Reynolds, Barnett book looks at research

Published: March 3, 2006

Both School of Journalism assistant professor Amy Reynolds and Brooke Barnett (Ph.D. '01) of Elon University long have been intrigued by law and media issues, but were frustrated by the view of many scholars and researchers that law research methods and social science research methods are mutually exclusive.

To Reynolds and Barnett, using both types of methodologies could only enhance communications law topics and legal research. To look into this further, the two collaborated on a new book, Communication and Law: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Research (Lawrence Erlbaum Associations, 2006), which surveys legal and communications scholars who are using novel approaches to research.

"Other fields look at interdisciplinary approaches, but we're not making such connections between media and the law," said Barnett, whose dissertation addressed this subject. "With this book, we wanted to bring people who are doing innovative things in this area, to show what can be done."

After identifying scholars, the two asked them for permission to reprint their work or asked them to write chapters especially for their book.

"We divided the book into two areas, theory and methodology," said Reynolds. "With every reprint and all the methodology chapters, we asked authors to write introductions, to explain to readers their thought processes. This gives great insight to how people conceptualize research projects. "

This multidisciplinary approach isn't a new concept, Reynolds says, but it is time to have another look at the ways to use both social science and traditional legal research methods to study communications law.

"Two scholars wrote a groundbreaking book in 1980, and both Brooke and I had read it," she said. "So there were those arguing for this approach 25 years ago. With our book, we wanted to bring back to the scholarly discussion ways law and media research are connected."

Those two scholars, Jeremy Cohen and Timothy Gleason, lead off the new book with an update on changes in attitude about the multidisciplinary approach since the publication of their 1980 work, Social Research in Communication and Law.

Other contributors include School of Journalism assistant professor Tony Fargo and Fred Cate, director of the Indiana University Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research. Barnett and Reynolds also wrote chapters.

The book is aimed at an audience of scholars and graduate students contemplating different ways of conducting research, Reynolds said.

While Cohen and Gleason's book inspired the notion of a multidisciplinary approach to research, 20 years later, the discussion continues, Barnett said. She hopes this new book will build on that but also spark action.

"Will this (new book) do something different or just get some early attention and then everyone reverts back to the same thinking?" she said. "This is the frustrating part, this continuing disconnect between social science and legal research."