Spectra (ISSN 2157‐3751), a publication of the National Communication Association (NCA), features articles on topics that are relevant to communication scholars, teachers, and practitioners. Spectra is one means through which NCA works toward accomplishing its mission of advancing communication as the discipline that studies all forms, modes, media, and consequences of communication through humanistic, social scientific, and aesthetic inquiry.
The NCA serves the scholars, teachers, and practitioners who are its members by enabling and supporting their professional interests in research and teaching. Dedicated to fostering and promoting free and ethical communication, the NCA promotes the widespread appreciation of the importance of communication in public and private life, the application of competent communication to improve the quality of human life and relationships, and the use of knowledge about communication to solve human problems.
Spectra is published four times a year (March, May, September, and November), and all NCA members receive a subscription. Spectra is also available via individual subscription for non-members.
In addition to feature stories about career development, external representation of the discipline, funding, higher education/disciplinary trends, pedagogy, public policy, and publishing, Spectra offers readers a column from NCA’s president, as well as job advertisements. Each year, there is one themed issue.
In order to ensure that the content of Spectra reflects the interests and priorities of NCA members, a rotating Advisory Board composed of representatives from each of the four regional communication associations has been appointed. The members of this group will meet a few times a year to discuss ideas for themed issues, article topics, and authors. They will work closely with the NCA National Office staff who manage the full Spectra production process.
Story Ideas and Other Feedback
We welcome suggestions for future content and feedback on current issues. Please contact us at spectra@natcom.org.
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Coming in the Next Issue: March 2012, Volume 48, Number 1
Todd Armstrong, Independent Publishing Consultant
Navigating the ins and outs of book publishing within the communication discipline
Michael Beatty, University of Miami; and Thomas Feeley, University at Buffalo, SUNY
Understanding journal ranking systems
Katherine Burton, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group
Exploring the landscape of digital publishing
Pam Shockley-Zalabak, University of Colorado at Colorado Spring
Providing insight on the impact of publishing on tenure and promotion
Archives
To download previous issues of Spectra, click here.