Special issue of Journal of Communication

Deadline: July 15, 2019

Guest Editors: Keren Tenenboim-Weinblatt (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) & Chul-joo “CJ” Lee (Seoul National University)

With the rapid growth and development of the field of Communication, it has also become increasingly fragmented, while its subfields – as represented by ICA’s various divisions and interest groups – have become increasingly self-contained. Researchers within the different subfields speak to each other in numerous forums and publications and in ever-growing levels of precision and sophistication, but are often oblivious to related developments in other subfields. Similarly, conceptual, analytical and empirical contributions are discussed in relation to the state-of-the-art within a specific subfield, but often fail to be developed into broader theoretical frameworks. The result is a multiplicity of theoretical, conceptual and empirical fragments, whose interrelationships and relevance for a range of communication processes remain to be established.

In this special issue, we look for rigorous, original and creative contributions that speak across multiple subfields of communication. All theoretical approaches as well as methods of scholarly inquiry are welcome, and we are open to various formats and foci: The papers can be based on an empirical study, integrate a series of empirical pieces, thereby proposing a new theory or model, or be primarily theoretical. Their focus can be a specific theory, a specific concept or a set of related concepts, a communication phenomenon that can be better accounted for using a cross-disciplinary perspective, or any other focus that fits the purpose of the special issue. In all forms, the papers should make substantial, original contributions to theoretical consolidation and explicitly discuss the relevance and implications of their research to different subfields.

Deadline for full paper submissions is July 15, 2019. The special issue is scheduled for Issue 3, 2020.

Submissions should be made through the JOC submission site (https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jcom). Please make sure you click "yes" to the question "is this work being submitted for special issue consideration?" and clearly state in the cover letter that the paper is submitted to the special issue. Manuscripts should strictly adhere to the new JOC submission guidelines. These guidelines will be available on the journal’s website in early January 2019. Before that, they are available upon request from Editor-in-Chief, Lance Holbert, r.lance.holbert@gmail.com.

Questions and comments about the special issue should be addressed to Keren Tenenboim-Weinblatt (keren.tw@mail.huji.ac.il) and Chul-joo “CJ” Lee (chales96@snu.ac.kr).