National Communication Association (NCA)

The National Communication Association (NCA) defines itself as "dedicated to fostering and promoting free and ethical communication, NCA promotes the widespread appreciation of the importance of communication in public and private life, the application of competent communication to improve the quality of human life and relationships, and the use of knowledge about communication to solve human problems." It has a mission of advancing "Communication as the discipline that studies all forms, modes, media, and consequences of communication through humanistic, social scientific, and aesthetic inquiry" (natcom.org).

Boundaries of the association:

• A boundary of the NCA is that it "serves the scholars, teachers, and practitioners who are its members". Certain benefits are therefore not offered unless someone pays for a regular, student, life, or retired membership. This seems to even be the case if you are admitted into their scholarly or academic clubs (unless individual schools offer to cover such students' fees). Although, a lot of information, such as academic resources, professional resources, and information on what communication is, seems to be provided on the website for free.
• Even though one must pay for membership, the NCA is led by "dedicated professionals who volunteer their time" and who are not paid.

Artifacts found within the association:

• Articles within the Spectra; The Online Magazine of the National Communication Association featuring "articles on topics that are relevant to Communication scholars, teachers, and practitioners.
• A graph of What is Communication? (found in the tab called exactly that) with a webpage extensively covering the topic.
• The NCA journal and podcast.
• The NCA Concepts and Praxis in Communication Video Series (found in the tab called exactly that).
• A blog-type collection of articles called Communication Currents of "recently published NCA journal articles and emerging research and perspectives".
• Data and briefs on the discipline (found in the Reports on the Discipline tab)... and even more data under the tab Data About the Discipline. These include surveys, a list of communication program databases, as well as graphs and charts listing topics from post-pandemic enrollment rates to journal citation metrics.
• A daily email subscription for information on the topic
• Information on Teaching and Learning, Learning outcomes in communication, help for grant seekers, internationalization, and why one should study communication.
• A research and publishing resources center
• A resource page for department heads

Identities of the association:

• Those who pay and get paid benefits (either regular or student members)
• Those who do not pay and only get the free benefits of the association (retired members who have been members for at least 25 years)
• Volunteers of the association
• Lambda Pi Eta members
• Sigma Chi Eta members
• NCA student club members