MDIA5031 – Research in Practice
CLO1 Recognises and identifies relevant methodologies and methods of
humanities-based research
CLO2 Applies sound research protocols relevant to humanities-based
research practice
CLO3 Design and undertake humanities-based research
Assessment 1: Annotated Bibliography (Weight: 25%) (CLO1,2,3)
Due Date: See Moodle.
Length: 800 words (+/- 10%)
Task: Prepare an annotated bibliography of four entries in preparation for the major
research paper. Each entry should be approximately 200 words, and refer to a scholarly
source. These entries should reflect the core and breadth of the research you are
undertaking to come to an understanding of your research topic, and appropriate
methods to generate new knowledge of the object of your analysis.
Detailed Instructions: Your major research paper requires you to complete a piece
of research, or offer a research proposal, that demonstrates the following:
• Your skills as a communicator: How well do you define the problem you wish to
investigate, and how well do you articulate its priority?
• Your skills as a scholar: Have you looked at - and correctly cited - how other
researchers have already attempted to answer this question?
• Your skills as a research designer: Do you offer a clear sense of how you
propose to investigate the problem you’ve articulated?
• Your skills as a thinker: Is your proposal reflexive? Do you demonstrate
awareness of issues around your research question and/or methods?
(Please see the Assessment 3 details for further instructions.)
In your Assessment 1 submission, you must indicate the research topic you will address in
Assessments 2 and 3. In your submission, please include, at the beginning, one or two
sentences outlining:
Research Topic: Focus of Analysis: (For example: Text? Industry?
Audience?) Object of Analysis: (What is the specific thing you wish to
investigate? Why is this important?)
This section does not count towards the word limit but is an essential part of the
assessment which will allow your tutor to engage with your research, monitor your
progress, and to offer suggestions for the other assessments.
Assessment 2: In-Class Presentations (Weight: 25%) (CLO1,2,3)
Due Date: See Moodle.
Length: 5 minutes (+/- 1 minute)
Task: Prepare and deliver an in-class presentation of your work-in-progress research, prior
to its completion in Assessment 3. Slides are recommended but not compulsory. Be
prepared to offer and receive formative feedback from your tutor and classmates.
Note: The standard and specifics will be determined by your tutor; attendance in
classes is mandatory.
Assessment 3: Major Research Paper (Weight: 50%) (CLO1,2,3)
Due Date: See Moodle.
Length: 1800 words (+/- 10%)
Task: Prepare a major research paper or research proposal, showcasing your preferred
humanities-based research approach/es. Do not pursue research that falls outside of
the media and communications discipline and industries. The choice of whether to
pursue a completed research paper or a proposal only is entirely up to you; note: proposals
are not easier – they require as much, if not more, scholarly justification as completed
papers.
In your Assessment 3 submission, please include, at the beginning, one
succinct paragraph outlining relevant information about the paper/proposal
(do not answer every single question, only those relevant to your work). This
might (or might not) include:
# A Research Question
# A Description of the Aims and Rationale of the Paper or Proposal: (What
were/are you investigating and why? What did/do you hope to find out and
why was/is this project worth undertaking? What research gap, if any, did
you identify?)
# A Description of your Object of Analysis: (What constitutes the specific object/s of
analysis? How did you determine what object/s were to be included in your
sample?
In the case of research that required textual analysis: where/how were the texts
selected? In the case of research that would require future research participants:
How would they be selected?)
# A summary and justification of your research method(s): (What methods did - or
do - you plan to use to generate and analyse your data? Is your approach
innovative or does it draw upon established methods? What are the advantages of
your approach? Are there any risks or limitations?)
Note: Research proposals don’t really have limitations; choosing to limit the
scope of your enquiry is the point of your research.
Note: Your method must match your aims.
# A statement of the theoretical paradigm you were - or will be - working within.
(What is the deeper significance of this project? What is the theory that informs
your research practice? How can your work be justified with respect to broader
epistemological and/or ethical concerns that pertain to the study of media and
communication?)
This section does not count towards the word limit but is an essential part of
the assessment which will allow your tutor to engage effectively with your research
and assess it.
As needed, an appendix (excluded from the word count) can also be included. Your
appendix is where you include materials that support your research or research
proposal. This might include things like a questionnaire for a pilot survey; a list of
questions you might use for an interview; or screenshots of the object of your
analysis etc. This section does not count towards the word limit.
All Assessments will be graded against a simplified rubric, testing for
engagement with the course thinking/topics, critical thinking, academic
expression and referencing in the UNSW Harvard style. All further questions
should be directed to your tutor.
To learn more about UNSW Harvard:
https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/harvard-referencing
Academic Integrity: This assignment will be submitted to Turnitin so please
ensure that your work has no issues with academic integrity. To find out how
to improve the academic integrity of your work, please visit:
https://student.unsw.edu.au/plagiarism
To find out more about how to construct an annotated bibliography, please visit:
https://student.unsw.edu.au/annotated-bibliography
Excluded Sources
Materials that are specified as a weekly reading on the course are not to be
included in the annotated bibliography. While you are welcome to cite such
materials in Assessments 2 and 3, Assessment 1 looks for evidence of your
independent reading for research purposes.
Recommended Journals
The following journals are good places to start to look for current research on relevant
media issues and debates (to identify a research gap, in other words):
Big Data and Society
Communication Methods and Measures
Continuum: The Journal of Media & Cultural Studies
Discourse & Society
International Journal of Communication
Journal of Communication
Media International Australia
New Media & Society
Signs & Society
Visual Communication
You are more than welcome to consult journals outside of those listed here
but please note that the sources you use for all Assessments need to be
primarily published in English-language scholarly publications; exceptions are
permissible but must be agreed to in advance by your tutor.

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