Strategic Communication as an Emerging Interdisciplinary Paradigm

TLDR

The analysis indicates that strategic communication scholarship requires more interdisciplinary research. The study investigates future directions by proposing definitional refinements and encouraging an interdisciplinary worldview to strengthen the field. The authors conducted a content analysis of 207 IJSC manuscripts from 2007–2018 to characterize the disciplinary status of strategic communication. The analysis shows increasing research productivity, authorship diversity, and global reach of strategic communication over 11 years.

Abstract

This study explores future directions in strategic communication scholarship by examining the emergence of strategic communication through the lens of interdisciplinary science. The disciplinary status of strategic communication is described through a content analysis of manuscripts published in the International Journal of Strategic Communication since its inaugural issue in 2007 (N = 207). Results reveal positive trends in research productivity, authorship, and globalization of the discipline over an 11-year period. However, analysis of the methodological and theoretical attributes of strategic communication scholarship suggests that more interdisciplinary research is needed. This study proposes definitional refinements that may strengthen the consistency of purpose among strategic communication scholars for future research and theory building. In addition, this study proposes that scholars embrace an interdisciplinary worldview to further the development of strategic communication as a unique and innovative domain of study in the future.