Session 1: Introduction & Overview – Media Research WS 2025/26

Today's Session

Welcome to the first session! Today, we will cover the essential organizational details, get to know each other's research interests, and introduce the thematic focus for our semester projects.

Introduction & Getting to Know Each Other
Organization, Schedule, and Course Objectives
Forms of Work and Proof of Performance
Thematic Introduction: Podcasts as a Field of Research
First Homework and Next Steps

Let's Get to Know Each Other

About Me

My name is Andreas Reich, and I will be guiding you through this project seminar. My research focuses on computational methods and AI technology and how we can adapt these tools for our research in the social sciences.

You can always reach me via email at: andreas.reich@uni-hohenheim.de

About You

Reflection: Your Interests

Before we dive in, take a moment to reflect on your own interests. This will help you in finding a group and a topic later on.

What's your name?
What area of (media) research are you most interested in? (e.g., effects, usage patterns, specific content, platforms)
Expectations? Any particular wishes regarding this course or a specific method you'd like to learn more about?

Our Course Philosophy: The Research Expedition

This isn't a typical lecture course. Think of it as a workshop, a lab, a flight simulator for real-world research. My role is to be your guide, but you are the explorers. The structure below isn't a checklist; it's the map for our expedition. Click on each stage to reveal its purpose and a mini-interactive demonstration.

🧭

Problem Definition

Units 1-4

→

⚙️

Research Design

Units 5-6

→

🗺️

Data Collection

Units 7-9

→

📊

Analysis & Finalization

Units 10-12

→

🏆

Final Presentation

Units 13-14

Phase 1 in Detail: The Blueprint (Units 1-4)

This initial phase is the most critical. It's where you lay the entire foundation for your project. A strong start here saves immense amounts of time and frustration later. Your group's main goal is to move from a broad interest in "podcasts" to a specific, answerable, and scientifically relevant research question.

Your Key Tasks:

🧠
Topic Brainstorming & Selection (Unit 2): Based on our brainstorming, you'll narrow down your interests. Are you fascinated by the parasocial relationships in true crime podcasts? The effectiveness of ads in comedy podcasts? The framing of political news in daily briefings? You will select one concrete avenue to pursue.
📚
In-depth Topic Study (Units 3-4): This is your deep dive into the scientific literature. You'll move beyond casual knowledge to understand the state of research. Your goal is to create a "State of Research Matrix" to answer:
- What studies already exist on this specific podcast sub-topic?
- What theories (e.g., Uses and Gratifications, Parasocial Interaction Theory, Framing Theory) have been used?
- What methods have been applied (surveys, experiments, etc.)?
- Most Importantly: Where is the research gap my project can fill?
🎯
Formulating the Research Question & Hypotheses: At the end of this phase, you will have a crystal-clear research question (e.g., "How does the use of narrative sound design in historical podcasts affect listeners' perceived authenticity?") and, if applicable, testable hypotheses.

Outcome of Phase 1: A well-defined research topic, a solid grasp of the relevant literature, and a precise research question that will guide the rest of your project.

Phase 2 in Detail: Gearing Up (Units 5-6)

With a sharp research question as your compass, this phase is about building your vehicle. You'll translate your abstract theoretical concepts into concrete, measurable, and observable variables. This is the Research Design phase, where methodological creativity meets scientific rigor.

Your Key Tasks:

📏
Operationalization: Making Concepts Measurable (Unit 5): This is the core of empirical research. You need to define exactly how you will measure your concepts.
- If you're studying "parasocial relationships," how do you measure it? You might use an existing, validated scale (like the Parasocial Interaction Scale) or develop your own items.
- If you're analyzing "host credibility," what are its dimensions? Expertise? Trustworthiness? How will you code or ask about these?
- You will define your independent variables (IV) and dependent variables (DV) and decide on their scale level (nominal, ordinal, interval).
🛠️
Choosing and Building Your Instrument (Unit 5): Based on your operationalization, you will construct your data collection instrument. This could be:
- A quantitative online survey (using SoSci Survey or UniPark).
- A detailed codebook for a quantitative or qualitative content analysis of podcast episodes or their comments.
- An interview guide for qualitative interviews with podcast creators or listeners.
- The stimulus material and questionnaire for an online experiment (e.g., two slightly different versions of a podcast ad).
🧑‍🤝‍🧑
Defining Your Sample (Unit 6): Who or what will you study? You need to define your population and sampling strategy.
- Listeners: How will you recruit participants for a survey or experiment? (e.g., university students, specific online communities). You will also determine the required sample size using power analysis.
- Podcasts/Episodes: If you're doing a content analysis, what are your inclusion criteria? (e.g., top 50 German news podcasts from a specific time frame, episodes about a certain topic).
🎤
Peer-Feedback & Design Presentation (Unit 6): You will prepare and give a short presentation of your research design. This is a crucial feedback loop where you present your plan to your peers and receive constructive criticism before you go "into the field."

