Journals for Technical Communication, Experience Design, Business/Professional Communication

CC BY-SA 4.0 by Jason Tham - Texas Tech University

Nota bene: Most journals here overlap in aim/scope and nature, and some readers may not consider my categorizing of them accurate under the thematic headings below. If you would like to suggest an amendment/addition, please email me at jason.tham@ttu.edu. Thanks! Positionality: I am a technical communication researcher and teacher. I focus mainly on communication design from a technical perspective… and I read journals to identify approaches and theories that support my research, teaching, and practice. What I mean by…

Nature—Whether the journal focuses on theory, practice, pedagogy, philosophy, methodology, administration, or other scholarly directions
Focus—Topical emphases or areas of studies, methodological approaches

Notes—Any personal thoughts regarding the journal, including known facts or history

Researchers do not typically go to their attics to identify good research topics. Instead, researchers keep up with current scholarly and scientific conversations by keeping up with peer-reviewed literature

Journal of Business and Technical Communication (SAGE)

Nature: Theory driven; seems to balance qualitative and quantitative research
Focus: Technical and business communication practices and pedagogy; discussions about training students to be professionals; some useful teaching strategies and cases
Notes: Currently one of the top journals in technical communication; arguably most cited; has a strong tie to Iowa State’s professional communication program

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (SAGE)

Nature: Slightly less theoretical than JBTC and TCQ but still heavy academic-speak
Focus: Trends and approaches in technical communication practices and research
Notes: One of the oldest technical communication journals in the US

Technical Communication (Society for Technical Communication)

Nature: Arguably more practical than JTWC, JBTC, TCQ, and IEEE Transactions; caters to STC’s professional audience… and it’s associated with the STC’s annual summit
Focus: Emerging topics, methods, and practices in technical communication; content management, information architecture, and usability research
Notes: It’s behind a paywall some university libraries may not even access; there is an online version of the journal called Technical Communication Online… but it’s not as prominent as the print journal; seems to have a strong association with Texas Tech’s technical communication program

Technical Communication Quarterly (Association for Teachers of Technical Writing) (Taylor & Francis)

Nature: Theoretical + pedagogical
Focus: Teaching methods and exemplary approaches to research; features many exemplary qualitative research cases
Notes: Another top journal in technical communication; produces many award-winning pieces; associated with ATTW so it has a huge academic following… especially those who also attend the annual Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC)

IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication (Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers – Professional Communication Society)

Nature: 50-50 theory and practice
Focus: Engineering communication as professional communication; empirical research
Notes: Another old journal that has a lot of history; seems to have a strong tie to the University of North Texas’s technical communication department

IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society (IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology)

Nature: 30% technical, 70% philosophical discussions about social technologies
Focus: Computers science, CS education, technical design, social computing
Notes: Good for interdisciplinary work, digital humanities, and digital education

Communication Design Quarterly (Association for Computing Machinery – Special Interest Group on Design of Communication)

Nature: Theoretical, methodological
Focus: Offers many accessible (comprehensible) research reports on design methods, research practices, teaching approaches, and industry trends
Notes: Open access…yay! Recently pursued an “online first” model where articles are published on a rolling basis; it’s considered the second-tier journal in the academic circle but it’s surely becoming more popular among technical communication scholars

Journal of User Experience (User Experience Professionals Association)

Nature: For academics, this is highly practical
Focus: Empirical research; mostly quantitative
Notes: Independent journal not associated with an academic institution; was Journal of Usability Studies

Behaviour and Information Technology (Taylor & Francis)

Nature: Computer science emphasis… so, experimental + theoretical
Focus: Human-computer interaction; information design, behavioral science
Notes: This is a UK journal… provides a nice juxtaposition to US journals and perspectives

Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (SAGE)

Nature: Similar to BIT, experimental and theoretical
Focus: Puts emphasis on the human factors and ergonomics discipline; draws from psychology
Notes: As shown in its name… it’s a journal for the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society

Ergonomics in Design: The Quarterly of Human Factors Applications (SAGE)

Nature: Slightly more theoretical than Human Factors
Focus: Theoretical discussions, experiments, and demonstrations
Notes: Also an HFES journal

International Journal of Human-Computer Studies (Elsevier)

Nature: Theoretical
Focus: More interdisciplinary than EID and Human Factors
Notes: May be one that technical communication researchers feel more comfortable publishing in even if they are not working directly in HCI or computer science fields

Human Technology (Independent journal)

Nature: Theoretical, philosophical
Focus: Discusses technological futures and human-computer interaction
Notes: It’s got less prestige compared to EID and Human Factors

Human Communication & Technology (Independent journal)

Nature: Theoretical, empirical
Focus: Communication studies and social technologies
Notes: It’s fairly new and doesn’t seem to publish multiple issues a year

Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication (International Communication Association) (Oxford)

Nature: Empirical; qualitative; quantitative
Focus: Social scientific approach to computer-based communication; media studies and politics; social media research
Notes: Top journal for solid communication technologies research

International Journal of Sociotechnology and Knowledge Development (IGI Global)

Nature: Empirical; qualitative; quantitative; practical
Focus: Social scientific approach to technology studies and professional communication; seems catered to practitioner audience
Notes: Has an interdisciplinary feel to it; one or two special issues are of specific interest to technical communication design

Business and Professional Communication Quarterly (SAGE)

Nature: Theoretical, pedagogical
Focus: Workplace communication studies and teaching cases
Notes: A journal of the Association for Business Communication (ABC); top tiered for business writing and communication research

International Journal of Business Communication (SAGE)

Nature: Practical, pedagogical, experimental
Focus: Similar focus to BPCQ
Notes: Also an ABC journal. From Clay Spinuzzi (echoed by Jianfen Chen): “BPCQ is primarily pedagogical and IJBC isn’t.”

Programmatic Perspectives (Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication)

Nature: Programmatic, pedagogical
Focus: Program and curriculum design; teaching issues; professional development of teachers
Notes: Smaller journal… not sure how big is the readership but it’s got a good reputation

Rhetoric, Professional Communication, and Globalization (independent journal)

Nature: Empirical, mixed methods, case studies
Focus: International and global perspectives on professional communication
Notes: Was active between 2014-2017 then discontinued… Was turned into a book project but did not complete. Officially revived in 2022 with a special issue.

Technical Communication and Social Justice (independent journal)

Nature: Empirical, pedagogical, case studies
Focus: Social justice, equity, justice, and inclusion issues in technical & professional communication
Notes: It was launched in 2023

Xchanges: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Technical Communication, Rhetoric, and Writing across the Curriculum (Independent journal)

Nature: Pedagogical, beginner research, experimental, teaching cases
Focus: Technical communication, writing studies, rhet/comp, and everything in between!
Notes: Open access journal with pretty good editorial support; provides mentorship to undergrad and graduate writing; multimedia friendly

RhetTech Undergraduate Journal (Independent journal)