Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry

Introducing the paths of communication inquiry open to students both in their undergraduate studies as well as for use in their future careers, this reader-friendly text demystifies the theories and practices of research in an engaging manner, using examples of research methods in practice. Introductory chapters that explore the conceptual foundations are followed by chapters on measurement, statistics, sampling, surveys, experiments, observation, and content analysis. A concluding chapter shows students how to write up and present their research for various audiences.

Features:

• “Research in Practice” case studies written by industry professionals show students how research is used by organizations to make messages more effective, and how communication research methods are used in applied settings.
• Ethics panels in each chapter emphasize the implications of research on human participants and help stimulate discussion of research as ethical practice.
• Campus-based scenarios introduce research concepts that students can relate to, demonstrate the diversity of communication research topics and methods, and show how concepts and methods apply in practice.
• Comprehensive learning aids include starter questions, chapter summaries, recommended readings and Web resources. Research terminology likely to be new to students is highlighted and explained in a glossary.

A Resources Site for instructors and students is available at www.sagepub.com/treadwellicr. For instructors, the password-protected site includes a test bank, PowerPoint slides, lecture notes, discussion questions, and in-class assignments. For students, the open-access site features e-flashcards, study questions, and Web resources.