Quantitative Research Methods in Communication

Erica Scharrer is Professor of Communication at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA. She is also the editor of Children, Media, and Technology: Access, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (Routledge, 2025). In recent years, she received the Distinguished Community Engagement Award in Research at UMass and became a fellow of the International Communication Association.Srividya Ramasubramanian is Newhouse Professor and Endowed Chair at Syracuse University, USA. She is also the director of CODE^SHIFT (Collaboratory for Data Equity, Social Healing, Inclusive Futures, and Transformation), Media Rise, and the Difficult Dialogues Project. She is editor-in-chief of Communication Monographs, fellow of the International Communication Association, and honored as a Distinguished Scholar by the National Communication Association.

“This volume provides clear and thoughtful guidance on conducting social science research that is inclusive and aware of the importance of social justice. This updated edition now includes instruction on writing literature reviews, analysis using both SPSS and R, and computational approaches. This is essential reading for both students and more seasoned scholars alike.”Mary Beth Oliver, Pennsylvania State University, USA“Social justice issues arise at every stage of research, from the initial literature review through to critically harnessing the power of numbers and then, communicating the results for social good. Scharrer and Ramasubramanian provide the essential guide that both novice and expert researchers need.”Sonia Livingstone, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK

• 1. Foundations and Definitions 2. Reading and Writing about the Research Literature 3. Ethical Considerations 4. Meaning in/and Measurement 5. Sampling and Representation 6. Soliciting Opinions through Survey Research 7. Studying Responses through Experimental Methods 8. Examining Communication Content in Content Analysis Research 9. Calculations and Complexity 10. Mixed Methods: Triangulating with Qualitative Research 11. Community Partnerships and Participatory Research 12. Using Research in Action: Publication, Public Engagement, and Policymaking Appendices: Statistical Analysis Guide: Introduction to SPSS and R