Communication Research Methods

By Carole L. Huston, Gerianne Merrigan, Carole Huston

Book Overview

Effective argumentation is at the very heart of communication--and, as authors Gerianne Merrigan and Carole L. Huston demonstrate, is a key component to understanding and conducting communication research. Using clear, jargon-free language, concrete examples, and highly visual pedagogy, Communication Research Methods introduces a full range of methods for studying communication, providing students with the tools they need to explore the often murky depths of communication research.

Ideal for research methods courses covering multiple methodologies, Communication Research Methods is the only text that uses a research-as-argument approach to help students not only become more effective researchers, but more insightful consumers of research. Merrigan and Huston treat communication research comprehensively, discussing a broad range of traditional and contemporary methods and considering ethics in designing, conducting, and reporting research. This second edition also includes classic and contemporary examples from published communication research, as well as engaging "Try It " activities for each method.

Thoroughly revised and updated, Communication Research Methods, Second Edition, helps students hone their critical thinking skills and expand the ways they think about and conduct research, ultimately enabling them to achieve a deeper understanding of communication--and the world around them.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195314824
• ISBN13: 9780195314823
• Release Date: November 2008
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 8.0" x 10.0"

Customer Reviews

Good Communication Research Methods Textbook

This was the required text for my Communication Research Methods class, so buying it wasn't really an option. After flipping through the book to see what I was in for this semester, I found the layout of the book to be pretty organized. 1.) Each chapter has an abstract at the beginning and a summary at the end that gives a brief overview of the chapter. 2.) Each chapter has an outline at the beginning to show you how the chapter lays out the topic. 3.) Vocab words are bolded, which is great if you have to know them for a test, and a list of "Key Terms" is at the end of each chapter. 4.) Throughout the chapter, the authors provide examples of warrants and claims to illustrate the points they're trying to make. 5.) Appendix A - A good guide to writing research reports and essays. Definitely helpful with assignments. Overall, I think that this is a pretty good textbook. The reading tends to be pretty dry, but not completely untolerable.