Scholars of communication have theorized extensively on the concept of process, but there is a general absence of practical research on the topic. Part of the difficulty in narrowing the gap between theory and research in this area may lie in the use of the term, "the idea of process," in reference to several different, ununified phenomena. These phenomena--change over time, interrelatedness, complexity, interaction, emergence, and others--require a systematic research approach which builds on D. K. Berlo's book "The Process of Communication." The concept of change over time is the most important of these effects. In this area research could follow the theorizing which sets out the essential relativity of events as viewed in a time continuum. Perhaps the most fruitful direction for practical research in "process communication" is the application of systems concepts. (CH)