Methods and approach

The group can assess and improve communication effectiveness through collective interdisciplinary expertise in creative advertising, consumer insights, and emotional responses to communication in commercial and social settings. Our track record of industry relationships and linkages, and business and organisational acumen, enables us to address dilemmas and systemic challenges confronting industry, government and citizens.  

Overall the group adopts a social sciences approach to the research. This means that we take a scientific approach to the study of humans and human society. In particular, we explore social relations and how people engage within the human systems that constitute their daily lives. The two approaches that are principally used by the group are business research methods and social research methods.  Both of these overarching approaches have a number of strategies such as those outlined below. Within these strategies there are specific techniques that are applied to research problems. In order to solve (rigorously identified) research problems, both qualitative and quantitative techniques are used as required.

• Experiments 

• Surveys

• Case studies 

• Formative and action research 

• Grounded theory 

• Ethnography 

• Evaluation (post hoc)

The techniques applied to the research problems faced by the health communication group require the rigorous application of theory to conceptualisation of problems at a variety of levels and stages. Research is conducted to explore, describe or explain. It will depend on the type of research, stage of theory development and the potential outcomes for specific techniques to be applied. Many of the group use mixed methods approaches as extant theory is often underdeveloped and experimental or confirmatory research designs are not relevant as yet. The group’s expertise varies but the following lists cover the range of techniques that have been used by our members in their research.