The Oates Journal (ISSN: 1098-1446) is a publication of the Wayne E. Oates Institute addressing issues related to spirituality, ethics, and healing from the perspective of pastoral care and counseling.

Dr. Melissa Alemán is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at James Madison University. Her research explores communication in and about romantic relationships in later life and the role of communication in later life families. Specifically, she has explored the tensions experienced among older adults in marriage and dating relationships, the contradictory pulls of grandparents who serve as custodial parents to their grandchildren, and narratives of dementia among women in the family. Her research has been published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, the Journal of Communication, the Oates Journal, and Qualitative Communication Research Reports among others.