MSMS501 Music Research

Methodology
KARNYUPHA JITTIVADHNA , PH.D.
COLLEGE OF MUSIC
MAHIDOL UNIVERSITY
 Overview for This Week (Jul 13)

 Research in Music
 What is Research?

 Research is defined as a process of

systematic investigation, regarding a
particular concern, that entails
documentation of critical and relevant
information; collection of data; analysis
and interpretation, in accordance with
suitable methodologies set by academic
disciplines and specific professional
fields.
 Types of Research in Music

 Experimental Non-experimental
research  Historical research
 Descriptive studies
 Survey
 Phenomenology
 Ethnography
 Case study
 Meta-analysis
 Experimental Research

 Study of this genres investigate cause-

and-effect relationship between
variables.
 In its most classic form, two groups of
human subjects (experimental and
control) are randomly chosen from a
larger population.
 Historical Research

 Historical research investigates the

elusive truth about the past.
 The foremost purpose of it is to gain a
clear perspective of the past and the
present.
 Descriptive Studies

 Descriptive studies are those which are

concerned with describing the
characteristics of a particular object
material.
 The descriptive research may be
classified into several sub-categories:
documentary analysis, performance
analysis, analytical study.
 Survey

 The broad area of survey research

encompasses any measurement
procedures that involve asking
questions of respondents using a
questionnaires.
 It presents a current picture, needs,
trends, or changes of a certain group of
human participants.
 Phenomenological Study

 Phenomenological study identifies the

essence of human experiences
concerning a phenomenon, as described
by participants in a study.
 The process involves studying a small
number of participants through
extensive engagement to develop
patterns and relationships of meanings.
 Ethnographic Study

 Ethnographic research studies an intact

cultural group in a natural setting over a
prolonged period of time.
 Data are collected mainly through
observation.
 Case Study

 Case study is a method of exploring the

life of a social unit (a family, an
institution, a community), or an
individual.
 It aims to determine the factors that
account for the complete behavior
patterns of the unit.
 Meta-analysis

 A meta-analysis is the statistical process

of analyzing and combining results
from several similar studies to derive
conclusions about that body of
research.
 Examples of Research Titles

 Musical self-development and meaning in

life of expert musicians
 The music in calling of the soul ceremony of
Karen people
 Examining the vocal range of aging chorister:
A case study of the Salaya Tiny Young
Chorus
 Lage Lund’s improvisational style: An
analysis of single note solo lines in three
selected songs
 Examples of Research Titles

 Lage Lund’s improvisational style: An

analysis of single note solo lines in three
selected songs
 Egalitarian music education in the
nineteenth century: Joseph Mainzer and
Singing for the Million
 Be coming a musician in practice: A case
study
 Examples of Research Titles

 Effects of a preparatory singing pattern

on melodic dictation success
 Harmonic evasions and their shaping
inperformance: Theopening movement
of Schumann’s G minor trio
 The Music USE (MUSE ) questionnaire:
An instrument to measure engagement
in music
 Exercises

 Select a topic of interest and then start

to develop your project summary
document that states the aim of the
project, identifies key supportive
preliminary information, and outlines
the steps involving in completing the
project.