World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Communication Studies
H-index 10

Communication Studies

1051-0974

Published by: Taylor & Francis

https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rcst20/current

Ranking & Metrics

Discipline name Position Best Scientists Publications D-Index
Social Sciences and Humanities 747 10 20 7

Additional Metrics

Number of Best Scientists*: 26
Documents by Best Scientists*: 38
Top 100 Ranked Scientists*: 0
SCIMAGO H-index: 56
SCIMAGO SJR: 0.604
Impact Factor: 1.3

Overview

Top Research Topics at Communication Studies?

Communication Studies primarily focuses on research topics in Social psychology, Rhetoric, Rhetorical question, Law and Epistemology. Social psychology research presented is mostly focused on the subject of Interpersonal communication. The study on Rhetoric featured in the journal expounds on the topic of Rhetorical criticism in particular.

It is concerned with the study of Rhetorical question and Literature in general. Politics is part of Law studies tackled in Communication Studies. The journal connects the study in Epistemology with the closely related area of Criticism.

  • Social psychology (31.49%)
  • Rhetoric (11.70%)
  • Rhetorical question (11.34%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

  • Ethos and credibility: The construct and its measurement after three decades (401 citations)
  • On viewing rhetoric as epistemic (321 citations)
  • Measuring the sources and content of relational uncertainty (282 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Communication Studies:

The most cited articles are organized to reinforce research efforts on Social psychology, Rhetorical question, Epistemology, Developmental psychology and Rhetoric. The journal articles address concerns in the field of Social psychology by exploring it in line with topics in Organizational communication which intersect with Communication studies subjects. The featured Rhetoric studies in the published articles mainly concentrate on Law but also cover areas of interest in Media studies.

What topics the last edition of the journal is best known for?

  • Law
  • World War II
  • Social psychology

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

Communication Studies is mainly concerned with subjects like Social psychology, Linguistics, Media studies, Politics and Epistemology. Communication Studies focuses on Social psychology but the discussions also offer insight into other areas such as Resistance (psychoanalysis), Stigma (botany), Narrative, Mental health and Romance. Some problems in Narrative that were presented in the journal overlapped with concepts under Entertainment and Persuasion.

Linguistics research presented in the journal encompasses a variety of subjects, including Word (computer architecture) and Dialogical self. Media studies study tackled is connected to the field of Content analysis. The work on Politics addressed in Communication Studies expands to the thematically related Rhetoric.

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

  • The Representation of Altruism and Egoism in Children’s Books (2 citations)
  • Impacts of Attitudes Toward Government and Corporations on Public Trust in Artificial Intelligence (2 citations)
  • Weathering the Financial Storm: A Professional Forecaster Team’s Domain Diffusion of Resilience (2 citations)

Papers citation over time

A key indicator for each journal is its effectiveness in reaching other researchers with the papers published at that venue.

The chart below presents the interquartile range (first quartile 25%, median 50% and third quartile 75%) of the number of citations of articles over time.

The top authors publishing in Communication Studies (based on the number of publications) are:

  • William L. Benoit (16 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Patric R. Spence (12 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition, 2 less than at the previous edition,
  • Bruce E. Gronbeck (11 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Robert C. Rowland (10 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Kenneth A. Lachlan (10 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition.

The overall trend for top authors publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top authors.

Only papers with recognized affiliations are considered

The top affiliations publishing in Communication Studies (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Purdue University (49 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • University of Kansas (41 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Michigan State University (38 papers) published 5 papers at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition,
  • University of Missouri (37 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition,
  • Pennsylvania State University (35 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition, 1 less than at the previous edition.

The overall trend for top affiliations publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top affiliations.

Publication chance based on affiliation

The publication chance index shows the ratio of articles published by the best research institutions in the journal edition to all articles published within that journal. The best research institutions were selected based on the largest number of articles published during all editions of the journal.

The chart below presents the percentage ratio of articles from top institutions (based on their ranking of total papers).Top affiliations were grouped by their rank into the following tiers: top 1-10, top 11-20, top 21-50, and top 51+. Only articles with a recognized affiliation are considered.

During the most recent 2021 edition, 5.94% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 16.84% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 10.53% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 31.58% of all publications and 41.05% were from other institutions.

Returning Authors Index

A very common phenomenon observed among researchers publishing scientific articles is the intentional selection of journals they have already attended in the past. In particular, it is worth analyzing the case when the authors participate in the same journal from year to year.

The Returning Authors Index presented below illustrates the ratio of authors who participated in both a given as well as the previous edition of the journal in relation to all participants in a given year.

Returning Institution Index

The graph below shows the Returning Institution Index, illustrating the ratio of institutions that participated in both a given and the previous edition of the conference in relation to all affiliations present in a given year.

