Designing solutions to social problems requires some degree of interpretive accountability to the sociocultural systems in which design solutions must live. Our case studies show how ethnography of communication research generates distinctive resources for design. (Contains 5 notes.)

To contribute to the forum asking "Has Communication Research Made a Difference?," this essay examines whether communication scholarship makes a difference (a) to those who search for information online, (b) in the sense that a primary way our research can make a difference is through its accessibility, and (c) by using the criteria of its…

Has research by communication scholars made a difference in the practices or outcomes of communication in society? The author's answer to this question is based on her belief that there are three distinct ways in which communication research has made a difference, not all of which fit the traditional definitions of translational research. To…

This study offers a comprehensive analysis of change in willingness to communicate (WTC) in public speaking contexts (i.e., PS-WTC). The proposed conceptualization of change was tested using longitudinal data collected from a sample of 706 undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory communication course in a US university. Results of latent…

This paper discusses the applied aspects of our Drug Resistance Strategies Project. We argue that a new definitional distinction is needed to expand the notion of "applied" from the traditional notion of utilizing theory, which we call "applied.1," in order to consider theory-grounded, theory testing and theory developing applied research. We…

Almost 40 years ago, the notion that communication is central to creating and sustaining (and ending) high-quality interpersonal relationships seemed to be a radical idea, but today, who does not know this to be the case or how important communication is for making high-quality decisions in groups/teams, fostering productive and satisfying work…

If communication research is to make a greater difference in society, change is needed in the ways that communication scholarship is taught to and produced by students. To do so, I contend that changes must occur in two areas. First, change must occur at the undergraduate level where students must be given the opportunity to become directly…

This is an article in a series illustrating the way scholars in communication have pursued translating their research into practice. The translational nature of communication accommodation theory and examples of its application are the focus of this contribution.

Knowing is an enacted, communicated process that is difficult to observe, let alone manage, in organizations. Communities of practice (CoPs) offer a productive solution for improving knowledge and knowledge management, but the communicative processes that enact CoPs have not been explored, leaving CoPs as an organizational black box. This research…

Four large organizations, two each from the private and public sectors of the Northern Ireland economy, were selected for this study which, first, explored the effects of religion-based workforce difference on intergroup relationships, second, investigated the contribution of organizational sector to communicative differences, and third, gauged…

This experimental study assessed the effectiveness of fundraising messages. Based on recent findings regarding the effects of message framing and evidence, effective fundraising messages should combine abstract, statistical information with a negative message frame and anecdotal evidence with a positive message frame. In addition, building on…

Responds to the three previous articles on conversation in interviews: CS 705 967-CS 705 969. (PD)

Argues that the study of literature can help address the value dimensions of health communication. Maintains that literature provides a rich emotional context for characters' actions and interactions, which helps to direct readers' attention to the value dimensions of the situation at hand. (SR)

Compared the linguistic complexity of juror instructions in the "federal standard instructions" and the "Texas pattern special issues." Found that the latter contained significantly fewer nominalizations, technical legal terms, and embeddings. Discusses implications of these findings on comprehension. (PD)

Advocates that health-care ethics should start with a knowledge of moral reality based on experience, with patterns of moral behavior expressed not in principles, but in models, images, stories, myths, and paradigms. Notes that this approach offers a rich potential for exchange and collaboration between ethical and communication theories. (SR)