“Big data” has begun to find its way into communication research on mass communication, digital technologies, political communication, health communication, and many other areas of interest to our discipline. The purpose of this special issue is to showcase the state of the art in recent research in computational communication science.

We are interested in completed studies that make a substantive contribution to questions of interest to communication researchers. They may address any area within the purview of the International Communication Association’s various Divisions and Interests Groups. Our primary interest is in empirical studies that actually use big data to directly and innovatively advance communication research. We are particularly interested in studies that bring big data methods to bear on substantive issues in ways that could not be reached through more traditional approaches. Although priority will be given to empirical studies, conceptual papers that significantly enhance our understanding of the nature of big data, the limitations and advantages of big data, its relationship to theory, and relevant analytic techniques will also be considered. 

Because there is no one definition of what counts as “big data,” we are open to a variety of approaches and methods. Examples might include, but are not limited to, the analysis of large social networks (including online networks), automated data aggregation and mining, web and mobile analytics, visualization of large datasets, sentiment analysis/opinion mining, machine learning, natural language processing, and computer-assisted content analysis of large datasets. 

Whatever the approach, our goal is to select manuscripts that make a substantive contribution to the study of human communication and media. If you have questions regarding the appropriateness of a potential submission, please contact Malcolm Parks, JOC Editor-in-Chief, at macp@uw.edu.

Deadline for submission is 15 September 2013, through http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jcom.  Manuscripts must conform to all JOC guidelines, including the use of APA 6th edition format and a limit of 35 pages total manuscript length.  Please indicate your desire to be considered for the special issue in your cover letter.