-To introduce scientific research methods that are commonly used for communication field (journalism, public relations, advertising, and political communication, etc).

-To learn how and when to use the most appropriate research method to investigate the question at hand in both the theoretical and practical settings.

-To learn how to apply basic numerical and statistical concepts.

-To understand major quantitative (e.g., survey, experiment, and content analysis) and qualitative (e.g., focus group, in-depth interview) research methods.

-To understand the role of research in media institutions and basic concepts of research evaluation.

-To understand ethical issues and human subject protections in the research process.