Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2025 - CMNS 362 D100

Strategic Communication Research Design and Planning (4)

Class Number: 7323

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Fri, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    17 CMNS units with a minimum grade of C- or 45 units with a minimum CGPA of 2.00.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Explores advanced research design and applied methodologies for analyzing communication practices and strategies within socio-economic, political, and cultural contexts. Emphasizing research management, students will develop skills in team collaboration, data collection and analysis, report writing, and presentation.

COURSE DETAILS:

This is a course in applied communication that spans theory and methods of communication research.  Although methods introduced in this course can be appropriately used to pursue research questions in a number of areas, the use of these methods to investigate mass mediated communication and communication infrastructures will be the focus of class discussion, and is expected to be the focus of student research. Lectures will introduce a variety of theoretical issues, as well as pragmatic concerns that arise in utilising the methods introduced in the course. Students will be introduced to a variety of research methods, which may include: interview techniques, textual analysis, survey research, and focus groups.

Students will design, develop, and implement an original pilot study using two methods introduced in class.  In previous iterations of this class, students have examined the gamification and quantified care of the self; precarious labour in creative and cultural industries; the representation of race, gender, class and/or sexuality in the media; but these need not confine or demarcate areas of research. Based on these, or any other relevant themes, students will choose and define a research problem, review relevant literature, propose researchable questions (subject to approval from course instructor/TA), and carry out original research using two methods.

Grading

  • Class Participation (Individual) 25%
  • Study Proposal (Team) 10%
  • Final Report (Team) 35%
  • Presentation (Team) 10%
  • Final In-class Quiz (Individual) 20%

NOTES:

The School expects that the grades awarded in this course will bear some reasonable relation to established university-wide practices.  In addition, the School will follow Policy S10.01 with respect to Academic Integrity, and Policies S10.02, S10.03 and S10.04 with regard to Student Discipline.  For further information visit:  www.sfu.ca/policies/Students/index.html.

NOTE -- Tutorials do not start in Week 1 (3-9 September 2025) -- unless specified by the Instructor.  If your tutorial is scheduled to occur prior to your first lecture -- please check with the course Canvas page, or with your Instructor (via email), to find out if you will have a tutorial in the first week of Fall Semester 2025.   If your tutorial occurs after the first lecture, then just ask in the first lecture whether or not there will be tutorials during Week 1.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

All readings will be posted on Canvas.


REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.