The Role of Research

in Communication
The purpose of all higher education is to
make men aware of what was and what
is; to incite them to probe into what
may be. It seeks to teach them to
understand, to evaluate, to
communicate.
-- Otto Kleppner
in J.Reinard (1994). Introduction to Communication Research
What is RESEARCH?
Research is…

• the process of finding solutions to a problem after a

thorough study and analysis

- Sekaran, U. (2006). Research Methods For Business: A Skill

Building Approach (4th ed.)
Research is…

• the process of asking questions and finding answers

• the process of discovery and explanation

- Keyton, J. (2010). Communication Research: Asking Questions Finding

Answers
Research is…

• the discovery of answers to questions through the

application of scientific and systematic procedures

- Keyton, J. (2010). Communication Research: Asking Questions Finding

Answers
Research is…

• the systematic inquiry that provides information to

guide decision

- Cooper, D. & Schindler, P. (2001). Business Research Methods.

• the systematic inquiry into a subject

- Rubin, R., Rubin, A., & Haridakis, P. (2010). Communication Research:

Strategies and Sources
Systematic points to the need to
examine topics methodically rather
than to plunge haphazardly into
sources…
“It is easy to feel overwhelmed or intimidated by the
particular vocabulary and traditions of research. But if
you approach learning about research as a detective
would approach finding information…

…you are likely to discover that formal research is an

extension of the types of informal asking and
answering of questions that you have done all your
life.”

- Keyton, J. (2010). Communication Research: Asking Questions Finding

Answers
GOALS of
Communication Research
1. to describe communication phenomena as
well as discover and explain the relationships
among them
2. to examine the processes by which
meanings are created and managed—how
people structure and interpret messages and
use symbols such as language in interpersonal,
group, organizational, public, intercultural, and
mediated contexts
3. to learn something new about the social
world
4. to carefully document guesses, hunches, or
beliefs about a phenomenon
5. to refine our
understanding of
how the social world
works
6. to formulate
informed opinions
through study of
research findings
The ROLES of the
Communication Researcher
A communication researcher:

employs an eclectic
blending of an enormous
range of skills and
activities

works with a wide

variety of people
A communication researcher:

understands the specific

methods to be used in the
conduct research

understands the subject

being studied
A communication researcher:

combines theories or ideas

with facts in a careful,
systematic way and uses
creativity
A communication researcher:

organizes and plans

carefully and selects the
appropriate technique to
address a specific kind of
question
 A communication researcher:

stays on track and on

schedule

speaks and writes

persuasively
A communication researcher:

treats the people in a

study in ethical and moral
ways
Communication research is an exciting process of
discovery, but it requires:
Why Study
Communication?
The Rewards of Conducting Communication Research
• Research expands and augments your
experience and knowledge, providing a
broader base for thinking and writing.

• It enables you to become an expert in areas

not directly related to your everyday life.
• When you engage in research, you build
valuable critical skills that serve you in other
areas of life.

• You learn to ask probing and thoughtful

questions, gather and interpret data, read
critically, form intelligent opinions, and
manage and understand conflicting
information.
• As you do research in your chosen
specialization, you become an expert in that
area.

• When you write about your discoveries,

others come to respect your knowledge and
value your opinion.
• As a communication scholar, you are thus
faced with learning about the communication
process within a traditionally defined context
while also trying to…
integrate knowledge from other disciplines.
Example:

Sociology

Business Organizational Human

Management Communication Resources

Psychology
10 Major Content Categories
in Communication Research
From Rubin, R., Rubin, A., & Haridakis, P.
(2010). Communication Research:
Strategies and Sources
1. Communication and Technology
• concerned with mediated communication

• studies how people fulfill their entertainment or

information needs by using technologies
(computers, cell phones, smartphones, & digital video cameras, etc.)
1. Communication and Technology
• examines the impact of the technology on people,
groups, organizations, and society

• considers how people use technologies to enhance,

complement, or substitute for face-to-face
communication
Some Topics on Communication & Technology:

• broadband/mobile/wire • Telecommunications
less/cellular and satellite

• computer-mediated • Visual communication

communication design

• emerging technologies • Digital information

• Internet use and the • New media

World Wide Web
• systems
2. Group Communication
• covers communication in groups of three or more
persons

• studies how groups emerge, accomplish their goals,

and solve problems, and how group leaders function.
Sample Topics in Group Communication

• small group • leadership

effectiveness • consensus
• cohesion • productivity
• conflict • group culture
• group roles • social groups
• team building • family communication
Sample Topics in Group Communication

