The dividing line between empirical and nonempirical methods is marked by scholars' approach to knowledge gain (i.e., epistemology). Empirical methods typically involve systematic collection and analysis of data (i.e., observation and evidence). They are used primarily in quantitative research involving original collection of data, but also in secondary analyses and increasingly in qualitative research. Scholars using nonempirical methods consider that reflection, personal observation, and authority/experience are just as valuable for knowledge acquisition as empirical data. In communication studies, scholars are likely to have a clear preference for either empirical or nonempirical methods. Yet, their scholarship may well include both.