Research Design in Mass Media Research: An Overview and Guidelines

Abstract

 From a research point of view, it is essential to comprehend the purpose and objectives of the research design as efficacy of the research study depends on its design. Therefore, it is imperative to have sufficient knowledge regarding the nature, elements and types of research design. The study in hand intends to enhance our understanding about the role that design plays across the whole process of research in the field of mass media, from defining the topic to evaluating and reporting outcomes. In order to provide a summary of the design study, this paper sheds light on each topic included in the research design and explicates how the research design functions to address any study's question. More specifically, the study reviews the significance of research design by enquiring how design answers the research questions and which design is more suitable for the study and how design fits into the research. It provides a succinct explanation of the research methodology and highlights the academic distinction between research methodologies and research methodology. The study methodology's philosophical considerations i.e. ontology, epistemology, and axiology are also briefly described. These meta-theoretical underpinnings, which address ontology (nature of reality), epistemology (nature of knowledge), and axiology (nature of ‘general’ values) have profound impacts on development and evaluation of theory in social science research.