The Basics of Communication Research (with InfoTrac) (Wadsworth Series in Speech Communication)
"I would highly recommend this text to any instructor teaching a communication specific research methods course. I think it provides a strong foundation for introductory students and covers each of the areas of qualitative and quantitative methodologies appropriately. Additionally it does an effective job of incorporating existing communication research from a variety of fields into each of the chapters. This provides a much needed connection for communication students to better understand the application of various methodologies to their discipline.""This textbook frames research as a common sense, everyday activity that students already know something about, although not necessarily something that they always do well. It balances attention between both quantitative and qualitative methodologies and helps students think about how to make choice in doing research.""Its organization introduces students to the breadth of perspective in communication research early in the book. Students are introduced to the basics of both quantitative and qualitative designs in separate chapters-rather than a single chapter that suggests that there is "one" way to create a research design. This pluralistic approach is extremely helpful in avoiding the creation of strong positivistic biases early in the semester. This helps students to be aware of the many ways of approaching research and the values of each approach."