Bringing communication science to technical communication-the importance of theory and research methods

Because good research is more than simply asking questions professional communicators need to know how to tell good research from bad, to distinguish appropriate research methods from inappropriate methods, and to make appropriate inferences from research data. Technical communication will benefit from using the theories and methodological approaches encompassed by communication science. We define communication science and discuss the reasons for research, the role of theory, the choice of appropriate methods, and methods of interpretation. Finally, we point readers to publications that can further their understanding of communication science, communication research, and social science research methodologies