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Open Methods Hub
Design, execute, and communicate original research in mass media.
Your central hub for MC 451 and MC 501 — textbook, workbook, tools, and resources in one place.
Quick Start
New Student? Start Here
Complete your workspace setup and download your Methods Vault.
R Workbook
Seven chapters with narrated video walkthroughs — from codebook to published portfolio.
Methods Vault
Download your Obsidian workspace — journals, project folders, and offline textbook chapters.
View Syllabus
Course policies, the 17-week schedule, and grading for MC 451 or MC 501.
The Five Phases
Over one semester, you build a complete content analysis from scratch — qualitative immersion through quantitative testing — using real media data.
| Phase | Title | Weeks | Points | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | The Journalist | 1–15 | 150 | Reading journals, critical thinking, GitHub setup |
| II | The Architect | 2–4 | 125 | Software setup, archive research, project planning |
| III | The Builder | 5–12 | 250 | Ethics, theory, codebook, sampling, pilot testing |
| IV | The Analyst | 13–15 | 225 | R programming: wrangling, visualization, inference |
| V | The Publisher | 16–17 | 250 | Final web portfolio: PDF + GitHub Pages |
The Ecosystem
Four tools work together throughout the course. Each serves a distinct role.
| Tool | What It Does | When You Use It |
|---|---|---|
| Methods Vault | Obsidian workspace for journals, notes, and project files | Every week — your personal research archive |
| R Workbook | Hands-on R tutorials with narrated videos | Phases III–V — learning R for data analysis |
| coursepackR | R package that delivers weekly assignment templates and data | Every week — download_week("mc451", N) in R |
| Textbook | From Vibes to Variables (2nd Edition, 22 chapters) | Every week — conceptual foundations for each phase |
Coming Fall 2026
Textbook Preview Available
The 2nd edition of From Vibes to Variables is structured into 22 chapters across 5 parts — from foundations through publication. Preview the chapter listing and structure.
Course Information
Instructor: Dr. Alex P. Leith Meeting Times: MW 3:00–4:15 PM Office Hours: MW 10:00–11:30 AM and 1:30–3:00 PM (or by appointment) Office: Dunham Hall 1017