Table of Contents
Preface xi
To the Student xii
Part 1 Communication Research Strategies 1
Chapter 1 Studying Communication 3
The Communication Discipline 3
Structure of the Discipline 5
Communication Organizations 8
Activities 8
Newsletters and Publications 9
Types of Associations 11
Divisions 12
Communication Research Projects 13
Academic Pursuits 14
Professional Pursuits 15
Summary 15
References 16
Examples 16
Exercises 18
Chapter 2 Searching The Communication Literature 19
Becoming Familiar With Your Library and Its Services 20
Search Strategy 23
The Topic 23
The Search 30
The Results 35
Summary 44
References 44
Examples 45
Exercises 46
Chapter 3 Using Computers to Search Electronic Databases 49
Differing Environments 49
Varieties of Computerized Databases 50
Bibliographic Databases 50
Directory Databases 51
Source Databases 51
How to Search Computerized Databases 52
Standard Search Features 53
Controlled Vocabulary Versus Keyword Searching 53
Boolean Operators 55
Alternatives to Boolean Operators 59
Phrase Searching 60
Field-Specific Searching 60
Truncation 62
Browsing Word and Phrase Indexes 63
Creating and Reusing Sets 63
Search Strategies: Boolean Searching 64
Natural Language Searching 65
Searching the World Wide Web 66
Sorting Your Results 66
Using Your Search Results 66
Mediated Searching 68
Summary 68
References 69
Examples 69
Exercises 70
Chapter 4 Using The Internet for Communication Research 71
Research and the World Wide Web 72
Gaining Access to the Internet 73
Internet Addresses 74
Browser Basics 75
Troubleshooting 76
Finding Resources on the World Wide Web 77
Communicating on the Internet 82
E-mail 82
Electronic Discussion Groups and Blogs 82
Usenet Newsgroups 84
CIOS/Comserve 85
Evaluating Internet Sources 85
Ethical Issues 89
Summary 90
Selected Sources 91
Examples 91
Exercises 92
Part 2 Communication Research Sources 95
Chapter 5 General Sources 97
Handbooks 97
Books 100
Encyclopedias 101
Annual Reviews and Series 102
Summary 104
Selected Sources 104
Handbooks 104
Textbooks 106
Encyclopedias 108
Annual Reviews 110
Series 110
Examples 111
Exercises 112
Chapter 6 Access Toots 115
Bibliographies 116
Guides to the Literature 118
Legal Research Guides 120
Finding Additional Bibliographies and Guides 121
Periodical Indexes 122
Discipline-Based Periodical Indexes 125
General and Interdisciplinary Periodical Indexes 129
Media Indexes 129
Book Review Indexes 129
Citation Indexes 130
Full-Text Documents in Communication 131
Summary 132
References 132
Selected Sources 132
Bibliographies 133
Guides to the Literature 133
Online Periodical Indexes and Abstracts 134
Examples 136
Exercises 137
Chapter 7 Communication Periodicals 139
Scholarly Journals 139
Professional and Trade Magazines 144
Summary 145
Selected Sources 146
Scholarly Journals 146
Professional and Trade Periodicals 153
Electronic Journals 154
Examples 154
Exercises 155
Chapter 8 Information Compilations 157
Collections and Archives 158
Speech Collections 158
Media Collections 160
Measurement Collections 165
Legal Collections 166
Statistical Sources 167
Government Documents 169
Yearbooks 173
Directories 173
Dictionaries 175
Manuals 176
Summary 176
References 176
Selected Sources 177
Collections 177
Statistical Sources 182
Government Documents 184
Yearbooks 186
Directories 186
Dictionaries 188
Manuals 190
Examples 191
Exercises 192
Part 3 Communication Research Processes 195
Chapter 9 The Process of Communication Research 197
The Research Process 197
Descriptive and Explanatory Research 198
Research Stages 199
Research Ethics 204
Summary 205
Selected Sources 205
Comprehensive Research Texts 205
Measurement 206
Media Research 206
Qualitative and Applied Research 207
Statistics 208
Exercises 209
Chapter 10 Designing The Communication Research Project 211
Approaches to Communication Research 211
Message-or Artifact-Oriented Research 212
People-or Behavior-Oriented Research 218
Summary 228
References 228
Selected Sources 230
Content Analysis 230
Research Design 230
Rhetorical and Media Criticism 230
Survey Research 230
Exercises 231
Chapter 11 Preparing Research Projects 233
Types of Writing Projects 233
Abstracts 234
Format 235
Steps 235
Literature Reviews 236
Format 237
Steps 239
Critical Papers 240
Steps 241
Research Prospectuses 241
Format 242
Steps 244
Original Research Reports 245
Format 245
Steps 246
Submitting Your Work 246
Writing Papers for Classes 246
Submitting Manuscripts: The Process 247
Summary 249
References 250
Selected Sources 251
Exercises 251
Chapter 12 Writing Research Papers 252
Basic Elements of Good Writing 252
Tense and Agreement 252
Voice 253
Grammar 254
Paragraph Structure 254
Transitions 255
Style 255
Writing Formats 257
Quoting and Paraphrasing 259
Proofreading 261
Getting Help with Your Writing 262
Summary 263
References 263
Selected Sources 264
Exercises 264
Appendix A APA Style Basics 267
Appendix B Glossary 279
Subject Index 293
Source Index 301