Note: All ICA memberships include a subscription to Human Communication Research.
Click here to view past HCR Table of Contents

Human Communication Research publishes the best empirical research examining communication processes and effects. Major topic areas for the journal include language and social interaction, nonverbal communication, interpersonal communication, organizational communication and new technologies, group communication, mass communication, health communication, intergroup/intercultural communication, and developmental issues in communication, but research examining other areas relevant to the study of communication is welcome.

Successful submissions to the journal will (a) test or develop theory in the field of communication, (b) be methodologically rigorous, (c) be clearly and concisely written, and (d) address the connections between the research and broader concerns within society. Quantitative research should include clear descriptions of measurement reliability and validity, measures of effect size for all significant effects, measures of variability to accompany all measures of central tendency, and power estimates when results are non-significant. Discussion of results should attend to effect size as well as statistical significance. Qualitative work should discuss procedures employed to assure the validity of interpretations (e.g., negative case analysis, member-checking), as well as provide detailed presentations of data that demonstrate the empirical basis for claims. All research should provide descriptions of data collection and analysis procedures that are accurate, lucid, and comprehensive.

Submission of Manuscripts. The title page (page 1) of the manuscript should provide complete contact information (address, telephone, fax and email) and a brief biographical statement for each author (full name and title, and highest earned academic degree including granting institution). Page 2 should present a single-paragraph abstract of no more than 120 words. The remainder of the manuscript (including references, tables, appendices, etc.) should be no longer than 30 double-spaced pages (12-pt. Times, 1" margins) except where the data clearly justify additional space (e.g., reports of multiple studies). Concise writing and incisively developed arguments should be the goal. Tables should be clear and comprehensible independent of the text. Statistical material presented in tables should not also be presented in text. Except where specified otherwise in this call, the format of the manuscript must follow precisely the specifications of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.) in terms of citation style, references, figures, tables, bias in language and all other elements. Manuscripts not conforming to these guidelines will not be sent for peer-review. In addition, manuscripts will not be peer-reviewed if, in the opinion of the editor, they have little or no potential for publication.

Manuscripts should be submitted to the journal electronically at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/hcr. Authors should log-in (or create a new account if they do not have one), visit the “author center” and follow instructions for submitting a new manuscript. Two electronic files will be needed to complete submission: (1) A file containing only the title page (page 1) of the document, and (2) a file containing the remainder of the document (page 2 thru the end of the manuscript). This second file must be prepared in such a fashion that the identity of the author(s) is concealed (i.e., this document should not include the title page or any other identifying information).

Submissions to HCR must not have appeared in any other published form and must not be submitted to any other publication while the manuscript is under review with HCR. All work must be original and work with human subjects must have received authorization from the relevant authorities. Upon acceptance of a manuscript for publication, contributors are required to submit high-quality camera-ready artwork for all figures according to standards determined by the editor and publisher. No copies of the manuscript or other submitted materials will be returned to the author. The Journal retains the right to make changes in accepted manuscripts that (in the opinion of the editor) do not substantially alter meaning, as well as for grammatical, stylistic and space considerations.

Contact Information:
Jake Harwood , Editor
Human Communication Research
Department of Communication
U of Arizona
211 Communication Building
Tucson, AZ 85721 USA
Direct: 520-626-8681