Conceptual Divisions Within the Speech Communication Association.

This paper specifically discusses the differing methods by which certain conceptual divisions in the field of speech communication have been determined. Classifying the various conceptual approaches as (1) definitional analyses, (2) structural approaches, (3) research classifications, and (4) approaches reflecting a combination of these three, the author briefly reviews the major contributions made by speech professionals which establish some outline of the conceptual concerns of the discipline. He provides a detailed examination of the efforts of the national association, the cataloging system devised by Borden, and the SCA information retrieval system (SCAIRS), enumerating the divisional concerns stated by each. (LG)