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Communication Theory
H-index 11

Communication Theory

Ranking & Metrics

Discipline name Position Best Scientists Publications D-Index
Social Sciences and Humanities 617 14 17 8

Additional Metrics

Number of Best Scientists*: 26
Documents by Best Scientists*: 28
Top 100 Ranked Scientists*: 0
SCIMAGO H-index: 102
SCIMAGO SJR: 2.316
Impact Factor: 6.2

Overview

Top Research Topics at Communication Theory?

Communication Theory focuses largely on the fields of Epistemology, Social psychology, Public relations, Politics and Communication studies. Epistemology research presented in Communication Theory encompasses a variety of subjects, including Context (language use), Power (social and political), Scholarship, Organizational communication and Communication theory. Some problems in Social psychology that were presented in Communication Theory overlapped with concepts under Cognitive psychology and Cognition.

  • Epistemology (35.07%)
  • Social psychology (16.20%)
  • Public relations (10.14%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

  • Political Communication in Media Society: Does Democracy Still Enjoy an Epistemic Dimension? The Impact of Normative Theory on Empirical Research (909 citations)
  • Interpersonal Deception Theory (848 citations)
  • Communication Theory as a Field (836 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Communication Theory:

The most cited articles facilitate discussions on Epistemology, Social psychology, Public relations, Perspective (graphical) and Interpersonal communication. The most cited papers explore topics in Epistemology which can be helpful for research in disciplines like Identity (social science), Communication studies, Scholarship, Set (psychology) and Communication theory. While the published articles focused on Social psychology, they were also able to explore topics like Normative, Cognitive psychology, Cognition and Mass media.

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

  • Law
  • Epistemology
  • Social science

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

The main points discussed in Communication Theory deals with Epistemology, Public relations, Aesthetics, Identity (social science) and Social psychology. The journal served as a forum through which researchers explored different topics like Epistemology and Epistemics. It explores topics in Public relations which can be helpful for research in disciplines like Control (management), Knowledge communication and Publicity.

Communication Theory explores issues in Aesthetics which can be linked to other research areas like Affective dimension, Journalism, Materialism, Poetry and Democracy. The featured Identity (social science) studies mainly concentrate on Ethnic group but also cover areas of interest in Media studies. While it focused on Social psychology, it was also able to explore topics like User-generated content and Self-determination.

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

  • Theorizing News Literacy Behaviors (16 citations)
  • Theory of Motivated Information Management: A Meta-Analytic Review (8 citations)
  • Fake News is Not a Virus: On Platforms and Their Effects (6 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 Theory (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Robert T. Craig (6 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Thomas Hanitzsch (5 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Michael Huspek (5 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Mohan J. Dutta (5 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • François Cooren (5 papers) absent at the last 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 Theory (based on the number of publications) are:

  • University of Colorado Boulder (27 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition, 2 less than at the previous edition,
  • University of Texas at Austin (26 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • University of Pennsylvania (23 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Arizona State University (20 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition,
  • University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (18 papers) published 2 papers at the last 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, 5.71% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 21.21% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 18.18% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 12.12% of all publications and 48.48% 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.

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Career Paths in Communication Theory Research

Knowledge of communication theory can open doors to diverse career fields including public relations, politics, social psychology, and substance abuse counseling. In substance abuse counseling, for instance, understanding communication theory can tremendously benefit the professional in providing effective counseling sessions to individuals battling with addiction. It aids in facilitating effective patient-counselor communication, shaping recovery strategies, and helping individuals reintegrate into society healthily. For those interested in this career path, you can learn more about qualifications, training, and certification processes in our detailed guide, How to become a licensed substance abuse counselor in Oklahoma.

The understanding and application of communication theory principles differ in each field. Therefore, it is essential to pursue specific training and certifications that align with your career goals. Keep in mind that the broad applicability of communication theory means your career opportunities aren't strictly confined to academia or research.

Whichever path you choose, an in-depth understanding of communication theory will undoubtedly prove beneficial, providing you with insightful knowledge benefiting your interaction, collaboration, and success within your chosen field.

Top Publications

  • Conceptualizing, Organizing, and Positing Moderation in Communication Research

    R Lance Holbert;Esul Park

    (2020)
    100 Citations
  • Organizational Crisis Communication: Suboptimal Crisis Response Selection Decisions and Behavioral Economics

    An-Sofie Claeys;W Timothy Coombs

    (2020)
    73 Citations
  • Deception as a bridging concept in the study of disinformation, misinformation, and misperceptions: Toward a holistic framework

    Andrew Chadwick;James Stanyer

    (2021)
    68 Citations
  • Theorizing From the Global South: Dismantling, Resisting, and Transforming Communication Theory

    Mohan J Dutta;Mahuya Pal

    (2020)
    43 Citations
  • Re-Conceptualizing Solitude in the Digital Era: From “Being Alone” to “Noncommunication”

    Scott W Campbell;Morgan Q Ross

    (2021)
    32 Citations
  • From “the” public sphere to a network of publics: towards an empirically founded model of contemporary public communication spaces

    (2023)
    31 Citations
  • An Empirical Procedure to Evaluate Misinformation Rejection and Deception in Mediated Communication Contexts

    (2021)
    22 Citations
  • Why, how, when, and for whom does digital disconnection work? A process-based framework of digital disconnection

    (2024)
    10 Citations
  • Sustainability, Ecology, and Agriculture in Women Farmers’ Voices: Culture-Centering Gender and Development

    Mohan J Dutta;Jagadish Thaker

    (2020)
    6 Citations
  • Conceptualizing embeddedness as a key dimension for analyzing journalistic cultures

    (2024)
    6 Citations

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Overall, the flexibility of accredited online programs in these disciplines allows learners to advance their education without geographic constraints, making career development in Social Sciences and Humanities more accessible than ever.

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