The experience to innovation index

Our experience to innovation index was created to show a cross-section of the experience level of authors publishing in a journal. The index includes the authors publishing at the last edition of a journal, grouped by total number of publications throughout their academic career (P) and the total number of citations of these publications ever received (C).

The group intervals were selected empirically to best show the diversity of the authors' experiences, their labels were selected as a convenience, not as judgment. The authors were divided into the following groups:

  • Novice - P < 5 or C < 25 (the number of publications less than 5 or the number of citations less than 25),
  • Competent - P < 10 or C < 100 (the number of publications less than 10 or the number of citations less than 100),
  • Experienced - P < 25 or C < 625 (the number of publications less than 25 or the number of citations less than 625),
  • Master - P < 50 or C < 2500 (the number of publications less than 50 or the number of citations less than 2500),
  • Star - P ≥ 50 and C ≥ 2500 (both the number of publications greater than 50 and the number of citations greater than 2500).

The chart below illustrates experience levels of first authors in cases of publications with multiple authors.

Career Opportunities in Communication Studies

An important aspect of Communication Studies that is often overlooked is the diverse range of career opportunities it offers. Many who undertake studies within this field go on to have substantial and rewarding careers, which benefit not only themselves but also society at large. One of these career paths is becoming a substance abuse counselor. This role is crucial in helping individuals overcome addiction and lead healthier lives. Substance abuse counselors use their communication studies skills daily to interact with clients effectively, understand their struggles, and guide them towards recovery. It's a demanding job that necessitates a strong foundation in the field of social psychology, one of the primary areas of focus in communication studies. Thus, individuals trained in communication studies are well-equipped for this challenging but fulfilling career path. Kentucky, for instance, has a great need for professionals in this area, and our comprehensive guide on how to be a substance abuse counselor in Kentucky can give you an in-depth understanding of the education and training requirements, as well as the job prospects in the state. Other potential career paths within the field include becoming a public relations specialist, a mediator, a health educator, or a human resources manager. Whatever path Communication Studies graduates choose to follow, their learnings and research in areas such as social psychology, rhetoric, and epistemology can significantly impact society for the better.

Top Publications

  • I-It, I-Thou, I-Robot: The Perceived Humanness of AI in Human-Machine Communication

    David Westerman;Autumn P. Edwards;Chad Edwards;Zhenyang Luo

    (2020)
    73 Citations
  • Challenges and Best Practices Associated with Sharing Research Materials and Research Data for Communication Scholars

    Nicholas David Bowman;Patric R. Spence

    (2020)
    25 Citations
  • Toward an Integrated Model of Online Communication Attitudes, Communication Frequency, and Relational Closeness

    Quinten S. Bernhold;Ronald Rice

    (2020)
    14 Citations
  • Guilt Appeals in Persuasive Communication: A Meta-Analytic Review

    Monique Turner;Stephen Rains

    (2021)
    14 Citations
  • News framing of e-cigarettes: A cross-national study of the US, UK, and Korea

    Jin-Ae Kang;Peter Schulz;Glenn T. Hubbard;Jooyun Hwang

    (2021)
    10 Citations
  • “Well, I’m going to have a baby”: Navigating Safety, Stakeholders, and Strategy in Workplace Pregnancy Disclosures

    (2022)
    7 Citations
  • Videoconferencing and Work-Family Conflict: Exploring the Role of Videoconference Fatigue

    (2022)
    7 Citations
  • A Robot, Meteorologist, and Amateur Forecaster Walk into A Bar: Examining Qualitative Responses to A Weather Forecast Delivered via Social Robot

    (2021)
    7 Citations
  • Polarizing Organizations and Image Repair: The Effects of Extreme Disposition and Ego-Involvement on ELM Processing Routes for Organizational Responses

    Karen C. P. McDermott;Kenneth A. Lachlan

    (2020)
    6 Citations
  • Narratives’ Impacts on Attitudes:Do Signaling of Persuasive Intent and Fictionality Matter?

    Rebecca Frazer;Melissa J. Robinson;Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick

    (2021)
    5 Citations

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

For students interested in expanding their expertise beyond a traditional psychology degree, many online options offer flexible and affordable pathways. One popular route is pursuing a Master of Social Work (MSW), which prepares graduates for impactful careers in social services. Those looking for cost-effective options may explore online msw programs, which provide accredited education with reduced financial barriers.

For students without a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) seeking to accelerate their education, several institutions offer 1 year msw programs online no bsw. These programs allow motivated learners to complete their MSW in a condensed timeframe, fast-tracking entry into professional practice.

Undergraduate students or career changers might consider an accelerated online bachelor's degree in psychology. These programs are designed to provide foundational psychology knowledge quickly while offering the flexibility needed for busy schedules.

For those interested in counseling careers, choosing a program accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) is crucial for licensure and employment opportunities. Various affordable options can be found among cacrep schools, ensuring that students receive quality education recognized nationwide.

Best Scientists Contributing to This Journal