Abstract
This article examines what leading communication journals and yearbooks suggest about the field’s conceptual understanding of communication. It considers whether recent published research offers a general definition of communication or instead focuses on specialized topics without connecting them to an overall conception of the field. The article describes a content analysis of selected association publications and classifies articles as generic, partial, or outside the phenomenon of communication. It finds that most published work addresses limited areas of inquiry or methodological concerns rather than broad conceptual definitions. The article situates these findings within debates about communication research, disciplinary identity, and the history of communication theory. It raises questions about whether communication studies has developed shared conceptual resources adequate for explaining the field to scholars, administrators, and students.
Recommended Citation
McLuskie, Ed
(1984)
"What do some of the leading journals and yearbooks tell us about the field?,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 48, Article 5.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol48/iss1/5
