accompanying research brief. Students will initially provide an analysis of three original studies, presenting methods examples that they will draw on in their case study design. Students will then present a research proposal using a case study methodology that responds to the industry-related media context presented in the research brief

Part A: Literature review

(1,500 words)

Select and analyse three relevant scholarly research articles from a journal published from 2012 onwards that propose a methodology relevant to the industry-related media context described in the research brief. Provide a short summary of these three studies and their findings and conclusions, as a collective, somewhat similar to a short literature review. In your analysis, indicate what aspect of each study will contribute to the case study design you propose. Indicate your sources of reference within the body of this summary according to the Harvard system of referencing (Author, year). List the three readings in alphabetical order by first author’s last name in the reference list for the essay at the end. Indicate these three articles in the reference list using asterisks (*).

Part B: Research proposal

(2,500 words)

Propose a case study research design that responds to the media-related industry context presented in the research brief. To do this you will initially need to identify the aspects of the industry-related media context presented in the research brief that you will respond to. You will then need to generate an appropriate research question and highlight the conceptual construct or theoretical frame you will use to guide your case study approach. In your research proposal you will need to include what methods you will draw upon and provide a description of the data collection approach and instruments you would use. Through a discussion of sampling strategies and consideration of the selection of your research participants or data sources, you will need to demonstrate a cultural sensitivity. You will also need to consider the ethical implications and possible limitations of the methodology you are proposing. You will also need to clearly state how the methodology you propose will achieve the project outcomes.

The Basics

This is an individual assignment and NOT a group project and should be worked on accordingly.

Please provide your Name, ID number, campus, and Unit code and the citation of the article under analysis at the beginning of your essay that will be submitted on CLOUD.

The methods topics we have covered to this point and the Topic 6 discussion on case study methodology in the Study Guide will help you with this assignment. The specific modules relevant to your essay will largely depend on the case study approach you generate.

Specific instructions

1. Select for analysis THREE peer reviewed, scholarly research articles from the academic databases that present relevant methods discussions and/or study findings. Indicate how these studies will inform the case study design you will propose in response to the industry-related media context presented in the research brief.

2. Analyse each article reporting its research question and rationale, methodological approach, sampling strategies, research population, key findings, ethical considerations and methodological limitations. Highlight what aspects of each article you will draw on to inform your own case study design.

3. Present a case study design that responds to the industry-related media context presented in the research brief. Please note that you are not actually doing this research, either for this unit or for subsequent units in the masters program. You are practicing how to do a research design proposal, these skills will come in handy for Designing a communications project.

4. Present your research rationale/aim, question and guiding theoretical framework and ensure you identify your intended research outcomes.

5. In your research design, consider all the elements of chosen methodology including ethical considerations and limitations of the study approach, and how you address them. Provide the data collection instruments, for example developed survey or focus group question sets and/or a coding frame in the appendix.

Your analysis will need to discuss the above areas in an essay format and draw on the textbook, unit materials and additional scholarly resources provided in the unit reading list or through your own research.
Use the Harvard system of referencing (or another one consistently applied), providing the sources of your information wherever relevant. The reference list at the end of the essay should include all sources cited within the body of the essay.

Please draw on the literature provided to you in the reading list and other scholarly sources to support your reflective essay. You should aim for a minimum of 10 references in your reference list.

* Format to 1.5 line separation.

* Use headings and subheadings

Marking Criteria

What the Assessor will be looking for when marking this assignment:

• Ability to select and critique the methodologies of three relevant original studies.
• Ability to generate a relevant research question to direct your case study design.
• Ability to generate an appropriate research design that feasibly responds to the industry-related media context provided, including a discussion of limitations.
• Ability to identify and reflect upon and address the relevant ethical concerns raised in the application of research methods to industry problems.
• Evidence of having situated the research methods relative to their professional applications and other factors such as social, economic and cultural contexts.
• Use of databases, library catalogues and the internet to find relevant and credible sources.
• Use of appropriate language, spelling, grammar and written expression.
• Capacity to correctly reference a range of literature and information sources (including the consistent in the application of a referencing style, for example Deakin Harvard).