Comparing research topics in European and International Communication Association journals: Computational analysis

Abstract

This study uses diachronic computational analysis enhanced with a qualitative approach to examine ongoing changes in communication studies, comparing trends in two European media studies journals and three major International Communication Association journals. We analyze the titles, keywords, and abstracts of 2,585 articles published between 1994–2007 and 2008–2016. We find differences between topics in the two periods in each of the journals’ groups and between the two groups themselves. In the European group, we find centrality of topics related to media change and media logic. In the ICA journals, we find a strengthening of scholarly engagement with effects studies. At the same time, we find evidence of erosion of the place of cultural studies as a distinctive research stream.