• small group • leadership

effectiveness • consensus
• cohesion • productivity
• conflict • group culture
• group roles • social groups
• team building • family communication
Other Areas in Group Communication

• decision making
• group dynamics
• intergenerational communication
• intergroup communication
• problem solving
3. Health Communication
• includes all aspects of illness and wellness

• combines interests in organizational, mass, and

interpersonal communication
Sample Topics on Health Communication

• communication with • communication

the disabled and ill between health care
providers and
• effectiveness of patients
health promotion
and information • social support
groups, either face-
• campaigns to-face or online
Other Topics on Health Communication

• health promotion and information

campaigns
• physician–patient communication
4. Instructional Communication
• focuses on pedagogy, media effects, and
communication in the classroom
Communication Pedagogy in instructional
communication includes:

• the study of distance learning or televised instruction

• the use of technology in the classroom

• the methods of teaching specific communication

classes
Mass Media Effects in instructional
communication

• examines the impact of television, advertising, or

film on children of various ages
Communication in the Classroom

• examines various student communication variables

(e.g., communication apprehension, motivation to learn, and
student gender differences)

• studies teacher communication behaviors

(e.g., immediacy, credibility and style)

• examines classroom management issues

(e.g., teacher power and student resistance)
5. Intercultural and International Communication
• examines how communication occurs in
interpersonal and mediated settings

• focuses on how people from different cultures

communicate and form intercultural relationships
5. Intercultural and International Communication

• compares people’s interpersonal traits, skills, or

behaviors across different cultures (i.e., cross-
culturally)

• compares national communication systems and

examines the development of such systems and their
impact on national growth and progress.
Other Topics on Intercultural/International
Communication

• adaptation and • Facework and

enculturation identity
• comparative media • Individualism–
systems collectivism
• cross-cultural • (National)
communication developmental
communication
6. Interpersonal Communication
• involves the study of people and their interactions or
relationships
• researches on the use of verbal and nonverbal
messages in developing and maintaining relationships
between people.
Some Topics in Interpersonal Communication

• interpersonal • relationship
competence development

• impression formation • friendship

• spousal conflict • relational

communication
• interpersonal attraction
Other Topics in Interpersonal Communication

• conflict management • Interpersonal

perception
• dyadic communication
• Intrapersonal
• gender and communication
communication

• interpersonal influence
7. Language and Symbolic Codes
• focused on how verbal and nonverbal symbols
are transmitted, received, and come to have
meaning for people of the same or different
cultures
Some Topics on Language and Symbolic Codes

• text or discourse • listening

• language intensity • proxemics
• language development • nonverbal
in children immediacy
• conversational flow • kinesics
Other Topics on Language and Symbolic Codes

• conversation and discourse

• linguistics, pragmatics, semiotics

• nonverbal communication

• semantics and sociolinguistics

8. Mass Communication

• focuses on communication from a source or

organization to many people via mediated channels
such as television, radio, or newspapers under
conditions of limited feedback
8. Mass Communication

• concerned with how such mediated messages are

formulated and received and how they affect
individuals and society
Some Topics on Mass Communication

• media dominance & • formation of public

power opinion

• media content & • critical or textual

portrayals analysis of messages

• media effects • policy and regulation

• media history • international media

• media ethics
Other Topics in Mass Communication

• advertising • Journalism

• broadcasting and • economics of media

telecommunications industries

• film and cinema • policy and regulation

• public relations • popular culture

9. Organizational Communication
• concerned with the processing and use of messages
between and within organizations

• focuses on the complexities of communication in

formal structures where many interpersonal and
group relationships already exist
Some Topics on Organizational Communication

• superior–subordinate • training and

relationships development

• organizational networks • Negotiation

• organizational structure • organizational life

• systems • workplace culture

• conflict • role clarity

Other Topics on Organizational Communication

• business & professional • socialization and

communication assimilation

• human communication • training and

technology development

• negotiation and • organizational behavior

mediation
10. Public Communication
• covers communication in non-mediated public
settings

• focuses mainly on one-to-many communication

Some Topics on Public Communication

• rhetoric • speaker credibility

• public address • ethics
• criticism • interpreting literature
• freedom of speech • propaganda
• persuasion • political campaigns
• argumentation & debate
Some Topics on Public Communication

• Environmental • Rhetorical theory and

communication criticism
• Legal communication • Political communication
• Performance studies • Public address
• Persuasion and attitude
change
The Research Agenda of the
Department Communication
• Communication in/and spaces

• Interplay of gender, power and

communication

• Digital Citizenship

• Advocacies and Strategic Communication