How to Do Media and Cultural Studies 3/e

Jane Stokes is currently Senior Lecturer in Media Studies at the University of East London and has taught at the University of Kent at Canterbury, London South Bank University and London Metropolitan University. Jane's interest in the media can be traced back to her days working on the student television station while studying English Literature at Sussex University. She has an MA in Film and Television Studies from the University of Westminster where Jane began teaching Media Studies in 1984. She moved to Los Angeles in 1989 to study for a PhD in Communication Theory and Research at the Annenberg School of Communication, USC. Jane has made research methods a teaching specialism, blending American and European approaches to communication, media and cultural studies.

Part I: Thinking: Theory and practice Chapter 1: Addressing epistemology: How do we know anything about anything? Chapter 2: Why do we do media and cultural studies? Part II: Practicalities: Managing your research Chapter 3: Getting started Chapter 4: Managing the research process Chapter 5: Getting finished Part III: Methods and approaches to research Chapter 6: Researching texts: Approaches to analysing media and cultural content Chapter 7: Researching the creative industries: Studying organisations, institutions and producers Chapter 8: Researching audiences: Who uses media and culture? How and Why? Chapter 9: Research in context: Exploring mixed methods and research practice Chapter 10: Conclusion

This no nonsense, up-to-the-moment text cuts-to the-chase about how to conduct a research study. Jane Stokes effortlessly and expertly takes the reader by the hand and walks them through the principles, methods and practices of executing 'good' media and cultural studies. If any book can relieve anxieties about actually doing research this is it. Accessible, informed, incredibly useful. -- Professor Simon Cottle This is the best book available for students facing up to the challenge of writing a dissertation about media and communication. Jane Stokes introduces a wide range of methods for researching audiences, industries and texts, and guides the student through detailed discussion of well-chosen case studies and examples. -- Professor Graham Meikle