Outcome of Phase 2: A complete and ready-to-use research instrument (e.g., a finalized questionnaire, a pre-tested codebook) and a clear plan for your sample and data collection procedure.

Phase 3 in Detail: In The Field (Units 7-9)

This is where your blueprint and tools are put to the test. The "In The Field" phase is the active process of gathering your raw data. Whether you are distributing a survey, coding podcast episodes, or running an experiment, this phase requires careful execution, documentation, and the flexibility to handle unforeseen challenges. It is the bridge between your plan and your results.

Your Key Tasks:

🧪
Pre-Testing Your Instrument (Unit 9): Before the full launch, you will conduct a "dress rehearsal." This is a crucial step to identify problems with your instrument.
- Survey/Experiment: Is the questionnaire understandable? Are there technical glitches? How long does it take to complete? You will test it on a small sample (e.g., 5-10 people) and gather feedback.
- Content Analysis: You and your group members will independently code a small, identical set of podcast material (e.g., 10 podcast descriptions or 50 comments). The goal is to check if your codebook is clear and if you are all applying the rules consistently. This is the first step towards ensuring inter-coder reliability.
🚀
Executing the Main Data Collection (Units 7-9): This is the core of the field phase. Based on your design, your group will:
- Launch your online survey and monitor the incoming responses.
- Systematically work through your sample of podcast episodes or comments, applying your codebook to each unit of analysis.
- Run your online experiment by recruiting participants and exposing them to your stimulus materials.
- Conduct and record your qualitative interviews with podcast hosts or listeners.
Documentation is key: Keep a log of your process, any decisions you make, and any problems you encounter.
🧹
Data Preparation & Cleaning: Raw data is rarely perfect. Once collection is complete (or well underway), you will begin preparing it for analysis. This involves:
- Transferring coded data from your content analysis into a statistics program like SPSS or R.
- Exporting and cleaning your survey data (e.g., checking for incomplete responses, removing "speeders," recoding variables).
- Transcribing your qualitative interviews.

Outcome of Phase 3: A complete, clean, and well-documented raw dataset in a format that is ready for statistical or qualitative analysis in the next phase.

Phase 4 in Detail: Making Sense of it All (Units 10-12)

You've returned from the field with your raw data. This phase is about transformation: turning numbers and texts into meaningful answers to your research question. This is the Analysis and Finalization phase, where you apply your chosen analytical methods to uncover patterns, test your hypotheses, and begin to craft the narrative of your findings.

Your Key Tasks:

🔬
Applying Your Analysis Method (Units 10-11): This is the technical heart of the analysis. Depending on your project, your group will:
- Quantitative Analysis: Use software like SPSS or R to conduct statistical analyses. You'll start with descriptive statistics (frequencies, means) to get an overview. For instance, "What is the average age of our podcast listeners?" or "How many 'call-to-action' phrases appeared per podcast episode?" Then you'll move to inferential statistics to test your hypotheses (e.g., t-tests, correlations, regressions).
- Qualitative Analysis: Systematically work through your transcribed interviews or coded content. You'll identify recurring themes, patterns, and illustrative quotes. For example, you might categorize different ways podcast listeners describe their parasocial relationships with hosts, or identify dominant frames in political podcast discussions.
- Mixed Methods Analysis: Both of the above, usually with a tendency to one of the both approaches.
📈
Data Visualization: A crucial part of making sense of your data is visualizing it. You will create charts, graphs, and tables to clearly present your key findings. A good visualization can often tell a story more effectively than a paragraph of text.
🤔
Interpreting the Results (Unit 12): This is where you move from "what" to "so what?". The numbers and themes don't speak for themselves. You must interpret them in the context of your research question and the theories you discussed in Phase 1.
- What do your results mean? Do they support or contradict your hypotheses?
- Are there any surprising or unexpected findings?
- How do your findings relate to the existing literature you reviewed? Do they confirm previous research, challenge it, or add a new perspective?

