The course will provide advanced knowledge and skills on conducting communication research, including discussions on various issues in communication research, and offering students practical guide on completing research projects. The course is appropriate for students who want to learn more about communication research, and use applied knowledge and skills to complete a research project. The course will especially suite the needs of those students who has a research related career goal and those who may use knowledge and skills of communication research in their future career. The course will also provide foundation for those who plan to continue with Ph.D. study. A primary outcome of the course will be a completed research paper acceptable for presentation at a conference or publication.

The course will work on the following aspects:

1. To provide additional depth on research methods following the basic research methods course.
2. To provide opportunities for students to apply knowledge and skills in a research project.
3. To combine knowledge of research methods and communications theory into a research project that explores an important issue(s) in media and communication.
4. To guide students in their data analysis for a research project.
5. To re-emphasize the research foundation developed in the basis research methods course as a systematic means of conducting media and communication research.