Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry PDF
Preview Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry
Introducing Communication Research Third Edition 2 For Joseph, Luke, Owen, and James—now on their own paths of inquiry. 3 Introducing Communication Research Paths of Inquiry Third Edition Donald Treadwell 4 FOR INFORMATION: SAGE Publications, Inc. 2455 Teller Road Thousand Oaks, California 91320 E-mail: [email protected] SAGE Publications Ltd. 1 Oliver’s Yard 55 City Road London EC1Y 1SP United Kingdom SAGE Publications India Pvt. Ltd. B 1/I 1 Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area Mathura Road, New Delhi 110 044 India SAGE Publications Asia-Pacific Pte. Ltd. 3 Church Street #10-04 Samsung Hub Singapore 049483 Copyright © 2017 by SAGE Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America ISBN 978-1-4833-7941-8 This book is printed on acid-free paper. 5 Acquisitions Editor: Matthew Byrnie Development Editor: Eve Oettinger Editorial Assistant: Janae Masnovi eLearning Editor: Gabrielle Piccininni Production Editor: Olivia Weber-Stenis Copy Editor: Melinda Masson Typesetter: C&M Digitals (P) Ltd. Proofreader: Ellen Brink Indexer: Diggs Publication Services Cover Designer: Candice Harman Marketing Manager: Ashlee Blunk 6 7 Brief Contents List of Exhibits Preface Chapter 1: Getting Started: Possibilities and Decisions Chapter 2: First Decisions: What, Why, How? Chapter 3: Ethics: What Are My Responsibilities as a Researcher? Chapter 4: You Could Look It Up: Reading, Recording, and Reviewing Research Chapter 5: Measurement: Research Using Numbers Chapter 6: Summarizing Research Results: Data Reduction and Descriptive Statistics Chapter 7: Generalizing From Research Results: Inferential Statistics Chapter 8: Sampling: Who, What, and How Many? Chapter 9: Surveys: Putting Numbers on Opinions Chapter 10: Experiments: Researching Cause and Effect Chapter 11: Watching and Listening: Qualitative Research for In-Depth Understanding Chapter 12: Content Analysis: Understanding Communication Content in Numbers Chapter 13: Rhetorical and Critical Analyses, and More: Understanding Communication Content in Words Chapter 14: Writing and Presenting Research Glossary Index About the Author 8 9 Detailed Contents List of Exhibits Preface Chapter 1: Getting Started: Possibilities and Decisions Chapter Overview Chapter Objectives Getting Started in Research The Situation Interaction I—The Couple: Romance, “Just Friends,” or Doing Business? Interaction II—The Group: Collaboration or Conflict? Business or Pleasure? Interaction III—The Topic Turns to the Media Basic Assumptions Behind Communication Research Observations Capture/Do Not Capture an Underlying Reality Theories About Human Behavior Can/Cannot Be Generalized Researchers Should/Should Not Distance Themselves From Their Research Participants Research Should/Should Not Be Done for a Specific Purpose There Is/Is Not One Best Position From Which to Observe Human Behavior Some Research Possibilities: What Can We Do With an Ad? Does the Ad Work? What Can Readers and Viewers Tell Us? What Can the Content Tell Us? What Can the Creators of the Ad Tell Us? Some Research Possibilities: Beyond the Ad A Series of Unavoidable Decisions The Field of Study—Wide or Narrow? The Researcher—Dispassionate or Involved? The Approach—Objective or Subjective? The Priority—Your Questions or Their Answers? The Sample—Large or Small? The Data—Quantitative or Qualitative? The Report—Subjective or Objective? Problem Posing, Problem Solving, Peer Persuasion Problem Posing Problem Solving Peer Persuasion Ethics Panel: A Health Communication Dilemma Chapter Summary 10
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