[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-599303-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-599303-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","the-value-of-research-on-communication-centers-ideas-for-future-directions","The Value of Research on Communication Centers - Ideas for Future Directions","","This paper argues that research is fundamental to how communication centers create, develop, and operate their services. It explains why scholarly inquiry strengthens theory–praxis connections, builds synergy through sharing results, and improves the centers’ legitimacy with stakeholders. It reviews progress to date and identifies future directions, emphasizing client-impact evaluation, more rigorous tutor-training assessment, and measuring the effectiveness of instructional materials across in-person and online formats.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/the-value-of-research-on-communication-centers-ideas-for-future-directions/599303/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/the-value-of-research-on-communication-centers-ideas-for-future-directions/599303.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"WPS_1790064749","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-29","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",5,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"Why does the author emphasize the value of research for communication centers?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"The author argues that research links theory and practice, strengthens centers through shared insights, and increases legitimacy with clients, colleagues, and communities.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What challenges does the author describe for conducting research on communication centers?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"The challenges are getting directors and others to a professional level where they can do research and finding venues beyond major conferences to disseminate it.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What future research areas does the author propose?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"The author proposes studying how to demonstrate client gains, how to determine and improve tutor training effectiveness, and how to determine and improve the effectiveness of instructional materials.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},599303,1792208799,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,100,105,110,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":55,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":131},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":111,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":101,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144},3985747859154,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_276721f389ce27ea32af1340a28f341c","RESEARCH  \nThe Value of Research on Communication Centers: Ideas for Future Directions  \nKathleen J. Turner  \nEmerita, Davidson College  \nAlthough some people may shudder at the thought of “research,” in fact all of us use conceptsand frameworks to create, develop, and operate our centers. In this, the inaugural issue of the Communication Center Journal, I’d like to consider the value of research to our common endeavors, and to suggest several areas of investigation that would yield benefits.  \nWhy Research?  \nFollowing the lead of Ernest Boyer in his reframing of scholarship to include “intellectual work,” directors of communication centers can contribute a great deal to the development and dissemination of a solid and exciting conjunction of theory and praxis on which we can base our work. Sharing the fruits of our labors will strengthen our centers by providing the enrichment afforded by synergy, cross-testing, and elaboration of key principles. Moreover, as we systematically investigate these areas across institutional contexts, we will enhance the legitimacy of communication centers with our clients, colleagues, and communities.  \nResearch to This Point  \nAs Sheckels and I observed, the challenge for research on communication centers has been twofold: “first, getting directors—and others—to the professional point at which they could do research; second, finding places beyond the NACC and NCA conferences for good research tobe disseminated.”1 The second part of that challenge has been addressed in significant part  \nwhen the National Association of Communication Centers founded the Communication Center Journal. In the research section, the CCJ welcomes “disseminates research using quantitative, qualitative, rhetorical, and critical methodologies relevant to communication centers in higher education” that is “sufficiently informed by theory drawn from communication and cognate disciplines” and “reflect[s] an awareness of extant scholarship.”  \nNow for the first part of that challenge: encouraging center directors to conduct and report research so that communication centers as a whole can benefit from their insights. We do have some research already:  \n􀁸 an abundance of convention presentations, some of which are accessible beyond the conferences themselves2;  \n􀁸 articles that have been published in related journals and volumes, such as Journal of Instructional Psychology, International Journal of Listening, International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, Basic Communication Course Annuals, and Quarterly Review of Business Discipline3; and  \n􀁸 books of direct relevance to communication center directors.4  \nTo date, many of the presentations and publications have focused on site-specific descriptions of what has worked on a particular campus in a particular center. Such case studies are valuable, especially when connected to sound theoretical and critical precepts. Now, however, communication center directors would benefit from research that crosses institutional boundaries.  \nWhere Do We Go From Here?  \nI would like to see theoretically grounded, methodologically diverse studies that address what I see as some of the key questions facing communication centers.  \n1) How do we demonstrate what our clients have gained from using the communication center?  \nAs directors, we “know” that students who use our services emerge as more confident, competent speakers who not only offer stronger presentations but become more effective communicators in a wider context. How can we evaluate those gains? How can we show our colleagues and administrators the value of our often shoestring-budget, afterthought-location centers in, for example, enhancing critical thinking and boosting institutional retention rates? How do we know how our centers serve, in particular, the diverse populations that institutions increasingly want to attract to campuses? Asking the students themselves offers one means; identifying patterns of use (and disuse)","cbCaivRZAHigTGSh","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaivRZAHigTGSh","pdf",413875,"English","# Why Research?\n# Research to This Point\n# Where Do We Go From Here?\n## Evaluating client gains\n## Improving tutor training effectiveness\n## Improving instructional materials effectiveness","[{\"question\":\"Why does the author emphasize the value of research for communication centers?\",\"answer\":\"The author argues that research links theory and practice, strengthens centers through shared insights, and increases legitimacy with clients, colleagues, and communities.\"},{\"question\":\"What challenges does the author describe for conducting research on communication centers?\",\"answer\":\"The challenges are getting directors and others to a professional level where they can do research and finding venues beyond major conferences to disseminate it.\"},{\"question\":\"What future research areas does the author propose?\",\"answer\":\"The author proposes studying how to demonstrate client gains, how to determine and improve tutor training effectiveness, and how to determine and improve the effectiveness of instructional materials.\"}]","The Value of Research on Communication Centers - Ideas for Future Directions | PDF",1792088521,15]