Blackwell Reference Online

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The International Communication Association (ICA) began more than 50 years ago as a small association of US researchers and is now a truly international association with more than 4,500 members in 85 countries. With its headquarters in Washington, DC, the ICA publishes five refereed journals, a yearbook, and a monthly online newsletter; sponsors a book series; and holds regional conferences and an annual conference. The annual conference meets around the world on a geographical rotation in the Americas, Asia, and Europe. The ICA's diverse structure of 24 divisions and special interest groups represent sub-fields of communication research (→ Communication as a Field and Discipline ). Since 2003, the ICA has been officially associated with the United Nations as a nongovernmental association (NGO). The overall purposes of the ICA are to advance the scholarly study of human communication and to facilitate the implementation of such study in order to be of maximum benefit to humankind by: (1) encouraging the systematic study of theories, processes, and skills of human communication, and (2) facilitating the dissemination of research through an organizational structure responsive to communication study areas, a program of organizational affiliates, regular sponsorship of international meetings, and a commitment to a program of scholarly publication. Because of its complexity, the ICA ... log in or subscribe to read full text