Oral Communication Channels

The importance of the use of oral channels of communication varies according to the subject field and branch of engineering. An example of an area where oral communication is of great importance is the construction and building business, where people often work with unique objects and need to solve specific problems in a short space of time. The telephone and telefacsimile (for the transmission of diagrams etc.) are invaluable tools.
The advantages of oral channels of communication are that they:

• are fast - useful for obtaining very recent unpublished information
• are based on two-way communication and therefore promote an understanding of the real information need(s) and the communication of relevant information
• are flexible
• simplify and facilitate the transmission of information between people working in different subject areas (useful in interdisciplinary studies)
• are easy and pleasant to use

The disadvantages of oral channels of communication are that they:

• are not open to everyone - established researchers have access to good networks of contacts, but these usually take time to cultivate
• can lead to misconceptions because the information is sometimes incomplete (lack of detail etc.)
• are difficult to maintain and therefore unstable

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