UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- A Penn State faculty member co-authored a recently released book that focuses on helping students get started as academic researchers.
Michael Schmierbach, an associate professor in the Department of Media Studies, joined Michael Boyle, an associate professor at West Chester University, to write “Applied Communication Research Methods: Getting Started as a Researcher.” The two combine for more than 20 years of experience teaching methods and the 452-page book was released near the end of June by Routledge.
"We were motivated to write this book because we wished we had a title like it to use in class,” said Schmierbach. “While there are many other texts out there on research methods, they all follow the same basic format. We tried to compress the material into a form that students would use, letting students turn directly to an entry on a specific topic when they needed it. We're very happy to be with a major firm that can get the textbook to as large an audience as possible and I look forward to having the book as a resource for my teaching."
The book demonstrates how to apply concepts to research that communication practitioners face every day. The in-depth and informative text, which was made to show the importance of research in professional jobs and communication careers, also serves as a reference of key terms and concepts for students.
Schmierbach teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on media effects, political communication and research methods. He is also the author or co-author of more than 30 journal articles and book chapters. His research focuses on multiple aspects of media effects.