To assess the impact of rhetorical research within the field of speech communication as it contributes to the arts and humanities, a study analyzed major articles that appeared in the "Quarterly Journal of Speech" from 1970-1980. Citation measurement was made possible through the use of the "Arts and Humanities Index," a multidisciplinary index to the journal literature of those fields. Of the 354 major articles published, 232 were selected as showing a direct interdisciplinary relationship within the arts and humanities. Of these, 39 were authored by representatives of disciplines associated with the arts and humanities outside the field of speech communication. Through a cross-referencing process, 58 citations representing 46 journal articles were listed in the 1978-1980 index. Of these 58 citations, 18 citations of 13 articles, representing 9 authors, were cited in speech communication journals. Of the citations in nonspeech communication journals, 11 citations of 9 articles were by authors identified with membership in the Speech Communication Association; of these 11 citations, 4 were authors citing themselves. The findings suggest that the impact of speech communication research related to rhetorical studies and the humanities is of little consequence, and that the diversity of application within speech communication may be both a blessing and a constraint. (A list of authors cross referenced in the study is appended.) (HOD)