Ryerson University - Straight Talk About Communication Research Methods

Christine S Davis

Christine Davis is Professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her area of academic expertise is in Communication Studies, specializing in the intersection of family, culture, and health communication. Dr. Davis publishes regularly on topics such as children’s health, end-of-life communication, disability, and qualitative research methods. Her preferred methodologies are autoethnography, narrative, and critical ethnography. She has over 30 years of research and corporate consulting experience, including as owner of a national marketing research firm and executive director of a nonprofit for older adults. She obtained all three of her degrees in Communication Studies. Her BA is from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (more commonly known as Virginia Tech), her M.A. is from the University of North Carolina–Greensboro, and her Ph.D. is from the University of South Florida. Christine has a loving husband, a wonderful daughter and son-in-law, the most adorable grandson ever, and an awesome Sheltie named Maggie. In addition to conducting research and teaching, she loves to sail, hike, jog, and swim.

Kenneth A Lachlan

Ken Lachlan is Associate Professor at the Department of Communication at the University of Connecticut. Prior to his academic career, he worked in public radio and television promotions for several years. His research interests include the psychological effects of mass media, health and risk communication, social robotics, and new media technologies. Recent publications have appeared in the Computers in Human Behavior, Media Psychology, and the Journal of Applied Communication Research, to name a few. Ken considers himself mostly a quantitative scholar, preferring experimental and survey methodologies in investigating his areas of interest. He has also served as a consultant statistician for various companies and government agencies. He holds a dual B.A. in Communication and Sociology from Wake Forest, an M.A. in Mass Communication from Bowling Green State University, and a Ph.D. in Communication from Michigan State. An avid jogger and diehard hockey fan, Ken lives in Hartford, CT with his wife and their cat.