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Communication Sources: Overview of Communication Journals

There are many sources beyond the journals listed below which bear on communication issues, so don’t feel limited. Especially relevant are works in sociology and psychology, and occasionally those in literary scholarship, political science, or education. However, few of these other journals publish communication scholarship, so you should avoid founding too much in your method or theory on such sources. Also remember that a great deal of the most interesting communication scholarship is published in books and book chapters rather than in journals. Asterisks (*) denote that the College of Wooster Libraries have at least some holdings in this journal.

Journals of General Interest in Communication

These journals carry papers from every area in the field, featuring a variety of perspectives?they tend to be quite similar to one another. Everyone can (and probably should) look in these for materials.

Communication Monographs * WOO Periodicals PN 4077.S6
A premier journal for theory articles and major (or innovative) studies. Emphasizes social scientific perspectives, but not to exclusion.

Communication Quarterly * WOO Periodicals PN 4071.T6
A friendly, readable source for studies and think pieces.

Communication Studies * WOO Periodicals PN 4073.C4
A source for studies and think pieces. Previous title was Central States Speech Journal.

Communication Theory * Online through CONSORT
A new journal favoring serious theoretical arguments.

Communication Yearbook * WOO Main P 87.C5974
Annual, featuring articles that attempt to summarize (or epitomize) what’s going on in various domains within the field. Topics vary by year.

Electronic Journal of Communication Not at Wooster
Distributed electronically to individuals and institutions that have CIOS memberships. Published by the Communication Institute for Online Scholarship (CIOS). Some articles are in French.

European Journal of Communication Not at Wooster
More international?naturally?than the rest, but featuring the same kinds of materials. The Euro-perspective on communication is more playful and open-minded than mainstream scholarship in the U.S.

Howard Journal of Communication * WOO Periodicals P87 .H6 and Online through CONSORT
A generalist journal, but publishes much in black studies?the only communication journal that does.

Journal of Communication * WOO Periodicals P87.J6 and Online through CONSORT
The most widely-read journal in the field. They emphasize making articles accessible to non-specialists.

Quarterly Journal of Speech * WOO Periodicals PN 4071.Q3
Another premier journal for theoretical arguments and innovative studies. Emphasizes humanistic perspectives with occasional forays into social science. The primary outlet for rhetorical scholars in the field.

Southern Communication Journal Not at Wooster
Less readable than Communication Quarterly, better quality than Communication Studies. Occasional entertaining articles on "Southern Rhetoric" and country music.

Western Journal of Speech Communication Not at Wooster
Quite similar to Communication Quarterly.

Communication Journals on the Cultural Left

These journals favor qualitative, humanistic study with an attitude. Unlike the generalist publications, these worry about correct politics, advocacy, and ideology. It is "cooler" to be published in these journals, and scholars from this region dress better if you like black clothing. The best place to find studies on Madonna, feminine hygiene commercials, alternative dance clubs, and Marxism. These journals assume that readers are politically "left," so don’t be insulted if you aren’t. (Right-wingers can check out Chronicles of Culture.)

Communication Not at Wooster
Theory articles and studies. Few libraries carry this one.

Communication Inquiry Not at Wooster
A kind of downscale version of Cultural Studies (see below). Very diverse, very hip topics, but the articles often seem like they need another draft or two. Interesting in that it is published by graduate students.

Critical Studies in Mass Communication * WOO Periodicals P 87.C73 and WOO Mfiche
Probably the best journal in the field at present. Lots of material exploring the border between interpersonal and mass communication.

Cultural Studies Not at Wooster
Often very cool.

Discourse and Society Not at Wooster
Looks at the politics of language use in conversation and media. The only place to reliably find cultural studies in interpersonal communication.

Media, Culture & Society Not at Wooster
A journal for sociologists which nonetheless publishes communication materials. Infuriating for the stupid punctuation in their title and the way that they use, but refuse to cite, communication theorists.

Social Scientific Studies in Communication

These journals favor empirical, statistical studies and avoid taking political stances (even if they treat political topics). They also avoid making broad theoretical generalizations; and thus, unless you plan to do a similar study, you can probably skip them during literature searches. On the other hand, sometimes other sorts of things leak in, so be careful.

Communication Reports Not at Wooster
Short, empirical studies.

Communication Research * WOO Periodicals P 91.C56
Their ad copy usually claims that this is the best journal in the field.

Human Communication Research Not at Wooster
Probably the premier outlet for empirical studies in the field.

Other Mass Communication Journals

Please note that many of the journals in the "Cultural Left" section also favor mass communication. "Where’s interpersonal?", you ask. Interpersonal communication dominates many of the "general" journals, but?with the exception of Journal of Social and Personal Relationships (below)?there is no communication journal devoted exclusively to interpersonal matters.

Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media * WOO Periodicals PN 1991.J6
Sometimes called Journal of Broadcasting . A prime outlet for innovative studies in mass communication.

Journalism Quarterly * WOO Periodicals PN 4700.J7
Despite the title, covers a broad spectrum of topics in broadcast media.

