Emerging communication technology research: Theoretical and methodological variables in the last 16 years and future directions

Abstract

It is beneficial to reflect on the research literature of emerging communication technology and what has been studied so far, given the rapid growth of this area of research. This study conducted a content analysis of the published literature related to emerging communication technology over a period of 16 years from 1998 to 2013. An exhaustive sample was gathered using two methods of sampling: all Institute for Scientific Information (ISI)-listed communication journals and key word searches. The study examined the common patterns in theoretical, methodological, and technological variables. The primary findings reveal a lack of theory, fuzziness in the conceptualization of the research, growth in empirical research methods, frequent use of nonprobability sampling methods, and growth in studies on blogs, social networking sites (SNS), and mobile technology. Implications and future directions are discussed.