COMM : Applied Organizational Communication Instructor: Dan Lair Day Twelve: Research Methods: Specific Strategies October 5, 2005

Today’s Agenda Discussion of Research Strategies Thematic analysis exercise Group consultation w/ Dan on consulting projects

Questions from Weisbord and CCZ&G, Chapter 15

Data Gathering Four Broad Sources: – Artifacts – Surveys – Interviews – Observation Other Specific Strategies: – Metaphor Elicitation/Pictures – Critical Incident Technique – Account/Protocol Retrospective The importance of triangulation When do you stop gathering data?

Data Analysis: An Overview What broad orientations do CCC&Z suggest the researcher/consultant can take in analyzing data (pp )? What specific features of language do the authors suggest focusing in on (pp )? What specific “discursive strategies” (pp )?

Method-in-Focus: Thematic Analysis William Foster Owen (1984) – focus on patterns and themes developing in relational communication. Three criteria: – Recurrence of meaning – Repetition of words or phrases – Forcefulness Activity: Thematic analysis of mission statements – Read Zorn’s thematic analysis handout (you can get extra copies from the syllabus) – Read through mission statements once, noticing themes and patterns. Develop an initial coding scheme based on what you think you will find. – Read through again, following Zorn’s guidelines, to identify themes using highlighters. You should be refining your coding scheme. – Read through one more time, with your “final” coding scheme, on a clean copy of the mission statements. – What significant patterns/themes do you see emerging? How might you use thes

Thematic Analysis Exercise: Mission Statement, Community College of Rhode Island Read Zorn’s thematic analysis handout (you can get extra copies from the syllabus) Read through mission statements once, noticing themes and patterns. Develop an initial coding scheme based on what you think you will find. Read through again, following Zorn’s guidelines, to identify themes using highlighters. You should be refining your coding scheme. Read through one more time, with your “final” coding scheme, on a clean copy of the mission statements. What significant patterns/themes do you see emerging? Compare these patterns/themes with the current mission statement for CCRI. What suggestions would you make for the committee revising that mission statement, based on your reading and thematic analysis of the peer/aspirational institutions’ mission statements?