Communication Research: Asking Questions, Finding Answers » (2nd Edition)

Communication Research: Asking Questions, Finding Answers covers basic research issues and both quantitative and qualitative approaches to communication research. The text helps students become better consumers of communication research literature by emphasizing effective methods for finding, consuming, and analyzing communication research. Covering the entire research process—how one conceptualizes a research idea, turns it into an interesting and researchable question, selects a methodology, conducts the study, and writes up the study's findings—provides a path for students who wish to develop and conduct research projects.

PART I. RESEARCH BASICS

1. Introduction to Research in Communication

2. The Research Process -- Getting Started

3. Introduction to Quantitative Research

4. Introduction to Qualitative Research

5. Research Ethics

PART II. QUANTITATIVE COMMUNICATION RESEARCH

6. Measurement

7. Sampling, Significance Levels, and Hypothesis Testing

8. Quantitative Research Designs

9. Surveys and Questionnaires

10. Descriptive Statistics

11. Testing for Differences

12. Testing for Relationships

13. Quantitative Analysis of Texts
PART III. QUALITATIVE COMMUNICATION RESEARCH

14. Designing Qualitative Research

15. Qualitative Methods of Data Collection

16. Analyzing Qualitative Data

PART IV. READING AND WRITING RESEARCH REPORTS

17. Reading and Writing the Quantitative Research Report

18. Reading and Writing the Qualitative Research Report
Appendix A: Personal Report of Communication Apprehension
Appendix B: Formulas and Steps for Statistical Calculation
Appendix C: Random Numbers Table
Appendix D: Sample Protocol for Experimental Study
Glossary
Index
At the end of each chapter:
Summary
Key Terms