Communication Research Methods

by Merrigan, Gerianne; Huston, Carole L.

• ISBN13: 9780195314823
• ISBN10: 0195314824
• Additional ISBN(s): 9780199338351
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-11-20
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Effective argumentation is at the very heart of communication--and, as authors Gerianne Merrigan and Carole L. Huston demonstrate, is a key component to understanding and conducting communication research. Using clear, jargon-free language, concrete examples, and highly visual pedagogy, Communication Research Methods introduces a full range of methods for studying communication, providing students with the tools they need to explore the often murky depths of communication research. Ideal for research methods courses covering multiple methodologies, Communication Research Methods is the only text that uses a research-as-argument approach to help students not only become more effective researchers, but more insightful consumers of research. Merrigan and Huston treat communication research comprehensively, discussing a broad range of traditional and contemporary methods and considering ethics in designing, conducting, and reporting research. This second edition also includes classic and contemporary examples from published communication research, as well as engaging "Try It!" activities for each method. Thoroughly revised and updated, Communication Research Methods, Second Edition, helps students hone their critical thinking skills and expand the ways they think about and conduct research, ultimately enabling them to achieve a deeper understanding of communication--and the world around them. NEW TO THIS EDITION * New chapters: "Introduction to the Field of Communication" (Chapter 1) and "Ethics & Research" (Chapter 2) * End-of-chapter summaries now presented in tables that locate each method's paradigm affiliation, typical claims, data sources, warrants, and manuscript form * Additional tables and exhibits throughout * Expanded coverage of rhetorical and critical studies methodologies SUPPLEMENTS * Instructor's Manual featuring outlines, activities, and websites to explore for each chapter, as well as a Test Bank of sample questions for each chapter * Companion Website for instructors offering the full Instructor's Manual and PowerPoint lecture slides

Author Biography

Gerianne Merrigan is Professor and Chair of Communication Studies at San Francisco State University.
Carole L. Huston is Professor of Communication Studies at the University of San Diego.

Table of Contents

The What and Why of Communication Research

Introduction to the field of Communication

Ethics and Research

Three Paradigms of Knowing

Making Claims

What Counts as Communication Data?

Warrants for Research Arguments

The How of Communication Research

Survey Research

Experimental Research

Content Analysis

Descriptive Statistics and Hypothesis Testing

Inferential Statistics: Differences and Relationships

Conversation and Discourse Analysis

Ethnographic Research

Traditional and Interpretive Methods of Rhetorical Criticism

Critical Studies

Glossary

References

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