Advancing communication as a science: Research opportunities from the federal sector

Authors: Kreps G.¹; Viswanath K.²; Harris L.³

Source: Journal of Applied Communication Research, Volume 30, Number 4, November 2002 , pp. 369-381(13)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

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Abstract:

The centrality of communication in health promotion is described in Healthy People 2010: Objectives for Improving Health, which noted that "health communication can contribute to all aspects of disease prevention and health promotion." In this paper we build on this argument by suggesting that communication science can be advanced by pursuing a "big-science" strategy where important and challenging questions about the role of communication in modern life are studied through rigorous research designs and research findings are applied to addressing significant social issues and problems. A significant dimension of a "big-science" strategy is the pursuit of programs of research using longitudinal designs and large samples with adequate controls. Given that such large-scale studies necessarily involve funding, we review some major funding initiatives and programs in different agencies of the federal governmental.

Keywords: Extramural funding; federal agencies; communication research; health communication

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Chief of the Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch at the National Cancer Institute 2: Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) 3: Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch at the National Cancer Institute

Publication date: 2002-11-01