The improvisations needed to adapt to COVID-19 teaching and learning conditions affected students and faculty alike. This study uses chaos theory and improvisation to examine an undergraduate communication research methods course that was initially delivered synchronously/face-to-face and then transitioned to asynchronous/online in March 2020.…

Analysis of teacher-to-teacher talk provides researchers with useful information regarding the teaching profession and teachers' perspectives. This article provides a description of a method, with accompanying example, examining teacher-to-teacher talk by incorporating semantic modality and examining trends of its usage in a quantitative manner.…

This study assesses the current state of undergraduate instruction in empirical research methods in communication and offers recommendations for enhancing such instruction. Responses to an online questionnaire were received from 149 communication-related programs at four-year colleges and universities. Just over 85% of responding programs offered…

Communication researchers have recently expressed concern with the lack of statistical power in their literature. Authors propose a method for increasing statistical power: the partitioning of the decision region in three parts. This procedure results in an unambiguous interpretation of nonsignificant results and leads to increased power. (PD)

Explains that Type I error is a risk undertaken whenever significance tests are conducted, and the chances of committing a Type I error increase as the number of significance tests increases. Notes that adjusting the alpha level because of the number of tests conducted in a given study has no principled basis, commits one to absurd beliefs and…

Tries to distinguish the key insights from some distortions by clarifying the goals of experiment-wise error control that D. O'Keefe correctly identifies as vague and open to misuse. Concludes that a better understanding of the goal of experiment-wise error correction erases many of these "absurdities," but the clarifications necessary…

Responds to Daniel O'Keefe's "Against Familywise Alpha Adjustment," where O'Keefe maintains that one should never attempt to control Type I error introduced when many statistical tests are conducted. Argues that alpha adjustment should be applied only in the narrowly circumscribed instance when the researcher wants to make a strong claim…

Responds to other articles in this colloquy. Notes that they propose that alpha adjustment can appropriately be mandated when the set of tests concerns the key claims of a single theory. Considers how consistent application of this reasoning commits one to bizarre beliefs and research practices--which suggests that this reasoning does not provide…

Examines mathematical relationships among three methods for statistical analysis of treatment by replication experiments involving message variables: ignoring them in the statistical analysis; treating them as levels of a fixed effect; or treating them as levels of a random effect. Finds the third method is the only one offering a reasonable test…

Explores how to achieve rigor in applying methodology to research questions regarding quantitative approaches, specifically regarding statistical analysis, measurement, and sample decisions. (SR)

Describes major issues and alternatives in the conduct of process research in organizational communication. Argues that only when researchers begin to collect and analyze longitudinal data will the communication discipline accumulate the kind of knowledge envisioned by its founders. (PD)

Results of two studies indicate that the way in which Likert scale data are scored can make a difference when statistical significance tests are used. The studies raise a number of questions about the use of Likert scales in communication research. (GT)

Notes that "variance accounted for"--calculated by squaring one of the various measures of association--is the most common estimate of experimental effect or strength of association reported in communication studies. Focuses on the basic principles and arguments underlying the use of unsquared measures of association, and the…

Responds to Donald Dean Morley's reply (same issue). Discusses his claims about the use of multiple-message designs, the analysis of multiple-message designs, and generalization on logical grounds. (MS)

Compares the persuasiveness of using statistical versus narrative evidence (case studies or examples) across 15 investigations. Indicates that when comparing messages, statistical evidence is more persuasive than narrative evidence. (PA)