Communication Research: Asking Questions, Finding Answers: 2026 Release ISE

SECTION 1: RESEARCH BASICS

1 Introduction to Communication Research

2 The Research Process: Getting Started

3 Research Ethics

SECTION 2: QUANTITATIVE COMMUNICATION RESEARCH

4 Introduction to Quantitative Research

5 Measurement

6 Populations, Samples, and Sample Size

7 Quantitative Research Designs

8 Surveys and Questionnaires

9 Descriptive Statistics, Significance Levels, and Hypothesis Testing

10 Testing for Differences

11 Testing for Relationships

12 Quantitative Analysis of Text

13 Reading and Writing the Quantitative Research Report

SECTION 3: QUALITATIVE COMMUNICATION RESEARCH

14 Introduction to Qualitative Research

15 Designing Qualitative Research

16 Qualitative Methods of Data Collection

17 Analyzing Qualitative Data

18 Reading and Writing the Qualitative Research Report

Communication Research: Asking Questions, Finding Answers covers basic research issues and processes, both quantitative and qualitative, appropriate for communication students with little or no previous research methods experience. The text's guiding principle is that methodological choices are made from one's research questions or hypotheses. This avoids the pitfall in which students learn one methodology or one methodological skill and then force that method to answer all types of questions. Instead of working with one methodology to answer all types of questions, students come away understanding a variety of methods and how to apply them appropriately.