Research-Practice Relationships in Speech-Language Pathology

There are at least three distinct relationships (or forms of communication) between research and practice: (1) shared-interest communication, (2) research-driven communication, and (3) practice-driven communication. Shared-interest communication occurs at the interfaces of a continuum of interests between research and practice. Research-driven communication refers to the ways in which researchers attempt to present their findings to clinicians. Practice-driven communication refers to the ways that clinicians advocate their interests and concerns to researchers. This article discusses each, assesses their impact on the effective interaction between research and practice, and provides recommendations for developing effective communication.