Meta-study of political communication research on Twitter: methodological trends

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24137/raeic.9.18.5

Keywords:

meta-study, political communication, Twitter, methodology

Abstract

This meta-study analyses the methodological trends of scientific articles focusing on political communication on Twitter published in Spanish between 2019 and 2021 in the journals with the highest impact index (JCR and Scopus Q1 and Q2). From a universe of 1233 articles, a sample of 51 published in seven journals is analysed. Attention is paid to the following methodological parameters: sample types and constructions, time periods, geographical areas, methodologies employed, multimedia analysis, general research themes and approaches, and use of software. The aim is to provide a map of recent scientific research and to identify widespread methodological shortcomings or flaws. Among the findings, there is a significant incidence of articles showing software dependency, i.e. mainly consisting of the mere application of a computer programme or application to a dataset.

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Author Biographies

  • Raúl Rojas-Andrés, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM)

    Graduated in philosophy, political consultant and doctoral researcher at the UCLM International Doctoral School, he focuses his research on political sociology, in particular on the study of the Spanish left and cultural distinction, the political communication of the left and the construction of Spanish political identities. He has been a collaborating professor of Political Communication at the Faculty of Communication UCLM. He is a member of ULEPICC-Spain.

  • Español Español, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM)

    Associate Professor in the Faculty of Communication UCLM. He graduated in Audiovisual Communication from the Carlos III University of Madrid (2007), and a Technical Engineer in Computer Systems from the Complutense University of Madrid (2004), where he wrote his doctoral thesis on journalistic coverage of the economic crisis. Master in Scientific Journalism from the UNED (2010), where he has taught the subject Press Offices, and coordinator of the TV program CienciAfición and the DivulgaUNED scientific dissemination platform. He has made stays at the RWTH University of Aachen (Germany) and as a visiting researcher at the universities of Bologna (Italy), and Harvard University (Cambridge, USA). He is a member of the Discourse Studies section at AEIC and a member of ULEPICC-Spain, the Association for Discourse Studies and Society (EDISO) and the Spanish Association of Semiotics (AES).

  • Alemán Alemán, Universität Ulm (UULM)

    Degree in Social Sciences in 2007 at the Humboldt University of Berlin, Master in Research Methodology in Social Sciences in 2011 at the Complutense University of Madrid and doctoral thesis on measurement, explanation and improvement of hospital hand hygiene at the University of Ulm in September 2017. Professor and researcher in the Department of Social Psychology since October 2011.

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Portada_Comunicación política Twitter

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Published

2022-11-03

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 18 (2022): Texts, platforms and devices. New perspectives for discourse analysis

Section

Thematic issue

How to Cite

Meta-study of political communication research on Twitter: methodological trends. (2022). Revista De La Asociación Española De Investigación De La Comunicación, 9(18), 75-111. https://doi.org/10.24137/raeic.9.18.5