Microsoft Word Revised Syllabus Ver doc

Mass Communication Research
Mass communication and the media that provide it are essential to modern life. They 
have become an indispensable part of our political, economic, social and even personal lives. 
This high degree of dependency on our media requires us to understand fully the process and 
the effects of mass communication, both how it take place and how it influences individuals 
and the entire social system. In attempting to achieve that understanding, however, we must 
first address the question of why research is more desirable way to gain valid and reliable 
knowledge than certain alternatives.
Need for Research
People have long turned to a number of sources for trustworthy answers to important 
questions. They have relied on at least some of these sources for centuries. For example, 
many people find answers to important question in religion, because it provides revelations 
from the supernatural, which seems like a very reliable source for research.
However, for something as complex as the modern mass media, religion might not 
provide particularly detailed or helpful information. Trustworthy knowledge can also be 
gained from the interpretations of authorities. In ancient times this meant sources such as 
religious leaders, philosophers and kings; today it might mean prominent business leaders, 
politicians, educators, and other distinguished people. In contemporary society we seem to 
have an abundance of such people ready to provide others with their opinions about the 
influences of mass communications. The problem is that these sources are not consistent, and 
one authority or critic often contradicts another equal distinction. Finally, people in many 
societies have long relied on tradition to guide them to truth. In the case of mass 
communications, this source is not particularly useful, because the media constantly change 
and traditions have not had a chance to become firmly established over many generations.
The source that is left is research for a relatively new source of knowledge, 
particularly in terms of applying the methods of science to the study of human behaviour. 
Scientific research on individual and social behaviour extends back no more than a century 
and although it has long been recognized that communication is a fundamental form of 
behaviour, the history of media research is only fifty years old.
Research can be defined as a set of procedures for gathering reliable information 
under controlled conditions of observations in such a way that objective conclusions can be 
reached with minimum error. As a source for gathering worth of the knowledge, research is 
not perfect. Nevertheless, it has enough advantages to make it a very attractive alternative to 
the other sources we have noted. One advantage is that it is conducted with a set of rules that 
are more or less shared by all sciences, and are referred to as the "Scientific method". The 
essential features to understand are, first, that the conclusions of research scientists using the 
scientific method must be eased on factual observations rather than opinions or other 
subjective interpretations and second, that new observations indicates that previous 
conclusions are incorrect. Conclusions must be revised on the basis of the new evidence. 
These rules tie the conclusions of research firmly to reality and call for corrections if 
incorrect conclusions have been reached. Both requirements stress validity and readability in 
the knowledge that is generated. The alternative sources of knowledge; revelation, authority 
and tradition are not committed to this requirement.

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