commres-topic-selection
Use when deciding whether a communication project fits Communication Research (CR) and is shaped as quantitative, theory-testing social science. CR rewards a clear communication-science question with a testable mechanism, not platform novelty or description. Helps frame the question; it does not collect data.
Profile →npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills --skill commres-topic-selection --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
# Topic Selection & Fit (commres-topic-selection) CR is SAGE's **quantitative, social-scientific** communication journal. The bar is not "new on this platform" or "interesting case" — it is **"advances communication science with a testable mechanism."** Use this skill to pressure-test fit before you invest. ## When to trigger - Choosing among possible projects or framings for a CR submission - A reviewer/colleague said the paper feels "descriptive," "atheoretical," or "qualitative for CR" - Deciding whether CR or a sibling (JoC, HCR, New Media & Society) is the right home - Sharpening a vague effect into a hypothesis-testing communication-science question ## The CR fit test A strong CR paper usually clears all four: 1. **Communication-science question.** It is about a communication **process** — message effects, media processing, persuasion, interpersonal/organizational dynamics, health or political communication, new-media use and effects — framed at the level of constructs, not one anecdote. 2. **A testable mechanism, not just a finding.** CR rewards **why** and **for whom**: a mediating process (mediation), a boundary condition (moderation), or an adjudication between rival acco
- When to trigger
- The CR fit test
- Study-type framing (lead with the process, not the platform)
- Fit-screen decision table (what survives editorial screening)
- Calibration anchor: the CR "process + measurement" bar (hedged)
- Worked micro-example: rescuing a descriptive idea (illustrative)
- Anti-patterns
- Output format
- Supplementary resources
What does the commres-topic-selection skill do?
Use when deciding whether a communication project fits Communication Research (CR) and is shaped as quantitative, theory-testing social science. CR rewards a clear communication-science question with a testable mechanism, not platform novelty or description. Helps frame the question; it does not collect data.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills --skill commres-topic-selection --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills, a repository with 909 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.