The Progress and Promise of Health Literacy Research

It brings us great pleasure to present this special issue on health literacy of the Journal of Health Communication. This is the fourth year that the journal has dedicated an issue to this important and evolving topic and we greatly appreciate their continued commitment to this growing area of research. We hope that this year’s special issue will continue to generate discussion and inform future research and practice initiatives to promote the field of health literacy. As in previous years, this special issue builds upon research presented at the Health Literacy Annual Research Conference (HARC IV), which was held on October 22–23, 2012 in Bethesda, Maryland. The 2012 conference continued the legacy of previous HARC conferences as the largest health literacy research conference, showcasing innovative health literacy research conducted in both the United States and internationally. Through more than 150 oral and poster presentations by investigators from diverse fields and perspectives, HARC fulfilled its primary objectives of (a) professional development, (b) advancing the science of health literacy, and (c) promoting