Composition of and Collaboration Among Communication Scholars in Twenty Years of ICA Journals

Haley R. Hatfield (PhD student), Hao, H., Zhang, J., Matthew Klein (PhD student), Fu, Y., Jaemin Kim (PhD student), Jongmin Lee (PhD student), and Sun Joo (Grace) Ahn. (2023). Composition of and Collaboration Among Communication Scholars in Twenty Years of ICA Journals (2000-2022). International Communication Association 73rd Annual Conference, Toronto, Canada.

Abstract: The persisting legacies of colonialism have called for scholars to be more active in their efforts to dismantle and decenter the normative foundations of Whiteness in scholarly practices. Given that similar problems persist in communication, the current paper examines the intersectional structures of authors and collaboration patterns among scholarly teams. By analyzing the race, gender, institution type, and institution country of origin of ICA authorship between 2000–2022, we find stark disparities within collaborations across individual identities and institutional partnerships. We offer insights into how these patterns reproduce structural inequalities and create barriers to advancing the field in more diverse and inclusive ways. We propose future directions scholars in the field can take to support and participate in the ongoing work to dismantle and decenter Whiteness in academia.