Topoi are recurring points of argument from which claims are built and contested, a concept from classical rhetoric. In the constitutive metamodel of communication theory, they generate debate across traditions, turning each tradition into a position to argue from rather than a storage category.
- Entry typeKey concept
- Category of its source unitParadigms, Traditions & Metatheories
- DomainEvidence & Evaluation
What these mean
Editorial orientation · Entry type
Key concept
Key concepts are the working vocabulary of the field: the terms that the models and tools rely on and that a decision about communication has to use precisely. Each entry defines the term and sends you to the brief or the self-guided audit where it is put to work.
Editorial orientation · Category
Paradigms, Traditions & Metatheories
Provides a broad intellectual perspective within which multiple concepts, theories or investigations are developed. Traditions carry histories and commitments; metatheories examine how theories themselves are organized or related.