Introduction to Communication Research

by Reinard, John C.

• ISBN13: 9780072358698
• ISBN10: 0072358696
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-06-27
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages

Summary

This introductory research text trains students to gather research evidence, develop research arguments, and think critically about them. This textbook is ideal for the student with little or no research background. Fundamental research issues are discussed in detail and provide building blocks for further study, giving students both comfort and knowledge. This textbook is designed to teach students how to "do scholarship" by making reasoned cases and offering research conclusions.

Table of Contents

Preface
PART I INTRODUCTION TO THE FIELD
The Role of Research in Communication	3	(27)
What Is Research in Communication?	3	(3)
Research	3	(1)
Communication Research	4	(2)
The Challenges of Communication Research	6	(24)
The Challenge of Breadth and Focus	6	(1)
The Multiple Methods Challenge	6	(6)
The Scholarly Rigor Challenge	12	(1)
The Personal Challenge, or What Do I Need to Do to Study Communication Research Methods Successfully?	12	(2)
The Ethical Challenge	14	(1)
The Structure of the Field Challenge	14	(16)
Communication Research Problems and Hypotheses	30	(19)
Qualities of Research Problems	30	(6)
Useful Problem Statements	31	(1)
Criteria for Sound Problem Statements	32	(4)
Constructing Problem Statements	36	(1)
Using Hypotheses	36	(8)
Using Hypotheses to Test Explanations	39	(1)
A Note on Hypothesis in Qualitative Studies	39	(1)
Requirements of Hypotheses	40	(1)
Constructing Sound Hypotheses	41	(2)
Types of Hypotheses in Quantitative Studies	43	(1)
Identifying Variables in Hypotheses and Problems	44	(5)
Isolating Variables in Hypotheses	44	(1)
Independent Variables	45	(1)
Dependent Variables	45	(4)
PART II UNDERSTANDING RUDIMENTS OF RESEARCH REASONING	49	(108)
Conceptualizations in Communication Research	51	(24)
Developing Theoretic Conceptualizations in Communication	51	(12)
Is Communication ``Scientific'' Enough to Have Theories?	52	(2)
Anatomy of Theories	54	(4)
Functions of Theory	58	(1)
Applications of Theory	59	(4)
Developing Definitions for Concepts	63	(12)
Using Conceptual Definitions	63	(4)
Using Operational Definitions	67	(8)
Using Communication Research Sources	75	(43)
Approaching Research Materials	75	(9)
The ``Why?'' Research Uses Past Work to Develop Arguments	76	(1)
The ``What?'' Purposeful Library Research---Information to Get	76	(7)
The ``When?'' Guiding Yourself with a Research Outline	83	(1)
The ``How?'' Managing Research Materials	84	(5)
Techniques for Bibliographic Research	84	(2)
The Library Research Strategies	86	(3)
The ``Where?'' The Key Library Tools	89	(12)
Hierarchical Systems for Books and Collections	89	(4)
Keyword-Based Systems	93	(8)
Using the Library	101	(6)
Conducting the Library Session	101	(3)
Troubleshooting in the Library	104	(3)
Using the Internet	107	(11)
Elements of the Internet	107	(1)
Conducting an Internet Session	108	(3)
Surfing the Internet for Research Information	111	(1)
Using Search Engines	112	(6)
Composing the Communication Argument: The Reasoning and the Evidence	118	(39)
Construction of the Articles You Will Read and Review	119	(7)
Title	119	(1)
Abstract	119	(1)
Introduction and Context of the Problem Justification	119	(1)
Statement of the Problem	120	(1)
Review of Literature	121	(1)
Rationale for Hypotheses	121	(1)
Method	121	(5)
Results	126	(1)
Discussion	126	(1)
Conclusion	126	(1)
References	126	(1)
Writing Scholarship	126	(6)
Using Proper Formats and Subdivisions	129	(1)
Matters of Style	129	(3)
Writing Classroom Reports	132	(8)
Strategies for a Definitional Criticism Paper	133	(1)
Strategies for the Literature Review	134	(3)
Research Prospectus	137	(3)
Checking on the Research Argument	140	(17)
Checking on the Quality of Research Evidence	140	(4)
Checking on the Adequacy of Research Reasoning	144	(13)
PART III DESIGN OF RESEARCH	157	(144)
Conducting Textual and Content Analyses	159	(24)
Analysis of Message Qualities	159	(2)
What Are the Data in Textual and Content Analysis?	160	(1)
When Do We Complete Textual Criticism and Content Analyses?	160	(1)
Qualitative Analysis: Critical Studies of Texts	161	(8)
Neo-Aristotelian Criticism	163	(1)
Burke's Dramatistic Criticism	164	(3)
Fisher's Narrative Paradigm	167	(1)
The Never Ending Development of Critical Methods	168	(1)
Quantitative Analysis	169	(14)
Content Analysis	169	(5)
Interaction and Relational Analyses	174	(9)
Participant Observation Research	183	(15)
Role of Participant Observation Studies in Communication Research	183	(3)
The Purposes of Participant Observation Methods	184	(1)
