Quantitative Research Methods in Communication

This fully updated second edition offers an advanced introduction to quantitative methods that focuses on why and how to conduct research that contributes to social justice. It includes updated real-world case studies, interviews with scholar-activists, definitions of key concepts as a deeper focus on ethics, social media and more.

Erica Scharrer is Professor of Communication at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA. She is also the editor of Children, Media, and Technology: Access, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (Routledge, 2025). In recent years, she received the Distinguished Community Engagement Award in Research at UMass and became a fellow of the International Communication Association. Srividya Ramasubramanian is Newhouse Professor and Endowed Chair at Syracuse University, USA. She is also the director of CODE^SHIFT (Collaboratory for Data Equity, Social Healing, Inclusive Futures, and Transformation), Media Rise, and the Difficult Dialogues Project. She is editor-in-chief of Communication Monographs, fellow of the International Communication Association, and honored as a Distinguished Scholar by the National Communication Association.

1. Foundations and Definitions 2. Reading and Writing about the Research Literature 3. Ethical Considerations 4. Meaning in/and Measurement 5. Sampling and Representation 6. Soliciting Opinions through Survey Research 7. Studying Responses through Experimental Methods 8. Examining Communication Content in Content Analysis Research 9. Calculations and Complexity 10. Mixed Methods: Triangulating with Qualitative Research 11. Community Partnerships and Participatory Research 12. Using Research in Action: Publication, Public Engagement, and Policymaking Appendices: Statistical Analysis Guide: Introduction to SPSS and R