Abstract

Researching media literacy (defined here as how people interact with the electronic messages of popular culture) is one of the most important and intriguing intellectual experiences available to scholars, regardless of their disciplinary home; regardless of whether they consider themselves to be “text dominant” or “media dominant,” since imagery-laden electronic media and print reach into every corner of every discipline. This paper provides specific advice and directions for researchers who wish to funnel their previous disciplinary experiences in a new direction. This “primer” focuses on how professionals can begin their inquiry into the products and processes of electronic media messages that affect the public’s understanding of the social sciences.