ABSTRACT
Applied communication research addresses communication issues and problems to make a significant difference in people’s lives. This chapter explains and offers examples of that important type of communication research. After reviewing the history of applied communication research, we examine the relationship between theory and application, and the wide range of methods that are employed in that research. We then distinguish two forms of applied communication research—observational–recommendation and intervention-oriented—and highlight communication activism research, a recent form that involves communication researchers intervening to promote social justice. The chapter concludes by discussing the importance of applied communication scholars translating their research findings to make them useful to nonacademic audiences (e.g., communication practitioners and the public).
