Health communication is an interdisciplinary research area with scholars contributing excellent work from communication, psychology, sociology, nursing, public health, health education, medicine, oncology, and behavioral science (just to name a few). NCA serves scholars from all of these areas and welcomes those from new areas as well. Health communication scholarship is published in top-tier journals across academia – from JAMA to Social Science & Medicine.
Kreps and colleagues provide an account of the history of the first two journals focused on health communication (Journal of Health Communication and Health Communication):
“In 1989 a momentous occasion occurred in the life of the field of health communication. The first refereed scientific quarterly journal, Health Communication, dedicated exclusively to health communication inquiry, was introduced by its Founding Editor, Teresa Thompson. The publication of this journal marked the coming of age of this young field of study and encouraged scholars from around the globe to take this field of study seriously. This first issue of Health Communication marked an important point in the academic maturation of the field of health communication inquiry, and over the years the journal has provided the field with a respected outlet for health communication research. In 1996 a second dedicated refereed quarterly health communication journal, the Journal of Health Communication, was introduced, under the Founding Editorship of Scott Ratzan. This journal differs from the established journal Health Communication, by taking a more international orientation and health care practice perspective to health communication. While the important journal Health Communication is a rigorous research journal, the new journal, the Journal of Health Communication, is more of a research and practice journal. The two journals complement each other and provide important scholarly outlets for health communication scholarship, indicative of the growth and maturation of this field of study.”
Below is a list of journals that routinely publish health communication research: