brycewang-stanford JoC Workflow Router (joc-workflow)
The orchestrator for a JoC submission. Figure out the stage and the format, then send the user to the matching skill. JoC is the flagship, field-wide journal of the International Communication Association — the router's first job is to make sure the paper is pitched to communication research broadly, not just one subfield or platform.
When to trigger
- Starting a new JoC paper and unsure where to begin
- Mid-project and unsure which skill applies next
- Deciding which format fits (article, JoC Forum, special-issue call)
- Returning with a decision letter (route to
joc-rebuttal)
First question: which format?
| Situation | Format | Route to |
|---|---|---|
| Full original study, broad significance | Original article (main doc ≤ 35 pages) | normal pipeline below |
| Short, argument-driven contribution | JoC Forum (3,000–6,000 words) | normal pipeline, tighter scope |
| Responding to a themed call | Special issue | joc-topic-selection (fit to the call) + pipeline |
| Prospective design, data not yet collected | preregister first | joc-open-science-and-transparency early |
If the design is prospective, preregister and plan Open Science Badge materials before collecting data — note the preregistration in the cover letter at submission.
Routing map (stage → skill)
Idea / fit? → joc-topic-selection
Where does it sit in the field? → joc-literature-positioning
What's the argument? → joc-theory-building
Is the design defensible? → joc-research-design
Are the analyses sound? → joc-data-analysis
Are the exhibits clear? → joc-tables-figures
Does it read for the field? → joc-writing-style
Data statement & open science? → joc-open-science-and-transparency
How will it be judged? → joc-review-process
Ready to submit? → joc-submission
Got an R&R / decision? → joc-rebuttal
Default order
topic-selection → literature-positioning → theory-building → research-design → data-analysis → tables-figures → writing-style → open-science-and-transparency → review-process → submission → rebuttal
Iterate: most papers loop theory ↔ design ↔ analysis several times before writing-style.
Anti-patterns
- Treating JoC like a niche subfield outlet — the contribution must reach communication research broadly
- Forcing a quantitative template onto computational, qualitative, or critical work (JoC judges each on its own terms)
- Padding a short, focused argument into a full article when the JoC Forum would land harder
- Leaving the Data Availability Statement and badge materials until acceptance
Router pass for Journal of Communication
Treat this skill as an executable review pass, not a prose hint. First lock the communication process, platform/media setting, construct measurement, and study design; then judge whether the current manuscript answers the venue's real reader: communication reviewers who balance theory, media context, measurement, and social implications.
- Do the pass: Run the pack as a sequence: fit gate, evidence gate, writing gate, source-map gate, and final output contract; stop when a gate lacks evidence.
- Return a ledger: give
claim / evidence / risk / manuscript locationrows, so the next agent can edit rather than rediscover the issue. - Sibling guard: compare against Communication Research for quantitative communication, New Media & Society for platform focus, Human Communication Research for theory testing; if a sibling owns the contribution, recommend re-routing before polishing format.
- Stop condition: do not give submission-ready advice until the pack's
resources/official-source-map.mdhas been checked for volatile rules and the manuscript has one concrete fix for the largest venue-specific risk.
Output format
【Stage】idea / positioning / theory / design / analysis / exhibits / writing / transparency / review / submit / rebut
【Format】Original article / JoC Forum / Special issue
【Route to】joc-<skill>
【Why】one line
【Then】the next skill after that
Supplementary resources
../../resources/external_tools.md— communication data + software by method../../resources/official-source-map.md— official JoC URLs behind every fact in this pack