UA Students to Perform Field Research at Iowa Caucus

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Five students from The University of Alabama College of Communication and Information Sciences will soon travel to Iowa to participate in a unique field research experience ahead of the Feb. 3 Iowa caucuses.

Led by Dr. Cynthia Peacock, UA assistant professor of communication studies, the research team will land in Des Moines Jan. 31 and remain in Iowa until Feb. 4. The four graduate students and one undergraduate will study caucus participants and rally attendees to learn about public attitudes regarding the candidates running for president. On Feb. 3, the team will observe the caucus and examine media coverage of the candidates and events.

This trip is part of Peacock’s COM 595 class, Political Primaries and Caucuses, focused on the Iowa caucuses. Through the course, students gain an understanding of the communicative practices governing caucuses. Peacock’s research focuses on how people form, change and express their opinions about politics in the United States.

“Conducting research on the ground during the first major contest of the 2020 United States presidential primary season is very exciting,” Peacock said. “Our students will truly benefit from this one-of-a-kind research experience that allows us to get up close and personal with the excitement surrounding the candidate rallies and caucuses.”

Students in the class are Hannah Dugger, Knox Fanelli,  Jackson Harris, Bert McLelland and Lauren Richardson.

Peacock and her students are part of a research collaboration with the University of South Florida, University of Kansas, University of Missouri, Emerson College and Iowa State University that provides an interactive, hands-on project for students.  

Students on the C&IS team are learning research skills such as survey questionnaire design, participant recruitment and data analysis techniques to explore critical issues in political campaign communication. The program is designed to deliver high-impact, engaged learning opportunities to graduate students interested in political communication research.

The College of Communication and Information Sciences’ faculty and students at The University of Alabama conduct cutting-edge research that creates knowledge and provides solutions to global issues across the full communication and information spectrum. To learn more about the College’s research initiatives, visit cis.ua.edu/research.