Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication

Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication
Title	Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication
Discipline	Communication studies, Information science
Abbreviation	JCMC
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Country	United States
Frequency	Quarterly
History	1995–present
Openaccess	Hybrid

Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication is a peer-reviewed scholarly journal focusing on research about mediated communication mediated by digital technologies, social platforms, and networked media. It publishes empirical, theoretical, and methodological work that connects communication studies with computer science, sociology, psychology, and law. Editors and contributors have included scholars affiliated with institutions such as University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Cambridge, and University of Oxford.

History

The journal was established in 1995 amid rapid growth in interest from scholars at Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University, Columbia University, and University of California, Berkeley exploring the effects of the World Wide Web, ARPANET, Netscape Communications Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, and Apple Inc. on communication. Early editorial boards featured researchers associated with Annenberg School for Communication, MIT Media Lab, Center for Digital Democracy, Pew Research Center, and RAND Corporation. During the 2000s the journal published work intersecting with developments at Google, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon (company), and YouTube, reflecting shifts in platform governance, algorithmic curation, and online communities emerging from events such as the Dot-com bubble, Arab Spring, and debates after the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Scope and Aims

The journal aims to bridge scholarship across departments at University of Michigan, University of Chicago, New York University, University of California, Los Angeles, and University of Texas at Austin by soliciting research on social networks, online identity, privacy, moderation, and political communication in contexts involving European Union, United Nations, World Health Organization, Federal Communications Commission, and European Commission regulations. It emphasizes interdisciplinary contributions drawing on methods developed at Carnegie Mellon University, University of Maryland, Indiana University Bloomington, Purdue University, and University of Washington, and foregrounds implications for policy debates involving Supreme Court of the United States, European Court of Human Rights, Federal Trade Commission, International Telecommunication Union, and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Editorial Structure and Peer Review

The editorial office has been housed at institutions including University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, University of Southern California, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and University of Toronto. The governing structure comprises an editor-in-chief, associate editors, and an international editorial board with members from London School of Economics, King's College London, University of Sydney, Australian National University, and University of Amsterdam. Manuscripts undergo double-blind peer review involving reviewers drawn from networks at Stanford University, Duke University, Brown University, Cornell University, and Georgetown University as well as from research centers such as Oxford Internet Institute, Berkman Klein Center, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Tow Center for Digital Journalism, and Data & Society Research Institute.

Abstracting and Indexing

The journal is abstracted and indexed in major services operated by Clarivate, Elsevier, and EBSCO Information Services, and is included in citation databases covering journals listed by Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, Google Scholar, and JSTOR. Coverage supports evaluation metrics produced by organizations such as CrossRef, ORCID, Thomson Reuters, Publish or Perish, and national assessment exercises like Research Excellence Framework and National Science Foundation analyses.

Impact and Reception

Scholars from Princeton University, Harvard University, Columbia University, Yale University, University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge have cited the journal in work on network effects, algorithmic transparency, and online deliberation. The journal's articles have contributed to policy discussions involving the European Union General Data Protection Regulation, the Digital Services Act, debates before the United States Congress, and testimony to agencies including the Federal Trade Commission and House Judiciary Committee. Its impact is measured by citations tracked by Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and rankings compiled by SCImago Research Group and disciplinary lists maintained by departments at University of Michigan and University of California campuses.

Notable Articles and Special Issues

The journal has published influential articles and special issues engaging topics such as social network analysis methods developed at Carnegie Mellon University, misinformation studies linked to events like 2016 United States presidential election, platform governance responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, and studies of content moderation influenced by practices at Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram (app). Special issues have assembled guest editors from Oxford Internet Institute, MIT Media Lab, Berkman Klein Center, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, and Center for Democracy & Technology, covering themes from algorithmic accountability to digital labor and online civic engagement.

Category:Academic journals Category:Communication journals Category:Digital media