Best Journals for Health Communication Research (2026)

What to Look for When Choosing a Journal

Before submitting your research, evaluate journals on these key criteria:

Health communication scope — public health campaigns, patient communication, and health literacy
Behaviour change frameworks — health belief model, social cognitive theory, and extended parallel process model
Open access to reach public health officials, healthcare communicators, and patient advocates
Fast review for health communication research tied to active health campaigns or health emergencies
Acceptance of randomised controlled trials of communication interventions
Coverage of digital health communication and mHealth research

Recommended Journals — Cluster 8: Marketing, Media & Communication

All journals below are published by Keith Publications — open access, peer-reviewed, and indexed for global discoverability.

Journal of Marketing Management and Research (JMMR)
Marketing management, consumer behaviour, brand management, strategic marketing, digital marketing, market research, and the theory and practice of marketing across sectors.

Review: 2–4 weeks Open Access DOI (CrossRef) Google Scholar

Marketing Management Consumer Behaviour Brand Management Strategic Marketing

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Journal of Marketing and Digital Media (JMDM)
Digital marketing, social media marketing, content strategy, influencer marketing, digital advertising, e-commerce marketing, and the intersection of technology and marketing practice.

Review: 2–3 weeks Open Access DOI (CrossRef) Google Scholar

Digital Marketing Social Media Content Marketing E-commerce

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Fast Publication: All Keith Publications journals complete initial review within 2–5 business days and full peer review within 2–4 weeks. Articles are published online within 5–10 days of acceptance — among the fastest open access publishers in marketing, media, and communication research.

Core Research Areas in Health Communication

Keith Publications health communication journals accept research on: public health campaign design and evaluation — mass media and community-based health campaigns; vaccine communication — hesitancy, risk messaging, and pro-vaccine campaign effectiveness; cancer risk communication — screening promotion, genetic risk disclosure, and treatment decision communication; patient-provider communication — shared decision making, health literacy, and patient-centred communication; mental health communication — stigma reduction campaigns and help-seeking behaviour promotion; chronic disease self-management communication — diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease patient education; digital health communication — health apps, online patient communities, and social media health information; health misinformation on social media — detection, correction, and media literacy interventions; and emergency risk communication — pandemic communication, outbreak messaging, and public warning systems.

Health Misinformation: The Most Urgent Health Communication Research Challenge

The COVID-19 infodemic demonstrated that health misinformation can be as dangerous as the disease itself — undermining public health measures, reducing vaccine uptake, and eroding trust in public health authorities. Research on the psychological mechanisms driving health misinformation acceptance, the effectiveness of prebunking and inoculation strategies, the role of social media platforms in amplifying health false information, and communication strategies to rebuild public trust in health authorities is urgently needed and actively welcomed at Keith Publications health communication journals.

Tips to Maximise Your Acceptance Chances

Align your research with the journal's scope — confirm your topic fits the journal's marketing, media, or communication focus.
Write a practitioner-relevant abstract — marketing and communication journals value clear implications for practice alongside theoretical contributions.
Ensure methodological rigour — clearly describe your research design, measurement instruments, and analysis approach.
Use current and relevant literature — include recent marketing and communication research publications (within the last 5 years).
Follow formatting guidelines exactly — non-compliant manuscripts are often desk-rejected without review.
State theoretical and managerial implications — explain how your findings advance marketing theory and inform marketing practice.
Address limitations honestly — acknowledge the boundaries of your study and future research directions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which journals are best for health communication research?

The Journal of Marketing Management and Research (JMMR) and Journal of Marketing and Digital Media (JMDM) from Keith Publications are among the best for health communication research, covering public health campaigns, patient communication, digital health information, and health misinformation.

Can I publish research on COVID-19 vaccine communication?

Yes. Research on COVID-19 vaccine communication strategy, hesitancy messaging, social media health information during the pandemic, public trust in health authorities, and post-pandemic health communication lessons is within scope and actively welcomed.

Is research on mHealth apps and digital health communication accepted?

Yes. Research on health and wellness app design, mHealth behaviour change mechanisms, patient engagement with digital health tools, telehealth communication, and the effectiveness of digital health literacy programmes is within scope.

How quickly can health communication research be published at Keith Publications?

Keith Publications journals complete initial screening within 2–5 business days and full peer review within 2–4 weeks — especially important for health communication research tied to active public health campaigns or health emergencies.

Related Research Guides

Explore other research journal guides in the Marketing, Media & Communication cluster: