ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the adequacy and inadequacies of current methodological practices and the extent to which they are able to capture current developments in political communication. The chapter begins by examining the synergistic relationship between theory and research as it applies to communication research in general. Vast changes over the past thirty-five years, in communication technology and media economics, political governance and campaign strategies, have forced upon researchers the necessity of rethinking what researchers study and how they do research on politics. Media generally cover the activities of government officials outside election contexts, along with routine coverage of a variety of issues. In recent years attempts have been made to broaden the American National Election Studies (ANES) series and incorporate more variables related to mass communication and new forms of communication technology. The chapter identifies some of the pitfalls that continue to hamper research in political research field and finally identify promising new avenues for future research.
