RAIL

Call for Papers

A special issue of the Journal of Applied Communication is planned: Examining the Linkages between Religion, Spirituality and Communication for Individual and Social Change.

This special issue is devoted to research articles and essays that focus on the role and impact of religion and spirituality (R/S) on the design, impact and practice of communication via the media and between individuals. Papers that address practical implications and linkages between R/S and communication in areas such as health, wellbeing, personal relationships, instruction, policy, public understanding or social discourse will be ideal for this special issue.

The purpose of this call is to encourage researchers to share their original research and thoughts on the opportunities and challenges of incorporating faith and religion into communication research. The field could benefit from research that demonstrates how faith-based communication could be employed to improve individual, relational, and social outcomes. For example, faith-based approaches are being used effectively by public health researchers for the treatment of chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity, under the umbrella of Complementary and Alternative medicine or Mind-Body research. Similarly, there may be other areas from the framing of intelligent design to politics of presidential campaigns, which could benefit from a better understanding of the overlap between R/S and communication.

Two types of submissions are encouraged:

1. Original research articles that conform to the journal’s specifications with faith, religion or spirituality as a critical, if not focal, variable within the broad framework of applied communication research.
2. 1000-word essays on the role of faith, religion or spirituality in communication research, with a clear statement of how the insights from the essay could inform applied research.

Submission Deadline January 5, 2011. Learn more at http://comm.uky.edu/JACR/call/

Manuscript Submission

All submissions should be made online at the JACR Manuscript Central site. New users should first create an account. Once a user is logged onto the site, submissions should be made via the Author Centre. The URL is http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/RJAC.

The journal is not restricted to particular theoretical or methodological perspectives. Manuscripts reflecting diverse issues, scholarly modes of inquiry, and innovative thinking about the ways in which communication is shaped and functions in human interaction are welcome.

The journal is peer reviewed and has a tradition of high standards.