Basic principles of research and a guide to using this book
Basic concepts of research
Scholarly research and the creation of knowledge
Ethical research
Concept explication and measurement
Reliability and validity
Effective measurement
Sampling
Experiments and threats to validity
Survey research
Content analysis
Qualitative research
Approaches to qualitative analysis
Descriptive statistics
Principles of inferential statistics
Multivariate inferential statistics

"A hands-on guide for applying research methods to common problems, issues, projects, and questions that communication practitioners deal with on a regular basis, this text demonstrates the relevance of research in professional roles and communication careers. The second edition features updated material that covers major communication research methods including surveys, experiments, focus groups, observation research, while also providing key background information on ethics, validity, reliability, concept explication, statistical analysis, and other current topics. It continues to foster student engagement with research through its numerous features and practical activities"--Publisher's description