Suitability of Participant Observation Methods to Research Questions	185	(1)
Forms of Participant Observation Studies	186	(4)
The Position of the Observer	186	(4)
Ethnography	190	(1)
The Fluid Process of Participant Observation Study	190	(8)
Steps in Participant Observation	192	(2)
Limitations of the Approach	194	(4)
Measurement in Communication Research	198	(26)
The Role of Sound Measurement in Communication Research	198	(3)
Measurement as a Foundation for Research	199	(1)
Levels of Measurement	199	(2)
Characteristics of Operational Definitions and Measures	201	(9)
The Requirement of Reliability	202	(3)
The Requirement of Validity	205	(5)
Popular Approaches and Tools in Communication Studies	210	(14)
Using Existing Measures	210	(2)
Composing Measures	212	(1)
Popular Methods for Measurement	213	(11)
Design of Descriptive Empirical Research in Communication	224	(32)
Invitations to Empirical Research in Communication	224	(1)
Survey Research	225	(1)
The Questionnaire Survey	226	(12)
Selecting Questions and Providing Instructions	226	(4)
Formatting	230	(5)
Determining Reliability and Validity	235	(1)
Sampling Subjects	236	(1)
Administering the Questionnaire	236	(1)
Analyzing and Interpreting Results	236	(2)
The Interview Survey	238	(4)
Selecting Questions	238	(1)
Training and Controlling Behavior of Interviewers	239	(1)
Determining Reliability and Validity	240	(1)
Sampling Subjects	240	(2)
Analyzing and Interpreting Results	242	(1)
The Focus Group Survey	242	(4)
The Focus Group Method	243	(2)
Focus Group Advantages	245	(1)
Focus Group Disadvantages	246	(1)
Network Analysis	246	(10)
Traditional Network Analysis	247	(3)
Network Analysis beyond the Traditional	250	(2)
Limitations of Network Analysis	252	(4)
Design of Experimental Research in Communication	256	(23)
The Notion of an Experiment	256	(5)
Questions and Hypotheses in Experimental Designs	257	(2)
The Concept of Control	259	(2)
Experimental Validity and Invalidity	261	(2)
Internal Invalidity	261	(1)
External Invalidity	262	(1)
Specific Experimental Designs	263	(10)
Notation for Experimental Designs	263	(2)
Preexperimental Designs	265	(1)
True Experimental Designs	265	(2)
Factorial Designs	267	(6)
Some Elements Found in Good Experiments	273	(6)
The Pilot Test	273	(1)
Manipulation Checks	273	(2)
Care in Interpretation	275	(4)
Sampling	279	(22)
The Role of Sampling in Quantitative Research	279	(2)
Relating Sampling to Other Concepts	279	(1)
Defining the Population	280	(1)
Eliminating Bias	281	(1)
Essentials of Sampling	281	(6)
Representative Sampling: The Goal of Effective Sampling	281	(1)
Sample Size	281	(4)
Statistical Effects of Small Samples	285	(2)
Forms of Sampling	287	(8)
Random Sampling	287	(5)
Nonrandom Sampling	292	(3)
Dealing with Sampling Problems	295	(6)
Subject Refusal to Participate	295	(2)
Evidence of Randomization in Research Articles	297	(4)
PART IV STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF DATA	301	(80)
Descriptive Statistics	303	(27)
Statistics in Communication Research	303	(6)
Measures of Central Tendency	304	(2)
Measures of Variability or Dispersion	306	(3)
Distributions	309	(7)
Nonnormal and Skewed Distributions	309	(2)
Standard Normal Distribution	311	(5)
Measures of Association	316	(14)
Interpreting Correlations	316	(2)
Major Forms of Correlations	318	(12)
Introductory Inferential Statistics I: Hypothesis Testing with Two Means	330	(24)
Using Probability Distributions to Play the Odds	330	(3)
Using the Statistics of Probability and Inference	331	(1)
Using Probability Distributions	331	(2)
Reasoning in Statistical Hypothesis Testing	333	(8)
Determining Statistical Hypotheses	333	(1)
Decisions in Testing Statistical Hypotheses	334	(5)
The Process of Examining Statistical Hypotheses	339	(2)
Comparisons of Two Means: The t Test	341	(13)
Forms of the t Test	343	(6)
Determining Effect Sizes	349	(5)
Inferential Statistics II: Beyond Two Means	354	(27)
Selecting an Appropriate Statistical Test	354	(2)
Comparisons of More Than Two Means: Analysis of Variance	356	(15)
One-Way Analysis of Variance	357	(3)
What to Do after Finding Statistical Significance	360	(5)
Factorial Analysis of Variance	365	(6)
Basic Nonparametric Testing	371	(10)
The Nature of Nonparametric Tests: The Randomization Assumption	371	(1)
Tests for Nominal Level Dependent Variables	371	(10)
Appendix A Areas under the Standard Normal Curve	381	(1)
Appendix B Critical Values of t	382	(1)
Appendix C Critical Values of F with Alpha Risk = .05	383	(1)
Appendix D Critical Values of Chi Square	384	(1)
Appendix E Using Computers to Analyze Data: SPSS	385	(29)
Appendix F Using Computers to Analyze Data: Excel	414	(18)
Glossary	432	(13)
References	445	(13)
Name Index	458	(3)
Subject Index	461