Kristina M. Scharp

How to Conduct Communication Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Methods features 48 short, digestible chapters that cover the most essential and practical information students need to know to better understand various approaches and methods for conducting research. Students learn how to use tools from both qualitative and quantitative research methods to maximize their ability to make claims about the world. For instructors, the range of methods and the length of chapters allow flexibility to pick and choose those they wish to focus on. Readers are introduced to research paradigms and the foundations of communication research In Parts I and II, to qualitative methods in Part III, and to quantitative methods in Part IV. Each chapter provides a short preview, main concepts and key terms, user-friendly guiding examples, and strategies for overcoming common obstacles. Examples and activities throughout the book reflect social issues and demonstrate how conducting communication research can explain related outcomes, help students understand what different experiences are like, and disrupt social norms that serve to marginalize and disenfranchise groups of people. Appropriate for any course level, How to Conduct Communication Research is the ideal, accessible textbook and resource for today's students.

How to Conduct Communication Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Methods features 48 short, digestible chapters that cover the most essential and practical information students need to know to better understand various approaches and methods for conducting research. Students learn how to use tools from both qualitative and quantitative research methods to maximize their ability to make claims about the world. For instructors, the range of methods and the length of chapters allow flexibility to pick and choose those they wish to focus on.Readers are introduced to research paradigms and the foundations of communication research In Parts I and II, to qualitative methods in Part III, and to quantitative methods in Part IV. Each chapter provides a short preview, main concepts and key terms, user-friendly guiding examples, and strategies for overcoming common obstacles. Examples and activities throughout the book reflect social issues and demonstrate how conducting communication research can explain related outcomes, help students understand what different experiences are like, and disrupt social norms that serve to marginalize and disenfranchise groups of people.Appropriate for any course level, How to Conduct Communication Research is the ideal, accessible textbook and resource for today's students.

Continuing its engaging and readable approach, this second edition presents an overview of the major theories within the discipline of communication studies inclusive of the three major paradigms of social scientific, interpretive, and critical.Each member of the author team writes from his or her area of expertise, giving readers further insight into how the theory is applied to research within communication studies. With extensive pedagogical features, the text underscores key concepts and links them to students’ own communication studies scholarship and everyday lives. Key updates for this edition include updated examples and discussions around theories to give students a deeper understanding; explorations of Black Lives Matter and intersectionality; and new pedagogical features in line with Bloom’s taxonomy.This book is ideal as a core text for undergraduate courses in communication theory.Online resources also accompany the text: an instructor manual, test bank, lecture slides, and author introduction videos. Please visit www.routledge.com/9781032015194 to access the materials.

Continuing its engaging and readable approach, this second edition presents an overview of the major theories within the discipline of communication studies inclusive of the three major paradigms of social scientific, interpretive, and critical.Each member of the author team writes from his or her area of expertise, giving readers further insight into how the theory is applied to research within communication studies. With extensive pedagogical features, the text underscores key concepts and links them to students’ own communication studies scholarship and everyday lives. Key updates for this edition include updated examples and discussions around theories to give students a deeper understanding; explorations of Black Lives Matter and intersectionality; and new pedagogical features in line with Bloom’s taxonomy.This book is ideal as a core text for undergraduate courses in communication theory.Online resources also accompany the text: an instructor manual, test bank, lecture slides, and author introduction videos. Please visit www.routledge.com/9781032015194 to access the materials.

An innovative, student-friendly textbook covering the major elements of the field of Family Communication Family Communication, a rapidly growing sub-discipline within Communication Studies, explores the processes and factors involved in family interactions and relationships. Communication in Family Contexts is a clear and accessible survey of the essential principles, theories, and concepts of the field. Unlike textbooks that present a vast amount of material across only a few chapters—this innovative textbook features brief, easily-understood chapters ideally-suited for undergraduate courses on the subject. The text provides concise yet comprehensive coverage of a diverse range of topics, from fundamental aspects of caretaking and sibling communication, to topics not covered in other textbooks such as estrangement and marginalization. 33 chapters cover theories of family communication, family communication processes, and communicating in family relationships. The authors, noted researchers and educators in the field, complement discussions of standard topics with those of growing contemporary interest, such as LGBTQ family communication, step-family and half-sibling relationships, and the influence of technology on family. This textbook: Provides a well-rounded examination of the major elements of Family Communication studiesExplains the foundational theories of the field, including Family Communication Patterns Theory and Relational Dialectics TheoryFeatures numerous practical application exercises to enable students apply theory to practiceIncludes a complete set pedagogical features, such as case studies, visualizations and models of theories, illustrations, and discussion questionsOffers a flexible organizational structure that allows instructors to pick and choose chapters to meet the needs of their courses Communication in Family Contexts: Theories and Processes is an important resource for instructors and students in the field of family communication, the wider discipline of Communication Studies, and related areas such as social psychology and sociology.