Call for papers Issue 51 | “Theory & Methodology of Communication Research in Latin America”
The Latin American Journal of Communication Sciences (ISSN 1807 3026), published by ALAIC (the Latin American Association of Communication Scholars), is a quarterly, peer reviewed journal with international reach. Its mission is to foster the dissemination, democratization, and consolidation of Latin American traditions of communication thought, broaden engagement with the global scholarly community, and contribute to the holistic development of society across the continent.
For its 51st issue, the journal invites scholars to submit manuscripts to the thematic dossier “Theory and Methodology of Communication Research in Latin America”, organized under ALAIC’s Working Group GT9, Theory and Methodology of Communication Research. This working group offers a forum for critical analysis, theoretical, epistemological, and methodological reflection in the field of communication.
The special issue is intended to assemble contributions that examine conceptual foundations of communication research in Latin America, including state of the art reviews, epistemological debates, conceptual reformulations, and innovative methodological reflections. We especially encourage submissions that go beyond isolated case studies to engage in sustained theoretical analysis, bringing substantive contributions to a critical, context sensitive understanding of communication as both academic field and social phenomenon.
Contributions may address one or more of the following focal areas:
1. Communicative Objects and Theoretical Balance
This track invites work that critically reconstructs the theoretical trajectories underpinning analysis of communicative objects. We seek to understand how conceptual frameworks have shaped the constitution of research objects and how those theoretical choices help us reconceptualize communication itself. Submissions should situate adopted frameworks within Latin America’s historical and cultural contexts, and provide a reflective assessment of prior theoretical and methodological paths.
2. Communication Theory, Epistemologies, and Conceptual Horizons
This track calls for critical, abstract reflection on what we understand by communication theory and on the foundational underpinnings of the communication concept itself. We welcome manuscripts that revisit classic or underexplored authors, schools, or theoretical traditions; that interrogate the epistemological status of communication research; and that explore cultural, historical, and political implications of conceptual construction in the field (especially from inter-, trans-, or multidisciplinary standpoints).
3. Methodologies in Communication Research: Paths, Techniques, and Foundations
In this track, methodological reflection is treated as an independent dimension of inquiry. We welcome papers that analyze strategies, techniques, research models, or forms of data collection and analysis, and that explore how methodological decisions interface with theoretical constructs. Submissions that reveal methodological innovations, tensions, or challenges specific to communication studies in Latin America will be particularly valued.
4. Communication, Theory, and Technological Evolution
This track focuses on how emerging technologies reshape theory and methodology—such as artificial intelligence, algorithms, digital platforms, and automated mediations. We invite work that explores how these technologies influence theory formation and dissemination, unsettle traditional paradigms, and introduce new challenges to the epistemology of communication.
The special issue will also include interviews with leading researchers in the field, aiming to expand the diversity of voices and critical perspectives on theoretical development in communication across Latin America.
Submissions
Manuscripts must be submitted by November 30, 2025, via the journal’s online platform, following the editorial guidelines available at:
http://revista.pubalaic.org/index.php/alaic/about/submissions
Publication is expected in April 2026.
Coordination
Eva Da Porta (Argentina) – evadaporta@gmail.com
Marta Rizo (Mexico) – mrizog@gmail.com
Vilso Junior Santi (Brazil, UFRR) – vjrsanti@gmail.com
