ABSTRACT
In examining the use of research methods in mass communication, Lowry (1979) lamented, "For the most part, communication researchers have neglected to conduct systematic studies of their own output" (p. 262). Whether this claim was valid at the time it was published is uncertain, but what is certain is that such a condemnation simply is not true for contemporary communication research. A search through the volumes of the most popular communication journals from recent decades reveals that communication scholars have become quite mindful of where the discipline has been and where it is going. Moreover, attempts to take stock of the state of communication research have been particularly popular in recent years, a trend that may well be an artifact of the hype surrounding the tum of the century and the dawn of a new millennium. Nonetheless, such examinations are useful in understanding the big picture of communication research-past, present, and future.