Outcome of Phase 4: A complete set of analyzed results, including descriptive and inferential statistics (if applicable), identified qualitative themes, clear visualizations, and a preliminary interpretation of what these findings mean in the context of your research project.

Phase 5 in Detail: The Summit (Units 13-14)

You have navigated the research process, from a fledgling idea to a set of analyzed results. This final phase is about communicating your journey and its destination. At the "summit," you package your findings and share them with the scientific community—in our case, your peers and lecturer. This is where your hard work becomes a tangible, valuable contribution.

Your Key Tasks:

🗣️
Preparing and Delivering the Final Presentation (Units 13-14): You will synthesize your entire project into a concise and compelling presentation. This is your opportunity to tell the story of your research. Your presentation should cover:
- The motivation, research gap, and your final research question.
- The theoretical background and your key hypotheses.
- Your methodological approach (the "why" and "how" of your design).
- A clear presentation of your most important results, supported by visualizations.
- A thoughtful discussion of your findings, including their interpretation, limitations, and implications for future podcast research.
✍️
Writing the Final Research Report (Deadline: 15. March 2026): This is the complete, formal documentation of your expedition. You will write a scientific paper that follows the standard structure of empirical research. This involves elaborating on all the points from your presentation in greater detail, ensuring your arguments are well-supported by your data and grounded in scientific literature. A significant part of this task is the discussion, where you critically reflect on your own work.
🤔
Critical Reflection & Discussion: Both the presentation and the report require you to go beyond just stating facts. You need to critically assess your project:
- What are the limitations of your study (e.g., sample, method)? How might they have influenced your results?
- What is the broader significance of your findings for understanding the role of podcasts in media and society?
- What new questions have emerged from your research? What should the next "expedition" investigate?

Outcome of Phase 5: A successful oral presentation of your research project and the submission of a comprehensive, well-argued scientific report that documents your entire research process and its findings.

Workload & Requirements

Workload: This is a 6 ECTS course, equivalent to ~180 hours of work (about 7 hours/week), including classes and self-study.
Course Requirements: Regular attendance, active participation, and independent group work are essential. Think of me as your expedition guide, here to provide support and direction.

Thematic Introduction: Podcasts

PODCASTS

The thematic focus for this semester's research projects will be on podcasts. This medium has evolved from a niche format to a central part of the media landscape, offering a rich field for communication research.

The Rise of Podcasts

To understand why we're focusing on podcasts, let's look at their explosive growth. This medium has moved from a niche interest to a central pillar of the media landscape in just a few years.

2018

22%

Weekly Listeners (DE)

2021

34%

Weekly Listeners (DE)

2024

43%

Weekly Listeners (DE)

Plus: Ad revenue in Germany is projected to grow from ~€40M in 2020 to over €160M by 2026.

Brainstorming Session: Your Experience with Podcasts

Let's start by exploring our own relationship with this medium. Think about the following questions:

Do you use podcasts?
Which podcasts do you listen to? (Names, genres like true crime, comedy, news, science...)
In what situations do you use podcasts? (e.g., commuting, cleaning, working out, falling asleep)
How often and for how long do you listen? (e.g., daily, "in phases," entire episodes at once)
What motives do you have? (e.g., entertainment, information, focus, parasocial interaction)
How would you rate the current significance of podcasts compared to other established media formats (like TV, radio, or social media)?

Your own experiences can be a great starting point for developing a fascinating research question!

Results of our Brainstorming:

Download results as Excel CSV sheet:

Hier die Excel Downloaden.

Podcast Content?

Podcast Formats?

Research Methods?

Topics

Formats

Methods

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Workshop: Find Your Research Tribe

This short game will help you discover peers with similar research interests and different talents. For each of the 5 rounds, a question will appear. You'll have 30 seconds to choose the option (A, B, C, or D) that best fits you by moving to the respective corners of the room. Let's find your tribe!

Ready to Find Your Tribe?

0:30

First Steps & Homework

To get our projects rolling, please complete the following tasks by our next session:

Group Formation (3-4 People): Find your potential project group for the semester. If you have any difficulty finding a group, please contact me, and we'll find a solution. We'll fix the groups next week
Initial Brainstorming: Research the topic of "podcasts" and come up with initial suggestions for topics, research questions, and problems. What could be interesting and relevant to investigate? A good starting point is the literature file provided on Ilias.
Discuss & Prepare: Discuss your suggestions within your group. Each group should bring 2-3 initial project ideas to our next session.

Good luck, and I look forward to seeing you next week!