ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the contributions of crisis communication theory research to public relations. The chapter begins by discussing three foundation theories within crisis communication research, followed by an exploration of trends in the crisis communication research. The trends focus on shifts in crisis communication research from descriptive to prescriptive, rhetorical to cognitive, and single-voice to multivocal. The chapter concludes by reviewing the contributions of crisis communication to the development of an evidence-based approach and outlining areas to guide future research in this area.