Mass Communication Review Yearbook * WOO Main P 87.M28
A yearbook that comes out every other year (go figure). Tries to provide a sense of what’s going on in mass communication research.

Specialized Journals in Communication

These journals cover fairly specific subject areas in comparison to those listed above.

Communication Education * WOO Periodicals PN 4071.S74
Devoted to issues pertaining to training students in communication as well as issues for professional academics in the communication field. Widely read.

Free Speech Yearbook Not at Wooster
Essays about First Amendment issues.

Journal of Applied Communication Research Not at Wooster
Worried about communicating in organizations and communication consulting (what’s called "evaluation research"). On the minus side, kind of corporate in orientation. On the plus side, at least they’re out in the real world.

Journal of Popular Culture * WOO Periodicals CB 3.J68
The field of Popular Culture takes as its subject mass cultural artifacts rather than the process of mass culture as studied in communication. Still, many communication scholars are involved in pop culture. Look here for papers on the Three Stooges, the Cleavers, and Disney World.

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships Not at Wooster
An interdisciplinary journal (with much in communication) on family, friendship, and romance. (But what’s the difference between "social" and "personal" relationships?) Usually readable.

Philosophy and Rhetoric * WOO Periodicals B1 .P572 and Online through CONSORT
A journal for philosophers interested in rhetoric and vice-versa. Deep and dense.

Presidential Studies Quarterly * WOO Periodicals JK 501.C44
An interdisciplinary journal (with much in communication) on the presidency. Readable, with contributions by scholars in communication, political science, and history.

Research on Language and Social Interaction Not at Wooster
Micro-studies in talk. Difficult.

Rhetoric & Public Affairs * WOO Periodicals PN4055.R54 and Online through CONSORT
An interdisciplinary journal that examines the role of rhetoric in many facts of public affairs.

Rhetoric Review * Online through CONSORT
I think this is about rhetoric in composition, as in writing.

Rhetorica Not at Wooster
Studies in classical rhetoric.

Text and Performance Quarterly Not at Wooster
Emerging as a premier journal in the field. They are interested in issues of literature-in-performance (what used to be called oral interpretation), issues surrounding theater (as in censorship), and in what they call the "performance perspective" on everyday life (which treats everyday activities as performance). Previous title was  Literature  in Performance.

Women’s Studies in Communication * WOO Periodicals P 96.S48W66
Friendly. Conversational. They want everyone to feel involved. Run on a shoestring.

Specialized Journals in Speech and Hearing Disorders:

Asha * WOO Periodicals RC423.A1A2
Publication (formerly monthly, currently quarterly) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Advance for Speech-Language Pathologists & Audiologists Not at Wooster
Weekly newspaper/magazine addressing a multitude of timely topics in audiology and speech-language pathology.

American Annals of the Deaf * WOO Periodicals HV2510.A5
Publication of the National Association of the Deaf.

Brain and Language * WOO Periodicals RC423.A1B68 and Online through CONSORT

Ear and Hearing Not at Wooster
Journal of the American Auditory Society. A premier journal of audiology.

Hearing Instruments Not at Wooster
Journal primarily addressing amplification topics.

The Hearing Journal Not at Wooster
Journal primarily addressing amplification topics.

The Hearing Research * Online throuth CONSORT

The Hearing Review Not at Wooster
Addresses audiology, otology, rehabilitation, and amplification issues.

Journal of Auditory Research Not at Wooster

Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education * WOO Periodicals HV2350 .J66 and Online through CONSORT

Journal of the Academy of Rehabilitative Audiology * WOO Periodicals RF297.A25 a
Addresses topics in aural (re)habilitation.

Journal of the American Academy of Audiology * WOO Periodicals RF286.J68
The premier journal in the field of audiology.

Journal of Communication Disorders * WOO Periodicals RC423 .A1J64 and Online through CONSORT

Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders * WOO Periodicals RC423.J68
Publication of ASHA [no longer published (1990)].

Journal of Speech and Hearing Research * WOO Periodicals RC423.J7
Publication of ASHA on topics in speech, language, and hearing.

Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools * WOO Periodicals LB3454.L36 and WOO Mfiche
Publication of ASHA addressing issues in speech/language/hearing in school settings.

SHHH/Self Help for Hard of Hearing Journal Not at Wooster
Journal of the Self Help for Hard of Hearing (SHHH) organization. Primarily addresses issues of the adult who is deaf or hard of hearing.

Seminars in Speech, Language, Hearing Not at Wooster
Selected issue topics in speech, language, and hearing.

Journal splits into:
Seminars in Hearing * Online through CONSORT
Seminars in Speech and Language * Online through CONSORT

The Volta Review * WOO Periodicals HV2350.V7
Publication of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf.

[Credit Note: Most of the annotations, recommendations of titles to list, categories, and text of this page were provided over the years by current or past members of the Communication Department at The College of Wooster. Those who contributed are: Kelly Coyle, Donald Goldberg, and Denise Bostdorff. The page is maintained and updated by Julia Gustafson, College of Wooster Libraries.]