Creating Communication and Media Research Labs

This book offers the wisdom and experiences of communication/media research lab directors to provide a practical roadmap for establishing, funding, and growing a successful communication research laboratory. From the foundational steps of articulating a clear mission and securing a conducive space to the nuances of navigating funding avenues and fostering a collaborative culture, this book covers all critical aspects of lab creation and management. The edited book is divided into two main sections. Section 1 examines why one might want to create a communication/media research laboratory, introduces the design thinking process, and offers the editors’ 10 tips based on their own lab. In Section 2, lab directors from a wide array of institutions share their experiences building and running labs. It includes personal insights offering a unique window into the challenges and triumphs of creating and managing a communication research lab. In these chapters, readers will find advice and tips for launching and maintaining their labs. This section covers all types of universities and colleges so that it broadly appeals—from private liberal arts labs to state university grant-funded labs.Through real-life examples, readers learn strategies for building a thriving lab culture is pivotal to success. This guide provides insights on recruiting and mentoring a dynamic team, fostering diversity and inclusion, and creating an environment that promotes innovation and collaboration. It emphasizes the importance of clear communication, shared goals, and mutual respect in achieving research excellence. Chad Edwards, Ph.D. (University of Kansas) is a Professor of Communication in the School of Communication at Western Michigan University. He is a Theodore von Kármán Fellow at RWTH Aachen University-Germany. Recent publications include articles in: the International Journal of Social Robotics, Human-Machine Communication, Frontiers in Robotics and AI, Communication Education, Computers in Human Behavior, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, and Communication Studies. Chad Edwards co-directs the Communication and Social Robotics Labs.He is Past-President and a past Executive Director of the Central States Communication Association. Autumn Edwards, Ph.D. (Ohio University) is a Professor of Communication at Western Michigan University, where she co-directs the Communication & Social Robotics Labs (combotlabs.org). Professor Edwards is a Theodore von Kármán Fellow at RWTH Aachen University in Germany. She is the author of over 80 research articles and book chapters and co-edited with Adam Tyma the book Communication is….Perspectives on Theory. Her other books include The Communication Age: Connecting and Engaging and the DeGruyter Handbook of Robots in Society and Culture.< Patric R. Spence (Ph.D., Wayne State University) is a Professor at the University of Central Florida. His primary areas of research are crisis communication and social robotics. He is a co-director of the Communication and Social Robotics and the author of over 100 research articles about crisis communication and human-machine communication, as well as five textbooks. Spence is the former editor of Communication Studies.