Designed by a committee of the Speech Communication Association to assist in planning a conference in intercultural communication, this outline defines the field, delineates topics for presentation, and furnishes a general outline for a volume which will be considered the final product. Cultural objectivity is established by insuring participation of representatives of various societies rather than by a culturally impartial organization of topics and conferences. Contents of the outline represent a theoretical analysis of intercultural communication, a review of its empirical accomplishments, and a forecast of the future. Each section begins with a review of the central issue of the section, proceeds with a general definition of the level of theory involved, and concludes with a miscellany of topics passed over as systematic points. (EE)