The practice and products of communication inquiry and education

Communication is described as a discipline with an obligation to pursue any inquiry that will shed light on the process of life forces attempting a common union. A holistic perspective is cited as necessary to deal with the complexity and ambiguity this approach embodies: an approach that requires a recognition of both the art and the science of human communication. The ability to communicate effectively is termed fundamental for communication education. Consequently, for internal validity, both knowledge‐building and skills‐training are called for in the teaching of communication. For external validity, the discipline must strive to establish common understandings of its work and to send clear messages about the findings to those outside the field.