Chapter Summary

This chapter introduces some of the basic starting point questions such as: “What shall I research?  “Why should I research?”  “How should I research?” Basic notions of epistemology and ontology and the links between observation and theory in the forms of induction, deduction and abduction are covered along with explanation and examples of research questions and hypotheses.

Chapter Objectives

This chapter will help you:

• Define the terms induction, deduction, and abduction.
• Identify key reasons for doing research
• Discuss the various ways we “know what we know.”
• Describe two major worldviews in human communication research and how each shapes the nature of research.
• Identify the advantages and disadvantages of basing your work on the work of other researchers.
• Explain with examples the difference between a research question and a hypothesis and the advan­tages of one relative to the other.