munication research is to use theory and methodology in order to under-
stand how communication works within particular settings to solve spe-
cific problems.

In this chapter, we examine the conceptual issues that serve as the
foundation for applied communication research. We start by exploring in
some detail the differences between basic and applied research. We then
give an overview of the development of applied communication research.
Next, we explore some of the requirements for conducting good applied
research, with a primary focus on the importance of using theory to guide
research. We conclude this chapter by providing an overview of how the
remaining chapters address important theoretical and methodological
issues facing applied communication researchers and practitioners within
a variety of settings.

Scholars in numerous disciplines recognize that there are two types of
research. The first is basic or pure research, which tests theory, and
the second is applied, which solves practical problems. Basic research in
communication, and other social sciences, conforms to the model proposed
by Parsons ( 1959) in which the goal of social science is to discover the
laws that aid in explaining and predicting human behavior. Basic commu-
nication researchers, therefore, use research methods to test hypotheses,
or predictions, derived from theories. They view their role in the inquiry
process as discovering "laws of communication." Berger and Calabrese
( 1975), for example, maintained that one law of communication is that
"all communication reduces uncertainty." They developed a research pro-
gram to show that whenever we communicate, we reduce uncertainty
about ourselves, others, and/or the situation.

Not all scholars use the terms basic and applied, but the terms that are
used differentiate between these two types of research based on their
purposes and goals. Coleman (cited in Lazarsfeld & Reitz, 1975), for exam-
ple, used the terms discipline and policy to distinguish between these two
forms of research. Discipline research advances knowledge of a scientific
discipline, whereas policy research suggests guidelines and courses of
practical action for actors or agents. Tukey ( 1960), on the other hand,
viewed the differences between basic and applied research from a very
pragmatic perspective by using the terms conclusion-oriented and deci-
sion-oriented. Conclusion-oriented research describes efforts that contrib-
ute to the knowledge of the discipline, whereas decision-oriented research
refers to efforts that attempt to solve practical problems.

Regardless of which terms are used, there are some important differ-

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